Academic advisers and freshmen have new general-education requirements to follow for spring semester.

Upperclassmen can decide to follow the new requirements or stay with the old.

On Sept. 27, Assistant Academic Affairs Vice President Paul Newman detailed the new system to about 20 faculty members using PowerPoint slides in Biddle Hall.

This new system is to be less demanding for students because it requires 30 credits for general education, which is six credits fewer than the old system.

“It’s creating less of a burden for students,” Newman said.

He said students now have an opportunity to test out of English Composition 1, which wasn’t an option before, but that students can no longer test out of a Quantitative Reasoning course because taking at least one course is required.

According to Newman, the system is broken down into two sections: Required Courses and Worlds of Knowledge.

Newman said the Required Courses category covers foundational courses including English Composition, Quantitative Reasoning and Public Speaking.

The Worlds of Knowledge category includes courses under Aesthetic and Creative Expression; Global History and Culture; and Society and Civics. It also covers courses under Science and Nature.

In each of the four Worlds of Knowledge, students are to choose two initial courses and two follow-up courses.

Newman said that the new system’s setup is beneficial to students.

“It makes things easier for students because it’s more defined; the spread is better (when choosing courses).”

General Education Committee member Patty Wharton-Michael said that the new system is more flexible than the previous one.

“If there’s (a course) under the major requirement (section) that’s not used toward a major, then it can count as a general-education requirement.”

Newman said he hopes this aspect generates more double or triple major students.

“It (also) will help students fulfill minors, if wanted,” he said.

According to Newman, the new system will be assessed by selecting an assessment coordinator for a World of Knowledge section, and the assessment data will be embedded into the course.

“For the first time, we’ll assess what a well-rounded student is,” he said.

Tuangtip Klinbubpa-Neff said the new system is good overall, and that she likes it better than the old system.

Klinbupba-Neff said that it’s going to be confusing for a bit.

“New things are complicated, but we will get used to it.”