California State University, Long Beach
Policy Statement
00-00
July 24, 2000
GENERAL
EDUCATION POLICY
(This policy supersedes 98-00)
This revised
policy was recommended by the Academic Senate on April 13, 2000
and approved by the President on May 15, 2000.
I. INTRODUCTION
The
goal of the bachelor's degree is to produce educated individuals.
The components of an undergraduate education include the major,
in which the student acquires depth of knowledge, electives that
allow a student to explore personal or career-related interests,
and general education. General education allows students to develop
competency in academic skills that are essential to all academic
majors. In addition, general education offers students broad
knowledge beyond the focus of the major, as well as exposure to
the rich diversity of the human experience. General education
should foster habits of mind that lead to lifelong learning, and
prepare graduates for full and productive lives.
The General Education program at CSULB is organized
as a hierarchy that demands mastery of academic skills along with
a pattern of coursework that will provide graduates with an understanding
of self, the physical world, the development and functioning of
human society, and its cultural and artistic endeavors, as well
as an understanding of the methodologies, value systems, and thought
processes employed in human inquiries. It involves three stages.
Students who begin their college careers at CSULB will complete
all three stages, while transfer students who enter the University
with a certified general education transfer program will be expected
to complete the final (Capstone) stage only.
General Education Breadth Requirements are specified
in California Code of Regulations, Title 5, Article 40405.
Each California State University, Long Beach
baccalaureate graduate shall have completed a minimum of 51 semester
units of GE courses distributed as follows:
Category A. Nine units in Communication in the English language
and Critical Thinking;
Category B. Twelve units
in the Physical Universe;
Category C. Twelve units
in Humanities and the Arts;
Category D. Fifteen units
in Social and Behavioral Sciences and History;
Category E. Three units
in Self-Integration.
Within
the fifty-one units prescribed above, three units of approved coursework
in U.S. History and three units of approved coursework in U.S. Constitution
and American Ideals required by Section 40404 of Title 5 (see Category
D, below) are included in this General Education policy.
Within the fifty-one units, one three-unit course
of instruction which focuses on instructive examples of human diversity
(Human Diversity Courses) and one three-unit course of instruction
which focuses on global issues or world societies and cultures (Global
Issues Courses) must be taken.
At least nine of the approved General Education
units, comprising the capstone, must be upper-division units taken
after the student achieves upper-division standing (completion of
60 semester units) and must be completed at California State University,
Long Beach.
A. First Year:
Foundation
The first year at CSULB should pay special attention
to the development and improvement of fundamental academic skills
that are critical to student success in college. Every CSULB student
will be expected to demonstrate mastery of key academic skills early
in the course of study at CSULB, ideally within the first year.
Among the skills most central to success are communication in English,
both written and oral, mathematic concepts and quantitative reasoning,
and analytical and critical thinking. Students also need a solid
foundation in skills for learning, including the ability to read
for information, information retrieval skills, the use of the library,
and basic computer skills. In addition, all first-year students
should receive an introduction to the University. Finally, the University
is committed to fostering the development of communities of learners,
and will provide opportunities for the formation of learning communities
to all incoming students.
1. The Foundation curriculum
consists of twelve units of general education courses that meet
the distribution requirements in Categories A and B2, and one
unit of University 100. The following courses make up the Foundation:
University 100 (1 unit), "The University." This course, which
is a graduation requirement for students entering as lower-division
students, shall be developed collaboratively by the faculty teaching
it. It shall be pedagogically coordinated with the skills and
content of the first-year curriculum. It shall introduce students
to the history of universities (including the history, mission,
and character of CSULB) and current issues in higher education.
It shall introduce students to the use of our academic research
libraries and also introduce them to the skills essential for
success in an academic environment.
One 3-unit course
in written composition in English.
One 3-unit course
in oral communications.
One 3-unit course
in mathemetical concepts and quantitative reasoning.
One 3-unit course
in critical thinking.
(Detailed descriptions
of these categories may be found in Section IV, below.)
Where appropriate, these
courses should incorporate the use of technology and emphasize foundational
learning skills.
The above courses must all be completed with
a grade of at least "C". Where appropriate exams exist, Foundation
requirements may be met by advanced placement.
The 13-unit Foundation curriculum must be completed
by the time the student has completed 36 units, except that lower-division
transfer students will have at least one semester in residence to
complete the requirements.
Courses in the Foundation curriculum will be
numbered from 100 to 199. All other general education courses must
have pre- or co-requisites from the Foundation curriculum, and all
general education courses numbered 200 or higher must have the entire
Foundation curriculum as prerequisites. A Foundation course may
have a pre- or co-requisite of another Foundation class if it is
educationally justified. General education courses numbered
between 100 and 199 may be appropriately taken at the same time
as courses in the Foundation curriculum; however, the General Education
Governing Committee will establish expectations for such courses
that will acknowledge the nature of the student audience with at
least some focus on essential learning skills. Courses that demonstrably
integrate skills and content, or content-focused courses that are
linked to skills courses, are especially suitable for this level.
Because of the nature of the courses that comprise
the Foundation, it is expected that classes will be organized either
as small groups or as large lectures with small group discussions,
activities, or workshops. While no explicit class size limit will
be set for other general education classes 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.
2. Strategies for Learning
Communities
Research supports the
importance of students feeling connected to the University, the
faculty, and their peers in order to develop motivation for success.
Learning communities come in many forms; one of the goals of the
Foundation curriculum is to offer each student a chance to make
such connections. Therefore, strategies to promote the formation
of learning communities such as block scheduling of 100-level
general education classes, linking of Foundation classes to other
100-level general education classes, and more formal approaches
based on models such as the Learning Alliance and the University
Honors Program are strongly encouraged. The GEGC shall consider
the extent to which opportunities for forming learning communities
are provided when evaluating 100-level general education courses,
while also taking into consideration the nature of the urban university
and the financial demands placed on our students.
3. Entry Assessment
and the Foundation All students are assessed at entry into the
University for readiness for baccalaureate-level work in English
composition and mathematics. The first priority for any student
who is not prepared for baccalaureate-level work is to become
fully prepared for college. Accordingly, students who have not
been placed in baccalaureate level English or mathematics must
complete the appropriate pre-baccalaureate courses at the earliest
opportunity, and before the completion of 30 units in residence.
A student who is enrolled in either pre-baccalaureate mathematics
or pre-baccalaureate composition may register for other 100-level
Foundation or other general education classes only if those courses
do not have pre- or co-requisites in the area of deficiency.
While no general education
or graduation credit will be awarded for pre-baccalaureate courses,
departments are encouraged to develop strategies such as block
courses that accelerate the pace of pre-baccalaureate work or
allow a student to remove deficiencies and move into a general
education course within a single semester.
B. Explorations
After an early focus on fundamental learning
and academic skills, students will have an opportunity to explore
human knowledge in many disciplines. The Explorations stage encompasses
all areas outside the Foundation curriculum, as described under
"Distribution." It excludes the final nine units of general education,
described under "Capstone."
Although the primary purpose of Explorations
is the development of breadth of knowledge, it is expected that
all courses will offer opportunities for continued development of
foundational skills. Reading, writing, oral discussion and presentation,
problem solving, and/or quantitative reasoning, and critically-
and analytically-based research are central to the learning of content.
In addition, as students progress through their
Explorations, they will be expected to develop additional skills
and attributes, including ethical reasoning, analytical reading,
creativity, respect for difference, awareness of other cultures,
questioning of stereotypes, the values of citizenship, negotiating
skills, and other attributes of use in a diverse society. Courses
at this level will be evaluated for their attention to one or more
of these areas and to foundational skills as well as for content.
All courses outside the Foundation must have
pre- or co-requisites from the Foundation, and all courses numbered
200 or higher must have the entire Foundation curriculum as prerequisites.
In
the course of completing the Foundation, Explorations, and Capstone
stages, all students must complete a distribution pattern that includes
the following (detailed descriptions of these categories are provided
in Section IV, below):
A. Communication in
the English Language and Critical Thinking (9 units; included
under Foundation)
B. Physical Universe
(12 units)
B.1: At least 3 units
in the physical sciences and at least 3 units in the biological
sciences, each with laboratory.
B.2: At least 3 units
from Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning (included
in Foundation)
B.3: Additional units
from the above areas, to make 12 units total.
C. Humanities and the
Arts (12 units)
C.1: At least 3 units
from the Fine Arts
C.2: At least 6 units
from 2 areas chosen from literature, philosophy, and foreign
language.
C.3: Additional units,
to make 12 units total.
D. Social and Behavioral
Sciences and their Historical Background
D.1: U.S. History
(3 units) and the Constitution and American Political Institutions
and Processes (3 units)
D.2: Other Social
and Behavioral Sciences (9 units). At least two disciplines
must be represented.
E. The Integrated Self
(3 units). At least 3 units designed to equip students for lifelong
understanding of the individual as an integrated physiological,
social, and psychological being.
At least 3 units from
the above categories must be devoted to the study of global issues
or world societies and cultures; such courses will carry a "G"
suffix. At the time this policy is adopted, all courses previously
listed under the category "D2a" will receive the "G" designation.
These courses will be subject to any new criteria that the GEGC
may develop at the time of their next renewal.
At least 3 units from the above categories
must deal with human diversity in the United States. At the time
this policy is adopted, all courses currently listed as meeting
the "HD" requirement will retain that classification. These courses
will be subject to any new criteria that the GEGC may develop
at the time of their next renewal.
Upper-division transfer students who have completed
a certified lower-division general education curriculum will be
required to complete the human diversity requirement if it has
not already been met through transfer. However, they will not
be required to complete the "G" requirement.
C. Capstone
The final nine general education units form the
Capstone. The purpose of the Capstone is to bring the strands of
the general education experience into focus, to reinforce knowledge
and skills acquired from many areas, and to incorporate depth in
the form of more sophisticated tools and analysis, if not necessarily
in terms of content knowledge. For transfer students, the Capstone
may offer an opportunity to connect to the campus in a learning
community outside of the major department.
Capstone general education courses shall be upper
division. These courses will have the entire Foundation curriculum
as prerequisite, along with one or more prerequisites from the Explorations
stage. Upper-division standing is also required. For consideration
at this level, all courses must demonstrably develop advanced college
skills, including synthesis and application of knowledge, analysis,
critique, and research.
All students, including transfer students who
have completed a certified lower-division general education program,
must complete 9 units of Capstone courses.
Suitable courses for inclusion at this level
may include:
Interdisciplinary courses.
Courses carrying the "IC" designation at the time this policy
is adopted will automatically be considered as part of the Capstone,
but will be subject to any new review criteria, including prerequisites
and demonstrable skill development, at the date of the next course
renewal.
Advanced skills courses
(no more than 3 units out of 9), for example, advanced composition,
research and information retrieval skills, presentation skills.
Service learning courses
(no more than 3 units out of 9). Such courses may include community
service internships in social, health, support, school, or environmental
programs, or courses that include a component of University or
community service along with other objectives.
Multidisciplinary courses
and "Capstone" courses that focus on a specific topic through
application or synthesis of knowledge from several areas.
Two or more thematically
linked courses, provided they are each suitable for the general
education program, and that they meet the criteria for the Capstone
level in terms of expectations and skill development.
D. Pathways
A Pathway is a suggested sequence of courses
which leads the student through the general education program. A
pathway should be envisioned as an advising tool that brings coherence
and meaning to general education requirements by offering students
the opportunity to explore particular areas of interest, complement
and make connections to a major field of study, or use general education
to learn more about potential majors. Pathways may feature themes
consisting of a group of courses connected through content or overarching
content. Well-built pathways should offer distinctive general education
experiences that capitalize on the remarkable assets of CSULB (e.
g. its diversity, its location in Long Beach on the Pacific Rim,
its strength in the arts.) Pathways should also support the creation
of learning communities by bringing a group of students following
a pathway together over an extended set of experiences.
Students are not required to choose a pathway
to complete general education requirements, and may switch pathways
at any time. However, any student who completes all requirements
in a published Pathway will have completed all University general
education requirements.
The following regulations apply to Pathways:
1. Pathways may be developed
by individual departments, colleges, other academic programs,
or by collaborations among departments or academic programs. Broadly
based pathways should be encouraged.
2. Pathways shall be
identified in the catalog by program.
3. All pathways must
meet all distribution requirements, as well as Foundation and
Capstone requirements. Prior to publication, proposed Pathways
will be reviewed for accuracy to determine whether all requirements
have been met.
4. Departments and colleges
are encouraged to collaborate in identifying thematically linked
groups of courses in Pathways, and to schedule such courses so
as to facilitate concurrent or sequenced enrollment. Thus, two
or more courses from different departments that address aspects
of a common theme might be scheduled so that a student could take
the grouping in a single semester, or in consecutive semesters.
5. The GEGC will periodically
(at least every three years) review the Pathway system.
II. GENERAL REGULATIONS
No course in the student's major department may
be used to satisfy the GE requirements. Exceptions may be made with
the approval of the Academic Senate as follows:
A. All courses in Category
A;
B. In Category B.1.a
for majors in the life science departments and in B.2 for majors
in the Department of Mathematics;
C. In Categories C.1
and C.3 for majors in the Departments of Art and Music;
D. In Category D.1.a
for majors in the Department of History;
E. In Category D.1.b
for majors in the Department of Political Science;
F. All Interdisciplinary
Courses in all categories.
G. All Human Diversity
Courses in all categories.
A cross-categorized
Interdisciplinary Course may be counted (at the student's option)
in one of the categories, but not in more than one.
III. GENERAL COURSE
CONTENT CRITERIA
All courses in the General Education Program
must demonstrably encourage development of academic skills. At the
Foundation stage, these skills will focus on written and/or oral
communication, critical thinking and/or problem solving, or mathematical
and quantitative reasoning. Courses beyond the Foundation level
must continue to enhance these skills, as well as to build additional
skills as indicated in Sections I.B (Explorations) and I.C (Capstone).
No course identified in the Catalog as available
for credit in a Graduate program will be permitted for General Education
credit.
Instruction approved to fulfill the General Education
requirements should recognize the contributions to knowledge and
civilization that have been made by members of various cultural
groups and by both men and women. Wherever appropriate, the content
of courses should include examples of the relationship of human
and cultural diversity to the subject matter.
General Education courses should include as an
integral component of teaching a sensitivity to different points
of view and diverse learning methods.
IV. CATEGORY DEFINITIONS
AND CRITERIA
Category A: Communication
in the English Language and Critical Thinking
9 semester
units to include:
1. One approved course
in written English;
2. One approved course
in oral communication or a combination of oral and written communication,
to include an understanding of the process of communication and
experience in communication;
3. One approved course
in critical thinking, designed to develop the ability to reason
clearly and logically and to analyze others' thinking.
A.1, A.2 Category
Criteria
Instruction approved
for fulfillment of the requirement in communication is to be designed
to emphasize the content of communication as well as the form,
and should provide an understanding of the psychological basis
and the social significance of communication, including how communication
operates in various situations. Applicable course(s) should view
communication as the process of human symbolic interaction focusing
on the communicative process from the rhetorical perspective:
reasoning and advocacy, organization, accuracy; the discovery,
critical evaluation, and reporting of information; reading and
listening effectively, as well as speaking and writing. This must
include active participation and practice in written communication
and oral
communication.
A.3 Category Criteria
Instruction in critical
thinking is to be designed to achieve an understanding of the
relationship of language to logic which should lead to the ability
to analyze, criticize, and advocate ideas; to reason inductively
and deductively; and to reach factual or judgmental conclusions
based on sound inferences drawn from unambiguous statements of
knowledge or belief. The minimal competence to be expected at
the successful conclusion of instruction in critical thinking
should be the ability to distinguish fact from judgment, belief
from knowledge, and skills in elementary inductive and deductive
processes, including an understanding of the formal and informal
fallacies of language and thought.
Category B: Physical Universe
12
semester units to include:
1. At least six units
of inquiry into the nature of the physical universe and its life
forms to include one approved course in (a) the life sciences
and one approved course in (b) the physical sciences; both must
include a laboratory experience;
2. At least three units
of study in mathematical concepts and quantitative reasoning;
approved courses must foster an understanding of mathematical
concepts rather than merely providing instruction in basic computational
skills;
3. Another three units,
as necessary, selected from approved courses, to achieve a minimum
of 12 units in Category B.
Instruction
approved for the fulfillment of this requirement is intended to
impart knowledge of the facts and principles which form the foundations
of living and non-living systems. Such studies should promote understanding
and appreciation of the methodologies of science as investigative
tools, the limitations of scientific endeavors, namely, what is
the evidence and how was it derived? In addition, particular attention
should be given to the influence which the acquisition of scientific
knowledge has had on the development of the world's civilizations,
not only as expressed in the past, but also in present times. In
specifying inquiry into
mathematical concepts and quantitative reasoning and their application,
the intention is not to imply merely basic computational skills,
but to encourage as well the understanding of basic mathematical
concepts.
Category C: Humanities
and the Arts
12
semester units to include:
1. At least three units
from approved fine arts courses;
2. At least six units
from approved courses to include courses in at least two of the
following areas: a) literature,
b) philosophy, c) foreign languages;
3. Another three units,
as necessary, selected from approved courses in any of the subcategories
C.1, C.2, C.3, to achieve a minimum of 12 units in Category C.
C.1, C.2, C.3 Category
Criteria
Instruction approved
for the fulfillment of this requirement should cultivate intellect,
imagination, sensibility, and sensitivity. It is meant, in part,
to encourage students to respond subjectively as well as objectively
to experience and to develop a sense of the integrity of emotional
and intellectual response. Students should be motivated to cultivate
and refine their affective as well as cognitive and physical faculties
through studying great works of the human imagination which could
include active participation in individual aesthetic, creative
experience. Equally important is the intellectual examination
of the subjective response, thereby increasing awareness and appreciation
in the traditional humanistic disciplines such as art, dance,
drama, literature, and music. The requirement should result in
the student's better understanding of the interrelationship between
the creative arts, the humanities, and the self. Studies in these
areas, when appropriate, should include exposure to world cultures.
C.2.c. Category Criteria
Foreign language courses
may be included in this requirement because of their implications
for cultures both in their linguistic structures and in their
use in literature; but foreign language courses which are approved
to meet a portion of this requirement are to contain a cultural
component and not be solely skills acquisition courses.
Category D: Social and
Behavioral Sciences and History
15
semester units to include:
1. Citizenship:
a. Three units selected
from approved courses in U.S. History;
b. Three units selected
from approved courses in U.S. Constitution and Ideals.
2. Social and Behavioral
Science: At least nine units from approved courses in at least
two disciplines.
D.1.a. Category Criteria
Three units identified
in subcategory D.1.a deal with the United States History requirement
of Title 5, Article 40404. The purpose of this requirement is
to foster in students an awareness of the United States experience
and of the people, institutions, circumstances, and events in
United States history that have shaped contemporary conditions.
The requirement is intended to enable students to function as
responsible and constructive citizens. Courses meeting this requirement
should, at a minimum, include the following:
a. an analysis of the
significant events occurring within the entire territory of the
United States, including the relationships among regions within
that area and/or relationships with external regions and powers,
as appropriate;
b. a chronological span
of not less than 100 years;
c. an examination of
the nature and extent of the continuity of the United States experience
within itself and with the cultures from which it is derived;
d. consideration of
the relationship of such factors as geography, religion, natural
resources, economics, cultural diversity, and politics to the
development of the nation during the time period covered; e. coverage
of the role of national, economic, ethnic, gender, and socio-economic
groups in the events described;
f. introduction to the
groups and individual leaders who have been instrumental in the
development of the United States;
g. attention to the
phenomenon of conflict (or change) as a variable in the United
States national experience.
D.1.b Category Criteria
The purpose of the D.1.b
requirement is to give students a comprehensive understanding
of, and appreciation for, American political institutions and
processes established by the United States and the California
State constitutions, as provided for in Title 5, Article 40404.
Students will acquire the knowledge and skills essential to effective
political participation and citizenship. All courses meeting this
requirement must at a minimum include the following:
a. the political philosophy
of the Framers of the Constitution and the nature and operation
of United States political institutions and processes which operate
under that Constitution as amended and interpreted;
b. the rights and obligations
of citizens in the political system established under that Constitution;
c. principles and practices
of political organization, including political parties, interest
groups, legislative politics, and campaign practices;
d. analysis of the American
citizenry, including: political culture and voting behavior;
e. constitutionally
and legislatively established administrative and regulatory institutions,
including: analysis of bureaucracies and their impact on citizens
at the national, state, and local levels;
f. the Constitution
of the State of California within a framework of the historical
evolution of the State and the nature of the processes of state
and local government under that Constitution;
g. the nature of federalism,
including the relationship of federal to state and local practices,
the resolution of jurisdictional conflicts, and the political
processes involved.
D.2 Category Criteria
Instruction approved
for fulfillment of this requirement should reflect the fact that
human social, political, and economic institutions and behavior
are inextricably interwoven. Problems and issues in these areas
should be examined in their contemporary as well as historical
settings, including world cultures.
Category E: Self-Integration
At least three units
selected from approved courses which are designed to equip students
for lifelong understanding of the individual as an integrated
physiological, social, and psychological being.
E. Category Criteria
Courses that meet this
requirement are intended to include selective consideration of
such matters as human behavior, sexuality, nutrition, health,
stress, key relationships of humankind to the total social and
physical environment, and implications of death and dying. Physical
activity may be included provided that it is an integral part
of the study described above.
V. CAPSTONE
All undergraduate students must complete at least
nine units of Capstone courses in addition to all other General
Education requirements. All Capstone courses must demonstrably develop
advanced college skills, including synthesis and application of
knowledge, analysis, critique, and research. Approved Interdisciplinary
and Multidisciplinary Courses qualify as Capstone courses.
Interdisciplinary and Multidisciplinary Courses
may be designed as (1) courses taught jointly by faculty members
from at least two departments; (2) courses organized around a common
theme, problem, or topic and taught by individual faculty members
from different departments or programs; or (3) courses taught by
a single faculty member but in which the subject matter clearly
crosses the boundaries of at least two disciplines. Such a course
may be proposed by any faculty member and must be approved by the
curriculum committees of concerned departments and colleges.
An Interdisciplinary Course may be approved for
more than one General Education category or subcategory when the
course's disciplinary emphasis and content fall under more than
one General Education category.
Criteria for Interdisciplinary
Courses
In
order to qualify as Capstone courses, Interdisciplinary Courses
must have completion of the entire Foundation as a prerequisite
, as well as one or more prerequisites from the Explorations stage
and upper-division standing.
Interdisciplinary Courses require a student to
integrate knowledge from separate disciplines, to synthesize a perspective
from the differing views of disparate disciplines, and to coordinate
the varying intellectual tools of his/her education.
An Interdisciplinary Course is one in which the
different special knowledge, methods, and perspectives of two or
more academic disciplines are brought together in the exposition
or treatment of a particular topic or problem. Such a course exhibits
interaction among disciplines in the approach to its subject matter,
whether that results in mutual benefit or in stresses between or
among disciplines. The Interdisciplinary Course may be designed
to lead students to integrate knowledge acquired in the previous
study of separate disciplines, or it may approach one topic, problem,
or phenomenon with the various tools and perspectives of different
disciplines. A discipline is generally considered to be a system
of learning or instruction, usually the basis for an academic department
or program. When a course is proposed which claims to involve a
discipline not clearly covered by this definition,
the General Education Governing Committee will decide whether the
course meets the intent of the Interdisciplinary coursework requirement.
Instructors in all upper-division Interdisciplinary
Courses which carry General Education credit will integrate into
the course a substantial writing component.
The writing component may be in whatever form
the instructor deems appropriate to the subject matter and methodology
of the course, but it should be a factor in evaluating student performance.
Faculty who teach these courses should be alert
to serious writing difficulties as expressed in course assignments,
and they should refer students with writing problems to the Learning
Assistance Center as early as possible for counseling and assistance.
Faculty may obtain guidance in the choice of
writing assignments and information on evaluating writing through
workshops and other supportive programs sponsored by the Division
of Academic Affairs.
VI. GLOBAL ISSUES
COURSES
Students are required to complete at least three
units of coursework from any category devoted to the study of global
issues or world societies and cultures. In recommending that courses
be designated as meeting the global issues requirement, the General
Education Governing Committee shall apply the following criteria:
To
qualify for the Global Issues designation in General Education,
the central focus of the course must be to either:
· consider the
world as a whole as its field of inquiry, or
· engage in sustained
and systematic comparison between at least two major world regions
or significantly distinct societies, at least one of which must
be outside the United States. No course may be designated as meeting
both the Global Issues and Human Diversity requirements.
VII. HUMAN DIVERSITY
COURSES
A. It is the goal of the
faculty that courses approved for CSULB General Education foster
respect for human diversity. Courses should clearly demonstrate
pedagogical and disciplinary approaches to the diversity of human
beings, particularly with regard to matters of gender, race and
ethnicity.
B. In recognition of the
significant influence of various populations and cultures within
the United States and to bring attention to these influences and
the nature of these cultures, every student graduating with a baccalaureate
degree from CSULB must satisfactorily complete one three-unit course
of instruction which focuses on instructive examples of human diversity
(Human Diversity Courses), particularly with respect to matters
of gender, race and ethnicity.
C. Course Criteria
Human Diversity Courses:
1. A Human Diversity
Course must meet the General Education criteria as defined in
CSU Executive Order 338 and existing CSULB General Education policies.
2. A Human Diversity
Course gives appropriate attention to influence within both the
specific field(s) of study and the general society by persons
and groups, and through the expression and manifestations of gender,
race and ethnicity.
3. A Human Diversity
Course gives attention to theoretical considerations and perspectives
on the nature of human diversity and attitudes toward diversity.
4. A Human Diversity
Course provides a comparative treatment of nationally significant
minority cultures, to include no fewer than two ethnic cultures
from among the African American, Asian American, Latino American,
and Native American cultures, and a comparative treatment of the
significance of gender.
5. Human Diversity
course criteria a. through d., above, shall allow consideration
of special needs, class, sexual orientation, language, religion
and other distinctions, which reflect the diversity of U.S. society.
D. Implementation:
Beginning
with the Fall 1993 semester, the General Education Program shall:
1. identify in the Schedule
of Classes specific courses which meet the requirements of Human
Diversity Courses (Human Diversity Courses shall be designated
in the Schedule of Classes with the intramarginal notation "HD"
and shall be applied to Interdisciplinary Courses and other courses
alike. No University Catalog designation is required.);
2. include as a requirement
for all students graduating under the 1993-94 catalog and following
catalogs an approved Human Diversity Course as a part of the General
Education Breadth Requirements.
VIII. UNIT REDUCTIONS
IN HIGH UNIT MAJORS
To achieve a reduction of required GE units for
their students, the chairs of departments (or directors of programs)
with high-unit degree majors may request, and the Planning and Educational
Policies (PEP) Council may recommend, with review by the Academic
Senate, a reduction of the required units to a minimum of 48 units.
When a program is approved for this reduction, the minimum required
units in one of the Categories B, C, or D will be reduced by three
units for students in that program.
IX. REVIEW OF
GENERAL EDUCATION COURSES
Only courses on a specified list shall count
for General Education. The Colleges involved shall be consulted
in determining the criteria for which courses count.
At appropriate intervals, the General Education
Governing Committee will request Colleges to submit materials for
each of their courses on the General Education master list for review
and evaluation. The frequency of review is described in Section
IX.
Failure to submit a course for review within
fifteen weeks of the General Education Governing Committee request
will be interpreted as a request to delete the course from the list
of approved courses and will be so honored.
X. Governance
A. General Education Governing Committee Structure
The authority to review
and approve courses for inclusion in the general education curriculum
and to develop general education policy belongs to the Planning
and Educational Policies Council. The subcommittee of the PEP
Council with responsibility for general education is the General
Education Governing Committee. The voting membership of
the GEGC shall consist of two faculty members from each college
(four from the College of Liberal Arts), serving staggered three-year
terms, appointed by the Dean of the respective College after consultation
with the Faculty Council of the College, and one lecturer, appointed
by the Academic Senate, serving a one-year term. The Provost (or
designee), the Director of the Academic Advising Center, and the
chair of the Planning and Educational Policies Council will serve
as non-voting members. The Chair of the GEGC (or designee) will
serve as an ex officio representative to the PEP Council.
B.
Oversight Responsibility
1. The GEGC has primary
responsibility for oversight of the general education program.
A major aspect of this responsibility is approval and periodic
review of individual courses. The GEGC will develop criteria for
review that are consistent with the intent of general education
policy at CSULB and the standards for skills and content delineated
in this document, Title 5, and Executive Order 595. Courses undergoing
review have the burden of proof that the requirements of the distribution
area as well as other expectations of the program level (Foundation,
Explorations, Capstone) have been met.
Once a course has been
approved for general education credit, it will be reviewed periodically.
The standard period between reviews is five years, except for
the first renewal, which occurs after three years. Any course
that undergoes substantial change requires appropriate reevaluation
in order to remain on the list of approved courses. A request
for inclusion of a course in an additional General Education category
or subcategory and/or a request for Capstone status for a course
already on the list of approved General Education courses requires
a review and evaluation of the course for all prior as well as
requested categories of General Education. All courses (except
courses that have not yet been offered) may be asked to provide
(anonymous) examples of student work as evidence that course expectations
are appropriate. Departments may appeal a decision by the GEGC
as described in this Policy Statement.
If a course has not
been offered for four consecutive semesters, the originating department
will be asked to justify why the course should not be immediately
dropped from the general education course list. The GEGC may grant
the department a one-year extension; however, if a course has
not been offered for six semesters, it will be dropped and will
be reinstated only after a full review.
2. The GEGC is also
responsible for programmatic oversight. It shall review the results
of periodic assessment of the outcomes of the program, as well
as the results of assessment of student perceptions of the general
education experience. The Campus Assessment Committee shall
provide assistance to the GEGC in this regard. GEGC shall also
periodically audit the program to determine the degree to which
actual practice matches the stated intent of the policy. Based
on these assessments, the GEGC will make recommendations to the
PEP Council, regarding policy issues, or to the appropriate administrator,
regarding implementation issues, when necessary.
3. In recognition of
the major need to disseminate information on the content and conduct
of courses under this policy (i.e., both specific Human Diversity
and Global Issues and World Societies and Cultures Courses and
regular General Education courses meeting the overall goal of
faculty knowledgeability in matters of human diversity), the General
Education Governing Committee shall publish an annual compendium
of ideas furthering the goals of this policy drawn from those
presented to the Committee.
C.
Implementation Responsibility
In addition to periodic
review of courses and program assessment, several other areas
are important to the health of the general education program.
These areas include:
1. Faculty development
and curricular innovation and improvement, including programs
that offer incentives for faculty involvement in general education;
2. Support for programs
designed to create learning communities;
3. Provision of adequate
numbers of course sections, at times that meet student needs and
in patterns that permit the formation of learning communities;
4. Collaboration across
academic units to create Pathways, and to offer courses in sequences
and at times that facilitate their inclusion in Pathways;
5. Establishment of
program enforcement mechanisms that help rather than hinder student
progress through the program;
6. Communication with
feeder community colleges regarding our program;
7. Assessment of general
education outcomes.
The
GEGC and the PEP Council shall develop recommendations to the appropriate
bodies or individuals in these areas as necessary, with the understanding
that the ultimate responsibility in many of these areas is administrative.
XI. COURSE LIST
APPEAL PROCEDURES
A department (via the college) may appeal a decision,
either positive or negative, regarding placement of a course on
the GE List. The department (via the college) does this by requesting
reconsideration and submitting further information about the course
to show why the original decision was "not correct."
This information must be in writing; the General
Education Governing Committee will not hold "hearings" at which
oral arguments are presented.
If a department discovers that one of its courses
is approved for General Education under a specific category and
the course is not appropriate, it should request that the course
be deleted from the approved course list.
If after the appeal referred to above, a college
still disagrees with the judgment of the GEGC it may appeal to the
full PEP Council. If this is done, the GEGC will prepare for the
council a statement of the reasons for its decision. The college
will furnish the members of the council copies of the course justification
and the additional materials provided for the committee. All materials
shall be distributed to council members prior to the meeting at
which the matter is to be considered. Oral presentations may also
be made at the PEP Council meeting, if the college wishes.
The judgment of the PEP Council on appeals will
be final.
Disagreements over the implementation of this
policy shall be referred to the PEP Council. Except in those instances
where it is provided that the PEP Council has final authority, the
actions of the PEP Council shall be subject to review by the Academic
Senate.
XII. GE REQUIREMENTS FOR RETURNING
STUDENTS
Students who have not maintained continuous attendance
status shall be subject to the General Education requirements in
effect at the time of their re-entry to the University with the
following exceptions:
A. Previous CSULB students
who completed their entire lower-division general education package
before returning to CSULB, shall not be held for additional general
education requirements except for the 9 upper-division Capstone
General Education units.
B. Previous CSULB students
who were under the pre-1981 general education requirements AND
who before leaving the University completed 90 or more units,
including 24 general education units in categories 1-5 (with at
least one course in each area) shall not be held to post-1981
general education requirements other than the requirement of 9
upper-division Capstone units. Such students may satisfy the general
education mandate by completing the pre-1981 40-unit requirements
appropriately and completing the 9 unit upper-division requirement
(overlap is permitted).
C. California Community
College transfer students who provide official full certification
of general education requirements shall not be held for additional
general education requirements except for the 9 upper-division
Capstone General Education units.
This
policy document was compiled from the following University Policy
Statements: 73-05 , 78-23 (paragraph A. only), 79-16, 79-28, 80-06,
80-06 supplement #1, 80-06 supplement #2, 80-06 supplement #3, 81-11,
81-11 supplement #1 published as 81-11 amended, 83-04, 83-04 supplement
#1, 83-04 supplement #2, 87-01, 91-00 and 91-00 (Rev.), 96-00, and
new language adopted by the Academic Senate on May 7, 1998, and
concurred in by the President on June 15, 1998. The entire policy
document was then edited for clarity by the Office of Academic Affairs
and the General Education Governing Committee, pursuant to a resolution
of the Academic Senate adopted on May 7, 1998.
EFFECTIVE:
Fall 2000 |