Central to an Associate Degree, General Education is designed to introduce 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 possess in common certain basic principles, concepts and methodologies both unique to and shared by the various disciplines. College educated persons must be able to use this knowledge when evaluating and appreciating the physical environment, the culture, and the society in which they live. Most importantly, General Education should lead to better self-understanding. (Title 5 § 55061)

Natural Sciences

Courses in the natural sciences are those which examine the physical universe, its life forms, and its natural phenomena. To satisfy the general education requirement in natural sciences, a course shall be designed to help the student develop and appreciation and understanding of the scientific method, and encourage an understanding of the relationships between science and other human activities.

Upon successful completion of the Natural Science General Education Requirement, the student will be able to:

• Utilize critical thinking skills in evaluating reports of scientific information regarding source, bias, and scientific method.
• Demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of the scientific method.
• Express an understanding of the relationships between science and other human activities which may include recognizing components of scientific decision making and apply personal and social values within the process of decision making in scientific endeavors.
• Apply appropriate quantitative and qualitative methods to interpret and analyze pertinent data.

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Courses in the social and behavioral sciences are those which focus on people as members of society. To satisfy the general education requirement in social and behavioral sciences, a course shall be designed to develop an awareness of the method of inquiry used by the social and behavioral sciences. It shall be designed to stimulate critical thinking about the ways people act and have acted in response to their societies and should promote appreciation of how societies and social subgroups operate.

Upon successful completion of the Social and Behavioral Sciences general education requirement students will be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of human behavior, including social interaction and individual behavior in relation to social, cultural, political, psychological, economic, linguistic, biological, physical and other contexts and variables.
• Articulate how societies, cultures and subcultures develop and change over time, and how they influence human behavior within specific contexts, including historic contexts.
• Articulate how decisions are made in economic or political systems
• Demonstrate ability to utilize the research information technologies, reading abilities and theoretical frameworks that support lifelong learning about the study of human beings and their psychology, their behavior, their social interactions, their cultural diversity and the richness of their human heritages.
• Apply critical thinking and methods of inquiry, including qualitative and quantitative analysis, appropriate to social science disciplines.
• Communicate clearly ideas and facts regarding the human condition and how humans respond, adapt and intentionally change those conditions.
• Demonstrate an ability to consider the ethics of human behavior and the human impact on planetary conditions and cycles.
• Demonstrate the ability to self-assess their learning regarding social science learning outcomes.
• Articulate the importance of responsible participation in their government, community and society.
• Identify the skills they have learned in college that prepare them for lifelong learning.
• Explain the significance of cooperation and peaceful resolution in addressing societal conflicts.

Humanities

Fine and Performing Arts

Courses in the humanities are those which study the cultural activities and artistic expressions of human beings. To satisfy the general education requirement in the humanities, a course shall be designed to help the student develop an awareness of the ways in which people throughout the ages and in different cultures have responded to themselves and the world around them in artistic and cultural creation and help the student develop aesthetic understanding and an ability to make value judgments.

Upon successful completion of the Fine and Performing Arts general education requirement students will be able to:

• Demonstrate an appreciation of human expression through fine and performing arts.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the language and content of one or more artistic forms: visual arts, music, theatre, dance, film/television, writing, digital arts.
• Identify and discuss (in a way that demonstrates broad-based knowledge within one or more disciplines) at least two different individuals or movements from a list of historical and contemporary artists, musicians, dancers/choreographers, playwrights, and/or directors, media producers and script writers including Western and non-Western examples.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the arts and humanities, including historical context and interrelationships with other disciplines.
• Express understanding and appreciation of varieties of cultural and artistic expression.
• Explain how artistic (and literary) works from past and present civilizations are individual expressions of cultural, historical, and intellectual forces.
• Identify values of their culture and community as expressed through art.
• Understand the complex blend of personal vision, social-cultural background, ethical values and aesthetic judgment in their own artistic work.

Humanities

Upon successful completion of the Humanities general education requirement students will be able to:

• Demonstrate factual knowledge of the emergence and development of a set of ideas, an artistic form or medium, or a religious, philosophical, or artistic tradition.
• Apply a methodological approach to scholarly analysis and critical assessment of the artistic and intellectual creations of Western and non-western cultures, for academic disciplines in the humanities.
• Assess the effectiveness and value of a given cultural artifact using standards appropriate to the medium and cultural origin of the work.
• Make clear, well organized, and substantive written and oral presentations.
• Read, comprehend and communicate at the beginning or intermediate level of a target language.
• Participate in informed discourse on topics involving art, architecture, language, literature, politics and current events, history, ethnography, geography, religion, philosophy, music, or theater.

Language & Rationality

Courses in language and rationality are those which develop for the student the principles and applications of language toward logical thought, clear and precise expression and critical evaluation of communication in whatever symbol system the student uses.

English Composition

Upon successful completion of the English Composition general education requirement students will be able to:

• Demonstrate effective expository and persuasive writing skills using the rules of standard written English in a written assignment of at least 1,000 words.
• Employ an academically recognized format (e.g., MLA, APA) in a research paper.
• Revise, proofread, and edit written work.

Communication and Analytical Thinking

Upon successful completion of the Communication and Analytical Thinking general education requirement students will be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of clear and coherent communication.
• Use verbal and non-verbal languages in a clear and precise manner.
• Develop logical and rational thinking skills.
• Properly use relevant quantitative and qualitative symbolic expressions to evaluate and understand argumentation and/or problem solving.
• Distinguish the form of an argument from its content.

Health Education

Courses in health and physical activity help students develop the understanding and skills necessary to maintain a healthful life.

Upon successful completion of the Health Education requirement, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the basic principles and techniques for the restoration, maintenance, and development of optimal health and fitness.
• Utilize goal setting, time management, and personal planning to maximize success in the classroom.

Physical Education/Kinesiology

At the successful completion of the Physical Education/Kinesiology requirement, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate an appreciation and understanding of how to develop personal health and longevity through appropriate physical activity and theory courses.
• Understand the role physical fitness plays in achieving and maintaining a personal sense of well-being.

And those who participated in Intercollegiate Athletics to meet this requirement will be able to:

• Demonstrate leadership roles both on campus and in the community.
• Demonstrate an understanding and high level of competence in fitness, physical activity, and intercollegiate athletics.

Ethnic Studies/Gender Studies

Courses in ethnic and gender studies help students develop an awareness of the historical roots and an appreciation of the cultural contributions of diverse ethnic populations and women; lead to an understanding of the causes and consequences of socio-economic inequality based on race, sex or ethnicity; and explore ways for eliminating such inequalities.

Upon the successful completion of the Ethnic Studies/Gender Studies requirement students will be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of multicultural diversity and/or gender difference as they relate to social, cultural, political, economic and demographic changes occurring locally and globally.
• Articulate how the concepts of class, age, nationality, ethnicity, and/or sexual identity influence interactions between cultures and societies, both historically and presently.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the contributions of ethnic, racial and gendered groups to U.S. society and culture such that an appreciation is developed for diverse people and cultures.
• Communicate clearly ideas and facts regarding various cultures/ethnicities and gender as expressed through the authentic voices and perspectives of those same cultures and the individuals who populate them.
• Demonstrate ability to utilize research information technologies, reading abilities and theoretical frameworks to support lifelong learning that connects knowledge of self and society to larger cultural contexts.
• Apply critical thinking, methodologies, theories and paradigms appropriate to gender, ethnic, and multicultural studies.
• Develop clear, well-organized, and substantive written or oral presentations which demonstrate an awareness of examining one’s own culture from a removed perspective.