Guidance on Submitting Courses for GE Areas

Overview

Guidance on Submitting Courses for GE Areas

Overseeing General Education (GE) & It’s Philosophy

The Associate Degree & General Education (ADGE) Subcommittee oversees the review of courses proposed for LBCC-GE and Cal-GETC placement, applying the applicable local, Title 5, and Cal-GETC standards and making recommendations through the College’s curriculum approval process.

The philosophy and criteria for the associate degree and general education in California community colleges, as outlined in Title 5 Section 55061, address key considerations. This includes alignment with the institutional mission, purposes, demographics, and economics of the community. The philosophy for the associate degree emphasizes the development of capabilities such as clear communication, mathematical proficiency, interdisciplinary understanding, cultural awareness, ethical reasoning, self-understanding, and self-efficacy. General education, according to the Board of Governors’ policy, aims to foster self-understanding by introducing students to diverse ways of comprehending the modern world. It provides opportunities for intellectual skills, information technology proficiency, affective and creative capabilities, social attitudes, and an appreciation for cultural diversity.

Submitting Courses for GE Areas

If you are modifying an existing course specifically to pursue GE approval, review the complete COR and make any curricular updates necessary to support the proposed GE placement.

Use the Placement in General Education Areas section of the Course Proposal in CIM when you want an existing or new course to be considered for inclusion in LBCC-GE, Cal-GETC, or both. Selecting a GE area in CIM is a request for consideration; it does not mean that the course has already been approved for that GE area. Choose the area based on the actual curriculum documented in the Course Outline of Record—not simply the course title, discipline, or general subject matter.

  • LBCC-GE is the College’s local General Education pattern for the associate degree. For LBCC-GE, the course proceeds through the applicable LBCC curriculum governance and approval process.
  • Cal-GETC is the statewide General Education transfer pattern for California Community College students preparing for transfer to the CSU or UC systems. For Cal-GETC, LBCC’s local review supports the course’s submission for the applicable external GE review process. Local approval does not, by itself, establish Cal-GETC approval.
     
  • Click here to access the GE Patterns.

Before submitting, review the entire Course Outline of Record to make sure it supports the requested GE placement. Pay particular attention to alignment among the catalog description, objectives, SLOs, course content, assignments, and methods of evaluation. If the GE rationale describes learning that is not actually required by the COR, the proposal may need additional revision.

CIM will generate the appropriate workflow. The Faculty Author does not need to manually send the proposal to the AD&GE Subcommittee. When GE consideration has been requested, the proposal will receive the applicable review associated with the selected GE plan and area.

The Associate Degree & General Education Subcommittee reviews the proposed GE placement and supporting COR. ADGE may approve the proposal to continue or identify questions or revisions that need to be addressed. If the proposal is rolled back, review the comments, make the necessary changes, and resubmit it to workflow.

LBCC-GE Placement

LBCC-GE is Long Beach City College’s local general education pattern for the associate degree. Courses proposed for LBCC-GE are reviewed locally to determine whether the course satisfies the applicable Title 5 general education standards and LBCC’s adopted GE requirements.

The technical review at AD&GE considers the course’s content, objectives, student learning outcomes, assignments, methods of instruction, and methods of evaluation. The course should provide sufficient breadth, rigor, and educational purpose to support general education—not simply contain some material related to the requested area.

Should AD&GE recommend placement to the Curriculum Committee, and the Curriculum Committee recommend approval to the Board of Trustees, the course becomes effective on the LBCC-GE pattern in the next appropriate Fall semester.

Cal-GETC Placement

Cal-GETC is the California General Education Transfer Curriculum used by California Community College students pursuing transfer to the California State University (CSU) or University of California (UC) systems.

Courses proposed for Cal-GETC must meet the applicable Cal-GETC Standards for the requested area. LBCC’s curriculum materials also specify that a course appropriate for Cal-GETC must be both CSU and UC transferable.

Review & Approval Process

Cal-GETC placement involves a multi-step approval process that extends beyond LBCC. Faculty should plan for this process early, because a course is not placed on Cal-GETC simply because it has been approved locally or identified as appropriate for general education.

At LBCC, a new course intended for UC transfer and Cal-GETC must first complete the College curriculum approval process, including Course Evaluation, Curriculum Committee, Board of Trustees, and Chancellor’s Office approval. Only after the course has received Chancellor’s Office approval can it move forward for UC transfer review.

The next step is UCTCA review—the University of California Transfer Course Agreement process. LBCC’s Articulation Office submits eligible courses to the UC Office of the President during the annual submission period, typically in August.

  • If the course is approved for UC transfer, it becomes eligible to be submitted for Cal-GETC review.
  • If UCTCA is denied, a limited appeal period is available in October when the course is otherwise considered appropriate for UC transfer.

Once UC transfer approval is secured, the Articulation Office submits eligible courses for Cal-GETC review, typically in December. Cal-GETC reviewers evaluate the course against the standards for the requested GE area. Decisions are generally issued the following spring, commonly in April or May. Approved courses become effective on the Cal-GETC pattern beginning the following fall term and are reflected in ASSIST.

  • A Cal-GETC denial is different from a UCTCA denial: there is no Cal-GETC appeal process described in LBCC’s current guidance. If a course is denied Cal-GETC placement, the faculty author may revise the course and begin the curriculum and review process again through the applicable LBCC subcommittees.

Take Away: Local approval is the beginning of the transfer and Cal-GETC review process, not the end.

Suggested Timeline 

A course may take more than one academic year to move from initial LBCC approval to final Cal-GETC placement.

Because Cal-GETC follows an annual external review cycle, faculty should begin well before the desired GE effective year. LBCC’s current process indicates that UCTCA submissions occur in August, followed by Cal-GETC submissions in December, with Cal-GETC decisions generally arriving the following spring. A practical planning timeline is:

  • Fall Semester: Develop & Consult: Begin developing or modifying the course. Consult with the Articulation Officer and review the standards for the intended Cal-GETC area before finalizing the COR.
  • Early Spring: Submit for LBCC Review: Aim to have the proposal moving through CIM early enough to complete Course Evaluation, ADGE, Curriculum Committee, Board of Trustees, and Chancellor’s Office approval before the August UCTCA submission period.
  • August:: UCTCA Submission; the Articulation Office submits eligible courses for UC transfer review.
  • December: Cal-GETC Submission: Courses approved for UC transfer may then be submitted by the Articulation Office for Cal-GETC review.
  • Following Spring: External Decision: Cal-GETC decisions are generally received in April–May or later.
  • Following Fall: GE Placement: If approved, the course becomes effective on the Cal-GETC pattern for the new academic year. Courses offered before the approved effective date cannot be used for Cal-GETC certification.

Articulating Courses

If a course is intended for CSU or UC transfer, C-ID alignment, major preparation, or other articulation, consult with the LBCC Articulation Officer early in the curriculum development process. The Articulation Officer can help determine appropriate transfer goals, identify comparable courses at four-year institutions, review C-ID requirements, and advise whether the proposed COR is positioned to support articulation. LBCC’s program-development guidance similarly directs faculty to coordinate with the Articulation Officer when courses may or should articulate to CSU, UC, or be C-ID eligible. Access more information on Course Evaluation Subcommittee’s page: