When students click accept on their offer of admission into the University, they typically don’t plan on learning about weather patterns in meteorology, Shakespeare on film or death rituals. But sooner or later, everyone ends up in an unexpected class just to meet a general education requirement.
The University requires all undergraduate students to take 13-18 gen-ed courses. The prospect of spending a quarter of their time at college studying fields that aren’t even of interest may cause some students to panic. However, professors like Andrea Stevens are here to make that journey just a bit easier.
Stevens, a professor in the Department of English, doesn’t just have experience teaching students how to interpret Shakespeare in film; she has served on committees that certify gen-eds.
“The institution of the U of I takes really seriously what classes are allowed to call themselves gen-eds,” Stevens said. “It’s not a haphazard process at all. A course goes through review at the department level, then the college, like LAS and then finally at the campus level, where a committee of professors from across the University scrutinize the materials.”
Through this process, the University puts together a menu of gen-eds for students to indulge in.
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There are some gen-eds at the University that gain a certain reputation. One such class is ANTH 180: The Archaeology of Death, more commonly known as “the death class.”
Helaine Silverman, professor in LAS, created the “death class” when she was first hired. Things came full circle at the end of 2024 when Silverman retired.
“I spent many years in Peru excavating, and unlike the United States, in Peru, we do excavate burials,” Silverman said. “We don’t excavate them for gold; you excavate them because you gain knowledge — knowledge that relates to the living societies.”
Mount Hope Cemetery, located just south of the Architecture Building, breathed life into the course. Silverman takes students to the cemetery, where they work on projects related to the course.
Back in the classroom, they grapple with death as an archaeological subject — a topic that challenges students to wrestle with complex ideas in intellectual and emotional ways.
“We don’t always think about it, (but) we actually are surrounded by death,” Silverman said. “In America, we tend to keep it at arm’s length. Other societies do not — dying is normal. We think it’s abnormal to die.”
The effort the University puts into curating gen-eds underscores its importance, according to Stevens.
“For me, gen-eds in the English department are calling cards for our major,” Stevens said. “They’re a chance to introduce what we do to students who might never otherwise take an English class.”
Jeff Frame, professor in LAS, teaches ATMS 100: Introduction to Meteorology. He explained how gen-eds play a similar role in the meteorology department.
“Our department is somewhat unique in that we actually add more students than we lose each year,” Frame said. “I think the reason why is because we have a very strong set of introductory-level gen-ed courses … taught by professors who care about their students. When students are first exposed to a program and the professor cares and is outgoing, that gives them a good impression of the program as well.”
Stevens rattled off a list of benefits gen-eds provide: stepping outside one’s comfort zone, developing writing and research skills and engaging in class discussions with professors and classmates.
The University requires gen-eds to maintain an appropriate student-to-instructor ratio, which Stevens says can help students build relationships with their professors in a way they can’t in their non-gen-ed classes.
“Freshmen, be strategic — think about what you’re going to need when you’re in the fourth year,” Stevens said. “Having one humanities recommendation will testify that you are a well-rounded person.”
