In 2003 SIUE commenced the general education reform process in order to ensure greater coherence in and relevance of the curriculum. In 2004, an SIUE team participated in the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) General Education Institute, culminating in the appointment of a general education renewal steering committee called BRIDGE (Baccalaureate Reform through Integrated Design of General Education). In March 2007, after two years of work creating models for general education, the faculty selected the distribution model that would come to be named the Lincoln Program. The Faculty Senate approved the adoption of the Lincoln Program in April 2008. Shortly thereafter, the BRIDGE Implementation Committee and the New Freshman Seminar Task Force were established. From 2008 to 2009, the BRIDGE Implementation Committee developed an implementation plan for the Lincoln Program while the New Freshman Seminar Task Force developed an implementation plan for the New Freshman Seminar program, a component of the Lincoln Program. In 2010, the BRIDGE Reconciliation Committee reviewed and assessed the proposed budget requirements of the Lincoln Program. On November 4, 2010, all committee reports related to the Lincoln Program were presented to the Faculty Senate.
