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.