Guidance on Submitting Courses for GE Areas
General Education (GE)
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
The AD&GE Subcommittee is responsible for reviewing and recommending the appropriateness of courses proposed for LBCC Associate Degree and General Education requirements and patterns.
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.
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.