In April of 2024, the UNC Board of Governors passed a policy revision requiring students to complete a course or courses covering the foundations of American democracy. Among the requirements: evaluating key concepts, principals, arguments and contexts of the founding documents such as the U.S. Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and the Federalist Papers; evaluating milestones and challenges in the nation’s effort to form “a more perfect Union,” including contexts surrounding the Gettysburg Address, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the Letter from Birmingham Jail; and evaluating other texts that reflect the breadth of the American experience.
Since then, UNC System institutions have implemented the Foundations of American Democracy curriculum.
Foundations of American Democracy Convening
May 20, 2025 | Raleigh, NC
The Foundation of American Democracy Convening will provide an opportunity for UNC System faculty and staff to showcase best practices, discuss innovative ideas for curricular development, and share new and existing strategies for assisting students in meeting program objectives. The event will take place at the UNC System Office in Raleigh on May 20, 2025.
Register Now
Use the links below to register for the Foundations of American Democracy Convening. Registration is open to two faculty and two registrar per institution. A list of alternates will be collected and contacted if space becomes available. Faculty who register must be scheduled to deliver, developing, or interested in developing a Foundations of American Democracy course. Registration closes on May 16.
Elizabeth City State University
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
Convening Agenda
9 a.m. | Welcome, Program Purpose and Overview
9:10 a.m. | Best Practices, Part One: From System Policy to Campus Policy
10 a.m. | Best Practices, Part Two: Curriculum Policy and Course Proposals
11 a.m. | Best Practices, Part Three: Evaluating Course Syllabi Using Rubrics
12 p.m. | Lunch and Syllabus Share Fair
1:15 p.m. | Breakout Sessions
- Faculty Track – Curriculum Planning
- Concurrent Roundtables facilitated by faculty
- Q&A on best practices for teaching the required documents and designing engaged learning activities
- Q&A on administrative lessons learned and curriculum management strategies
- Concurrent Roundtables facilitated by faculty
- Registrars’ Track – Confirming Credit and Completion
- Concurrent Roundtables facilitated by registrars
- Managing transfers, prior learning, and exemptions
- Implementing course attributes, tags, and Student Data Mart designations
3 p.m. | Roundtables Report Out
3:15 p.m. | Communicating Impact
3:30 p.m. | Closing Remarks
3:45 p.m. | Wrap Up