Faculty & Staff

Core Curriculum, Signature Courses & Flags

The UT core curriculum requirements, shared by every undergraduate, are designed to put the major coursework into a broader intellectual context, incorporating the perspectives of a wide variety of disciplines. The core curriculum Student Competencies and other faculty/staff resources relating to the core are available here.

Signature Courses

Students are introduced to the core curriculum, and to university studies in general, by participating in a shared intellectual experience known as the Signature Course in their first semester on campus. Signature Courses are taught by faculty from every college and school and cover a vast array of topics from an interdisciplinary perspective, while incorporating required common elements that help to cultivate a community of learners. Propose a Signature Course.

Flags & Flagged Courses

Flagged courses, which can be found in every department, ensure that all UT students acquire important skills in writing, independent inquiry, and quantitative reasoning, while being exposed to content relating to cultural diversity, global cultures, and ethics and leadership. Flag guidelines and other faculty/staff resources relating to course flags are available here.

Teaching Support

We are pleased to offer teaching support and resources to all UT Austin professors, from seasoned faculty to new instructors to teaching assistants. Our writing flag office offers workshops for faculty on a variety of specific topics, from methods of giving feedback on writing to designing assignments.
More about our Teaching support

Signature Course faculty receives training before classes begin, and continues to take an active role in round table discussions through the semester that offer opportunities to ask questions and exchange thoughts and ideas with fellow instructors.
More about Signature Courses

Academy of Distinguished Teachers

We are proud to work with the Academy of Distinguished Teachers in an initiative to support promising young faculty. Academy members meet with junior professors to exchange ideas about instruction and provide general support in the difficult but rewarding process of becoming outstanding teachers.

Academy members are also invited to participate in the annual Freshman Reading Round-Up. Members should look for an email invitation by mid April.

Advising

Our Center for Strategic Advising helps students, whether enrolled in the School of Undergraduate Studies or in another college or school, to explore their educational options and develop career plans.

Assessment

The School of Undergraduate Studies uses a team-based process involving faculty, staff, and students in assessing core courses, flagged courses, and signature courses.