New American Civic Literacy requirement begins for Ohio University students

Beginning this fall, Ohio University undergraduate students will see a new American Civic Literacy (ACL) requirement reflected in their degree planning. Established through Ohio’s Advance Ohio Higher Education Act (Ohio Revised Code 3345.382), the requirement applies to students earning a bachelor’s degree in Spring 2030 or later.

The new requirement is being incorporated into OHIO’s existing general education and academic planning processes, providing students with multiple options for completing ACL while also making progress toward their BRICKS requirements.

What is the American Civic Literacy requirement?

To fulfill the requirement, students must successfully complete an approved American Civic Literacy course. Each ACL course includes a cumulative final examination assessing students’ proficiency with required civic and historical texts.

Required course content includes the U.S. Constitution, Declaration of Independence, selections from “The Federalist Papers,” Emancipation Proclamation, Gettysburg Address, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” and writings of Adam Smith, including principles from “The Wealth of Nations.”

Approved ACL courses also fulfill BRICKS requirements

Ohio University has approved several courses through which students may complete the ACL requirement. Importantly, each approved ACL course also fulfills a BRICKS general education requirement, allowing students to incorporate ACL into their degree plan while simultaneously making progress toward general education requirements.

Approved ACL courses and their corresponding BRICKS categories include:

• CARS 2800Z – Religion and American Civics — Arch Constructed World (ACSW)
• ENG 1776Z – Reading the American Republic — Arch Constructed World (ACSW)
• HIST 1776Z – The American Civic Tradition — Pillar Humanities: Texts and Contexts (PHTC)
• HIST 2000Z – Survey of United States History, 1600-1877 — Pillar Social or Behavioral Sciences (PSBS)
• PHIL 2120Z – History of Western Philosophy: Modern — Arch Constructed World (ACSW)
• PHIL 2400Z – Social and Political Philosophy — Pillar Humanities: Texts and Contexts (PHTC)
• POLS 1010Z – Introduction to US Politics — Pillar Social or Behavioral Sciences (PSBS)
• POLS 2000Z – American Politics, Policy, and Administration — Arch Connected World (ACNW)
• WGSS 2400Z – Women and the American Civic Tradition — Arch Constructed World (ACSW)

What does the “Z” course designation mean?

Faculty, staff, and students will notice that approved ACL courses include a “Z” suffix at the end of the course number. The Z designation identifies the course as including the American Civic Literacy content approved by Ohio University and the Ohio Department of Higher Education.

For example, POLS 1010Z satisfies the ACL requirement. The Z designation is therefore important when students and advisors are reviewing course options.

Students can identify ACL courses in Course Offerings using the “ACL Courses Only” special course filter and can also search for courses using the American Civic Literacy attribute in Schedule Planner.

Planning for ACL through DARS and Graduation Plans

Although students do not need to complete ACL during their first year, planning for the requirement early can help ensure that they select an ACL course that fits appropriately within their overall degree requirements.

The ACL requirement will be included in the Degree Audit Reporting System (DARS) for bachelor’s degree-seeking students, allowing students and advisors to track completion along with other graduation requirements.

OHIO Guarantee+ Graduation Plans will also include planning for an approved ACL course. As Graduation Plans are developed and reviewed, students and advisors can intentionally identify where an ACL course fits within the student’s pathway to graduation and, when possible, select an ACL course that also meets an appropriate BRICKS requirement.

Together, DARS and Graduation Plans will help make the new requirement visible early in a student’s academic career and support thoughtful course selection.

What else should faculty and staff know?

The ACL requirement applies to students earning a bachelor’s degree in Spring 2030 or later, including students who may already hold a bachelor’s degree and are completing an additional bachelor’s degree. Students graduating before Spring 2030 are not required to complete an ACL course.

Transfer coursework may also satisfy the requirement when the course has been approved by the Ohio Department of Higher Education for the American Civic Literacy designation. Students with questions about whether transfer credit meets the requirement should work with their success advisor.

Faculty and staff who work with undergraduate students can help by reinforcing that ACL is a new state graduation requirement and it has been intentionally incorporated into OHIO’s existing curriculum and academic planning processes. With appropriate planning, students can fulfill ACL while also making progress toward their BRICKS general education requirements.

Learn more

Additional information, including frequently asked questions, course search information, transfer credit guidance and advising information, is available on the American Civic Literacy FAQ webpage.

Students with questions about how the requirement applies to their individual academic plan should contact their success advisor.