Positioning Sociology within General Education Reform: Strategies for Visibility and Influence

General education programs are a cornerstone of undergraduate education, providing students with critical thinking skills and cultural awareness. Sociology has played a central role in these programs, introducing students to structural analysis, social inequalities, and the sociological imagination. Contemporary general education reforms often shift curricula from distributional to integrative or thematic outcomes-based models, which can pose challenges and opportunities for sociology. Drawing on a multimethod study conducted at a large Midwestern public university undergoing comprehensive general education reform, this article examines how sociology departments can strategically position courses within redesigned curricula. Data include faculty and student focus groups, surveys, and follow-up meetings, capturing priorities for diversity, communication, and quantitative reasoning. Findings indicate strong institutional support for courses categories addressing social difference, inequality, power, and privilege. We highlight ways that sociology can leverage thematic curricula, first-year experiences, and integrative approaches to expand visibility, engage students early, and demonstrate relevance across disciplinary domains.