Excerpt of the GE Policy relevant to Written Communication (A2)

3.1         When requesting GE certification for a certain Area or Subarea a course may be the only exposure a student gets to that Area or Subarea. The course as a whole—and not the general topic or discipline—must be appropriate to that Area or Subarea and taught at the university level. Rather than GE being an afterthought to make a course fit into that Area or Subarea, with just perfunctory treatment or minimal coverage of the Area or Subarea, a course must be created around the concept of covering GE explicitly, directly, thoroughly, and significantly, integrating the Area or Subarea throughout the course. The course may simultaneously cover discipline-specific material; however, that material must be integrated with the GE content.

3.1          Because of the nature of the courses that constitute the Foundation stage, it is expected that they will be organized either as small groups or as large lectures with small group discussions, activities, or workshops. Although no explicit class size limit will be set for other GE Courses targeted to first-year students, the GEGC will consider whether the proposed modes of instruction are consistent with the learning objectives of the course and the level.

3.1          Wherever appropriate, instruction approved to fulfill the GE requirements should recognize the contributions to knowledge and civilization that have been made by members of various cultural groups and genders. Wherever appropriate, the content of courses should include examples of the relationship of human and cultural diversity to the subject matter.

3.1         In order to be approved for a specific GE Area or Subarea, the course must include:

• for all GE courses: textbooks/readings and bibliography items that clearly address the Area or Subarea being requested;
• for all GE courses: Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) dedicated to the Area or Subarea being requested and taken or adapted from the implementation document defining GE SLOs approved by the Academic Senate and maintained by the GEGC;
• for all GE courses: scheduled class topics that directly address the GE SLOs dedicated to the Area or Subarea being requested;
• for Foundation courses: at least two thirds of the SLOs, assignments, assessments, evaluative criteria, and final course grade dedicated to the Area or Subarea being requested; and

3.2.1.2.1              Courses in fulfillment of Subareas A1 and A2 will develop students’ knowledge and understanding of the form, content, context, and effectiveness of communication. Students will examine communication from the rhetorical perspective by practicing accuracy, reasoning, organization, and persuasion. Students will enhance their information literacy skills by developing their abilities to find, critically evaluate, organize, and report information, and by reading, writing, and listening effectively. Instruction will provide an understanding of the psychological basis and social significance of communication, including how communication operates in various situations.

3.2.1.2.1.2           Courses in fulfillment of Subarea A2 will develop students’ proficiency in written communication in English. Coursework must include active participation and practice in written communication in English.