Spring 2022

Congratulations Jenni Gallagher: Pathways General Education’s new program coordinator!

The Office of Undergraduate Academic Affairs has named Jenni Gallagher as the new Coordinator for General Education.

Gallagher brings eight years of experience in higher education to the position and previously served as the program’s support specialist. She has also taught a Pathways course on United States history. 

“With our first, four-year cohort of Pathways students graduating this spring, this is a really exciting time to be a part of this program,” said Gallagher. “I’m looking forward to continuing to work with our incredible community of faculty and be a part of the collaboration that makes the program so valuable to our students.”

Gallagher will serve as the primary contact for the program and support faculty in the approval process of new courses and minors through the Pathways General Education Curriculum Review Committee. She will also support the University Curriculum Committee for General Education and oversee the management of grants and other professional development opportunities for Pathways faculty. In addition, she plans to promote the program both on campus and in the wider general education community with the assistance of a student intern.

In 2018, Virginia Tech launched Pathways General Education with the intention of revitalizing its core curriculum and moving towards a program that both worked across disciplines and addressed real-world problems. To foster a broad-range of knowledge and skills, the program requires students to work within concepts that range from Quantitative and Computational Thinking to Critical Analysis of Identity and Equity in the United States. 

Central to the initiative are the Pathways Minors, cross-disciplinary programs built around a theme that allows students to examine topics from a variety of perspectives while working towards their general education requirements. The minors address vital issues to our students such as climate change, social justice, cybersecurity, and big data.

Since its inception, more than 1,000 students have declared one of the 29 approved Pathway Minors. Several minors have enrolled students from more than 20 different majors.  

“At its best, general education programs, like Virginia Tech’s Pathways initiative, create shared community knowledge and values that prepare students for the political, social, and economic forces they’ll encounter after graduation,” said Gallagher. “I’m passionate about this work, and I know with the help of our talented faculty, our students will leave Virginia Tech well prepared for the future.”

Gallagher earned master’s degrees in history and curriculum and instruction from Virginia Tech and is currently pursuing a doctorate in educational psychology.

Faculty with questions about teaching, assessing, promoting, or creating new Pathways courses or minors are welcome to contact Gallagher at jennigal@vt.edu or gened@vt.edu.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Thank you!