Lauren Ingraham, professor of English, is UTC’s new director of General Education. The appointment lasts until December 2020.
The general-education curriculum focuses on rhetoric and composition, the natural sciences, mathematics, statistics, the behavioral and social sciences, non-Western culture, the humanities and the fine arts. As director, Ingraham will lead a coordinated, campus-wide discussion on how the courses fit with current and emerging issues and trends in general education.
One of her jobs is making sure the courses are “enriching experiences for students while also meeting the extensive obligations to accrediting agencies,” Ingraham says.
“Decades after students graduate, I want them to look back at general-education courses they took as time well-spent,” says Ingraham.
Ingraham has more than 20 years as a UTC faculty member and, along with being a member of the General Education Steering Committee from 2013 until 2017, she was chair of the committee in 2017-18. She also was director of composition in the general-education curriculum.
Interim Provost George Hynd says Ingraham’s extensive background in teaching general-education courses, her understanding of higher-education trends and her leadership skills have prepared her for the role as director.
“This position will be instrumental in leading a campus-wide discussion of general education to conceptualize a coherent and refreshed general-education program,” he says.