Student and Advisor Guidelines
for
Implementation of Foundational and Embedded Outcomes (Core) Curricula for the Fall 2013 and thereafter
In the Fall of 2013, all undergraduate programs of study will implement new curricula. They will embody the
new foundational outcome-based core and will identify courses and activities to meet embedded outcomes
for each student. In addition, many are moving to a graduation requirement of 120 credits. This document
provides guidance to beginning students, continuing students, students changing majors, and transfer
students regarding the Fall 2013 or after curricula1.
1. New Beginners
All new beginning students will follow the curricula in place at the time of matriculation to college.
2. Continuing Students
Continuing, degree-seeking students will by default remain on the same curriculum they are currently
following. However, if they choose to change to the Fall 2013 or after curriculum, they may do so and will be
required to meet all graduation requirements of the curriculum including the foundational and embedded
outcomes as well as credits required for graduation. Advisor contact is critical for these decisions.
3. Purdue Students Changing their Major or Transfer Students
When changing majors or transferring to Purdue University, students will follow the curriculum in effect for
new beginning students at the time of the transfer or change.. Alternatively, they may choose to follow the
curriculum in place for the date of their matriculation to college.
Programs should determine a timeline for phasing out expiring courses to ensure that continuing students who
are changing majors and following a 2011 or 2012 catalog will have access to those courses or their approved
equivalents.
4. Embedded Outcomes
Continuing students, CODO, and Transfer students who change to the Fall 2013 or after curriculum will be
required to meet all degree requirements including embedded outcomes. It is possible, however, that the
faculty will not have courses or activities that meet embedded outcomes ready for the 2013-2014 academic
year. If that is the case, the faculty of the department offering the degree has the authority to develop and
authorized activities or course substitutions specifically for the continuing, CODO and transfer students to
meet those outcomes.
5. Course Applicability, Transfer Courses and Course Exemptions
A. Course Applicability: Courses approved by the Undergraduate Curriculum Council (UCC) as
foundational courses fall into two effective date categories.
1. Many courses initially approved for the foundational outcomes were unchanged from recent
history. These courses taken within the last ten years (per university regulations -- at Purdue, including
regional campuses, or at another institution when transferred back to Purdue as an equivalent course)
will be considered as meeting the foundational outcomes. For example, a student taking ENGL 10600
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(or its transferred equivalent) within the last 10 years will meet foundational outcomes for written
communication and information literacy.
2. Courses which are either new courses or courses which underwent significant change to meet UCC
foundational outcomes will have an effective term associated with them. For example, MA 13800
changed substantially to meet the Quantitative Reasoning (minimum college algebra) foundational
outcome effective Fall 2013 and thus, will not count towards the core except Fall 2013 or after.
B. Transfer Students:
If a student transfers to the University, only direct match courses articulated with effective terms from
Spring 2008 (the beginning of the transfer course catalog in Banner) and forward (and taken within the
last ten years) will be used to meet the Foundational Outcome requirements. Transfer courses
completed prior to Spring 2008 that are direct equivalents of Purdue courses may be reviewed by the
appropriate department for approval to meet the Foundational Outcome requirements. Academic
advisors may enter these exceptions on myPurduePlan.
For transfer courses which are not considered equivalent to any Purdue courses (undistributed credit)
to be accepted for meeting foundational outcomes, the Cognate program will first evaluate the
outcome, then forward to the UCC the transfer course documentation. If the course is subsequently
approved by the UCC, the findings will be reported to both credit evaluation and the registrar, so that
the courses can become part of the core curriculum and consistently be used by other students.
C. Course Exemptions
Effective Only from Fall 2013 to Fall 2014
Presently, some programs allow course exemptions based on high school student GPA and/or class
rank and/or SAT & ACT scores. But those students have not demonstrated by equivalent course work
or exams that they have mastered the associated learning outcomes. UCC council members agreed
that while program/departmental credit might be given for these courses, credit will not automatically
be applied towards meeting core outcomes. However, due to the lateness of the UCC decision related
to exemptions and departmental credit and the fact that advisors may have already communicated a
different message to incoming students and their families for Fall 2013, an exception is being made
regarding exemptions and departmental credit FOR ONE YEAR. To accommodate Fall 2013 beginners,
exemptions or departmental credit will be allowed. Beginning Fall 2014, exemptions and departmental
credit will not satisfy these foundational learning outcomes.
Effective from Fall 2013 and Beyond

Credit by exam will count towards meeting the affiliated foundational outcome as will AP
equivalent course credit.
Effective from Fall 2014 and Beyond

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Departmental credit and exemptions will no longer be allowed for meeting foundational learning
outcomes.
6. Communication with University Community
All information about Purdue’s Undergraduate Outcomes-based Core Curriculum will now be available on the
provost website (under initiatives) at http://www.purdue.edu/provost/initiatives/curriculum/Welcome.html.
All academic advisors, students, faculty and families will have easy and immediate access to consistent and upto-date information. The UCC will also communicate directly to advisors through listservs. A representative
from Credit Evaluation will also be invited to attend UCC meetings.
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notes
1
For this document, “students” refers to degree-seeking students only.
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