Moorpark College

General Education Philosophy and Student Learning Outcomes

The Associate Degree provides a framework within which students complete patterns of learning experiences designed to develop capabilities and insights to support their academic and career goals. Among these capabilities and insights are competencies that are germane to all aspects of higher education and comprise a “general education” curriculum, such as the ability to think critically and to communicate clearly and effectively both orally and in writing, to use quantitative reasoning, understand the modes of inquiry of the major disciplines, to be aware of other cultures and times, to achieve insights gained through experience in thinking about ethical problems, and to develop the capacity for self-understanding.

Furthermore, general education introduces students to the variety of means through which people comprehend the modern world. It reflects the conviction of colleges that those who receive their degrees must have explored principles, concepts, and methodologies both unique to and shared by the various disciplines. A general education program should create coherence and integration among the separate requirements and involve students actively in examining values inherent in proposed solutions to major social problems. In addition, they must have a good self-understanding and the capacity to adapt to an everchanging and global environment through an ongoing intellectual curiosity and commitment to life-long learning.

Objectives of Moorpark College General Education

1. English Composition, Oral Communication, and Critical Thinking

Courses in English composition, oral communication, and critical thinking help students develop principles and applications of language toward logical thought, clear and precise expression, and critical evaluation of communication in whatever symbol system the student uses.

> 1a. English Composition 

​Courses fulfilling the written composition requirement shall be designed to include both expository and argumentative writing and must be baccalaureate-level.

Upon successful completion of the English Composition general education requirement, students will:

• produce writing that is focused on a thesis or central idea, and fully developed and supported, and that conforms to the conventions of standard written English.

> 1b. Oral Communication and Critical Thinking

Courses fulfilling this requirement must be baccalaureate-level and may include oral communication and critical thinking courses.

Upon successful completion of the Communication and Critical Thinking general education requirement, students will:

• effectively research, develop, and orally present informative and persuasive messages that adapt to the unique demands of their audience and situation.
• evaluate texts drawing inferences from evidence, distinguishing fact from opinion, assessing reasoning, and effectively communicating their conclusions orally or in writing.
• apply formal systems of reasoning in solving problems or analyzing arguments. Express results or conclusions using a formal language.

2. Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning

Courses fulfilling the Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning requirement must be at least college-level and may include mathematics or quantitative reasoning courses, including logic, statistics, computer languages, and related disciplines.

Upon successful completion of the Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning general education requirement, students will:

• apply formal systems of reasoning in solving problems or analyzing arguments.
• express results or conclusions using a formal language.

3. Arts and Humanities

Courses in the humanities study the cultural activities and artistic expressions of human beings. Such courses develop students’ awareness of how people throughout the ages and in different cultures respond to themselves and the world around them in artistic and cultural creation, and develop students’ aesthetic understandings and abilities to make value judgments.

Courses fulfilling this requirement may include introductory or integrative baccalaureate-level courses in the visual and performing arts, art history, foreign languages, literature, philosophy, religion, and related disciplines.

Upon successful completion of the Arts and Humanities general education requirement, students will:

• demonstrate an understanding of major concepts, themes, and imagery found in the arts and humanities and recognize the aesthetic qualities and processes that characterize works of the human intellect and imagination throughout time and/or across cultures.
• develop their intellect, imagination, sensibility, and sensitivity through the study of the arts and humanities.
• critically analyze or produce cultural or artistic works with informed appreciation.

4. Social and Behavioral Sciences

Courses in the social and behavioral sciences focus on people as members of society and develop awareness of the methods of inquiry used by the social and behavioral sciences. They stimulate critical thinking about how people act and have acted in response to their societies and promote appreciation of how societies and social subgroups operate. Courses fulfilling this requirement may include introductory or integrative baccalaureate-level courses in cultural anthropology, cultural geography, economics, history, political science, psychology, sociology, and related disciplines.

Upon successful completion of the Social and Behavioral Sciences general education requirement, students will demonstrate an understanding of:

• perspectives, theories, methods, and core concepts within the social sciences or behavioral sciences.
• major problems and issues in their historical, contemporary, geographical contexts or future implications.
• the contributions and perspectives of diversity among individuals and/or cultures.

5. Natural Sciences

Courses in the natural sciences examine the physical universe, its life forms, and its natural phenomena, helping students appreciate and understand the scientific method and the relationships between science and other human activities.

Courses fulfilling this requirement may include introductory or integrative baccalaureate-level courses in astronomy, biology, chemistry, general physical science, geology, meteorology, oceanography, physical geography, physical anthropology, physics, and other scientific disciplines.

Upon successful completion of the Natural Science general education requirement, students will:

• demonstrate an understanding of the way that the sciences describe the universe and the nature of scientific inquiry (scientific paradigms and methods).
• formulate an appropriate hypothesis to explain provided and/or acquired observations.
• distinguish between relevant and irrelevant evidence to evaluate a scientific question.
• demonstrate an understanding of how theories and scientific findings affect future research, as well as society. 

6. Ethnic Studies

​Courses in ethnic studies critically analyze the cultural production, experience, and impact of racialized groups in the United States, preparing students to better understand themselves and their society. These courses emphasize critical thinking skills to challenge traditional narratives and ideologies.

Courses fulfilling the Ethnic Studies requirement include baccalaureate-level courses in the four autonomous disciplines within Ethnic Studies: African American Studies, American Indian Studies, Asian American Studies, and Chicana/o Studies.

Upon successful completion of the Ethnic Studies general education requirement, students will:

• apply theory and knowledge produced by Native American, African American, Asian American, and/or Latina and Latino American communities to describe the critical events, histories, cultures, intellectual traditions, contributions, lived experiences and social struggles of those groups with a particular emphasis on agency and group affirmation.
• analyze and articulate concepts such as race and racism, racialization, ethnicity, equity, ethno-centrism, eurocentrism, white supremacy, self-determination, liberation, decolonization, sovereignty, imperialism, settler colonialism, and antiracism as analyzed in any one or more of the following: Native American Studies, African American Studies, Asian American Studies, and Latina and Latino American Studies.
• critically analyze the intersection of race and racism as they relate to class, gender, sexuality, religion, spirituality, national origin, immigration status, ability, tribal citizenship, sovereignty, language, and/or age in Native American, African American, Asian American, and/or Latina and Latino American communities.
• critically review how struggle, resistance, racial and social justice, solidarity, and liberation, as experienced and enacted by Native Americans, African Americans,
  Asian Americans and/or Latina and Latino Americans are relevant to current and structural issues such as communal, national, international, and transnational politics as, for example, in immigration, reparations, settler-colonialism, multiculturalism, language policies.

7. Health, Wellness, Counseling, and Career Planning

Courses in Health or Wellness will be designed to give students the knowledge and skills necessary to maintain a healthy lifestyle, by providing information and training in physical and mental health topics, managing stress, nutrition, exercise, fitness, and safety.

Courses in Counseling or career planning will prepare students for academic success, address academic and personal challenges, choose careers, and develop education, career, and/or transfer plans that meet their personal and professional goals.