Photo Courtesy of Shingai Manyonga
By: Shingai Manyonga, BuzzStaff Writer
Beginning in Fall 2026, St. Ambrose University will implement its redesigned core curriculum that university leaders say will transform how students experience general education from their first semester on campus.
The new core, launching on both the St. Ambrose and Mount Mercy University campuses, aims to serve as the foundation of a student’s academic journey. According to Travis Eygabroad, a college academic adviser, the program’s mission is to provide students with the knowledge, skills, and ethical foundation to work mercifully and courageously towards creating a just future.
Associate Professor and Associate Dean for Core Curriculum, Mission, and Vocation, Ella Johnson, says. “The Core is meant to help students see how different areas of learning work together,” Johnson said. “We want students to develop skills they can carry into their professions, their communities, and their personal lives.”
Under the redesign, general education will consist of 12 interdisciplinary courses totalling 36 credits. University leaders say the streamlined structure enables students to have greater flexibility when planning their degrees, allowing room for minors, certificates, or microcredentials alongside majors, and supporting individualized pathways.
The curriculum emphasizes skill development across disciplines instead of separating subjects into unrelated categories. Courses are organized around six essential areas: holistic inquiry and analysis, communication and creative expression, quantitative literacy and problem solving, human literacy and critical thinking, intercultural knowledge and civic engagement, and integrative learning with ethical action. Faculty say these areas are designed to build on one another throughout a student’s college experience.
Another defining feature of the new Core is its focus on question-based learning. Rather than centering on memorizing information, classes will encourage students to connect classroom learning to social, professional, and global issues. The learner-centered approach recognizes students’ experiences while challenging them to apply knowledge to complex problems.
While incoming students will experience the new Core directly, many current juniors and seniors will complete their degrees under the existing curriculum. Across campus, reactions from students reflect both curiosity and cautious optimism.
Senior cybersecurity major Marcus Lang said remaining in the current system provides reassurance. “At this point, I’m focused on finishing my requirements and graduating,” Lang says.
“Switching curriculums now would probably be stressful and add to the classes I have to take, so I understand why seniors stay in the old Core.” Underclassmen and those preparing to enrol under the new system see the change as an opportunity. First-year student Ethan Valtman said the flexibility described in the announcement stood out to him.
“I like the idea of having space to add certificates or minors,” Valtman said. “It actually makes sense to study these subjects now. I think it is better than looking for the easiest class just to fulfil a requirement that does not add value to my major.”
University officials say the redesign also responds to changing expectations in the workplace, where employers increasingly seek graduates who can think critically, communicate effectively, and analyse information across disciplines. Faculty involved in the redesign believe the Core curriculum prepares students for those expectations while remaining grounded in Ambrosian values of wisdom, courage, mercy, justice, and service.
Academic advisors will play a key role in helping students understand how the new curriculum fits into their academic plans. The Fall 2026 launch marks a significant transition for St. Ambrose University. More than a revision of graduation requirements, the new Core represents a broader rethinking of how general education supports both professional preparation and personal development throughout a student’s college experience.
