Valdosta State University invites you to submit paper and panel proposals for its annual Core Matters Conference. Recognizing that the heart of any college education is its Core or General Education program, this meeting is interested in all matters related to Core instruction, both practical and theoretical. Specifically, it is designed to improve communication between departments, to enhance the quality of Core instruction, and to promote university-wide commitment to achieving general education goals. Papers, panels, workshops and round-table discussion may include any and all aspects of the following topics: Rigor – including rigor in grading, standards, advising, hiring of Core faculty, and personal integrity Understanding the University System of Georgia’s Core Curriculum, including its origins, present form, and possible future revisions Using the university’s General Education outcomes to assess student learning in Core curriculum courses, including developing effective assessment activities, improving department-wide participation in assessment activities, and using assessment results to improve Core curriculum instruction Teaching effective Perspectives courses Communicating and coordinating instructional goals across disciplinary boundaries Incorporating non-traditional pedagogy into Core curriculum courses, including cohorts, team-teaching, online/hybrid classes, and other innovative formats matters to the university system Making the Core matter to students Fostering a global vision in Core curriculum courses Finding professional development opportunities for improving Core curriculum courses