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California State University, Chico

GE Policies and Procedures

This page is the central hub for General Education (GE) policies, processes, and governance at Chico State. Faculty, staff, and CAB members can find requirements, submit and review GE courses, support assessment, and access guidance for GE-related work.

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    Assessment of Learning Outcomes

    Like all academic programs, GE needs to be periodically reviewed to ensure that it is current, meeting its goals, efficient, and contributing to rigorous student learning.

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    Call for New GE Courses

    Once a year, in consultation with Academic Advising, the Enrollment Management Advisory Committee, and college deans, CAB may recommend a call for new GE course proposals in one or more areas based on programmatic needs and historical and projected student demand data.

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    GE Course Review

    At least once every five years, the Curriculum Advisory Board will review all General Education courses.

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    General Education Revisions

    In March 2024 the CSU Board of Trustees approved changes to the CSU General Education curriculum. We as a campus are required by CA state law to implement these changes by fall 2025.

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    GE Substitutions and Modifications

    Guidance for faculty and advisors on General Education course substitutions, including approved lists, policies, and forms for handling student exceptions.

Access GE Files in Sharepoint

As part of the review, assessment, improvement, and governance of General Education at Chico State, a number of documents have been created. Explore these files and more within the internally-focused Sharepoint website.

Access the SharePoint Website

History of Consultative and Transparent Policy Changes

In the period of 2005-2012, General Education underwent intensive review on our campus culminating in the design of the new General Education Pathways program, approved by the Academic Senate in Spring 2010. In 2010-11, faculty and staff worked hard to take the ideas embedded in EM 10-01 and turn that into a viable curriculum.  That work included defining the intellectual themes of the Pathways, proposing and approving courses for the new program and many other tasks.

The result was a thoroughly re-envisioned program that aimed to bring faculty together in interdisciplinary communities of practice and provided intellectually coherent learning communities designed to provide a meaningful academic experience for students.  In Spring 2019, following a comprehensive five-year review of the GE program, the academic senate approved changes to the Pathways Program. Chico State students, faculty, and staff worked together to implement the senate's changes for implementation in Fall 2022.  During this implementation process, the State of California and California State University created an Ethnic Studies requirement: an Ethnic Studies ad hoc subcommittee led the process to identify Ethnic Studies courses for Fall 21, and the Academic Senate approved an Interim General Education Policy to formally create Ethnic Studies Area F at Chico State for the 2021-22 academic year and beyond. The Interim General Education Policy was revised and replaced with a permanent policy following a consultative and transparent process.

The program is managed by a faculty-led GE Curriculum Advisory Board, which includes representatives of all colleges and Pathway coordinators who ensure the intellectual coherence of the program, its smooth functioning and its ongoing assessment. 

  • 2021-22 GE Minors Retreat: 40 faculty met on February 4-5, 2022 to develop descriptions and learning outcomes for the new/revised GE Minors, align courses to these outcomes, and identify strategies for building and maintaining cohesion across the program. See GE Minor Learning Outcomes on the Assessment page.
  • 2020-21 GE Policy Changes for Fall 21 implementation (Ethnic Studies): summary of consultative and transparent process to replace and revise Interim EM 21-002
  • 2018-19 GE Policy Changes for Fall 22 implementation (Pathways): summary of changes, approved in General Education Policy EM 19-021 
    • Consultation in revisions to the GE Program, revisions to the GE Minors, and implementation
    • Approved GE Minors  and upper-division Pathways 
      • Agriculture, Food, and the Environment
      • California Studies
      • Equity, Ethics, and Policy
      • Gender and Sexuality
      • Global Studies
      • Health and Wellness
      • Innovation, Design, and the Arts
      • Race, Ethnicity, and Sovereignty
      • Science, Technology, and Society
      • Sustainability and Climate Change

Process to Replace and Revise Interim GE Policy

The Academic Senate has approved EPPC’s recommended policy changes as an Introduction Item, and will consider the changes as an Action item on April 22.

In 2019, in response to a five-year review of the GE Program, the Academic Senate approved changes to the GE Policy to make GE Minors even more coherent, meaningful and authentic, while adding more possibilities for exploration for students not pursuing a GE Minor.

In early 2021, in response to the creation of an Ethnic Studies requirement, the Academic Senate Executive Committee approved an Interim GE Policy in order to add an Ethnic Studies requirement by Fall 21 for students with a 21-22 (or later) catalog.

Also in early 2021, after extensive and transparent consultation, the Curriculum Advisory Board (CAB) recommended to the Senate’s curriculum subcommittee (EPPC) replacing and revising the Interim GE Policy. Interim GE Policies are valid for six months with a possibility of a further six month renewal. However, CAB strongly recommended that senate not delay a full consideration of a replacement of the GE Policy.

During the policy revision process in late 2021, it became clear that the addition of Area F could negate Chico State’s US Diversity graduation requirement. After lengthy discussion and consultation, CAB recommended to EPPC that the US Diversity (USD) graduation requirement be retained. However, it remains possible that the Academic Senate could decide to remove the USD requirement or replace it with something else (e.g. Sustainability, etc.). If the Senate took this course of action in Spring 21, then CAB could work hard to build the new requirement in the 21-22 academic year (adding new courses, if necessary) so that it could be ready to go in 22-23 (when other changes to GE, like GE Minors, are scheduled to take place). However, if the Senate delayed consideration of the replacement of the Interim EM and made a major change to the USD graduation requirement (say, in December 2021), then CAB would not have time to build the new requirement in time for the 22-23 academic year, and the new requirement wouldn’t take place until 23-24. Here’s why that matters: if senate finishes the policy this semester, then we will only have three GE patterns:

1 Students with catalog years 2020-21 and before (the current GE Program and Planning Sheet)

2 Students with catalog year 2021-22 (the current GE Program plus Ethnic Studies)

3 Students with catalog years 2022-23 and after (the revised GE Minors and UD Pathways)

However, if Senate delayed consideration of the Interim EM into the next academic year then we may run into a situation where we have a fourth GE pattern in as many years:

4 Students with catalog years 2023-24 and after (a potentially revised graduation requirement - USD, Sustainability, etc.).

As a result, it was decided to add the GE Policy to the EPPC agenda in March so that the policy could be completed in Spring 21 and thus avoid the fourth scenario.

CAB is Chico State’s GE Committee and is comprised of staff, faculty, and a student. CAB’s voting membership consists of eight faculty representatives representing each college on campus, ten pathway coordinators elected by departments that offer courses in the pathway, an EPPC member, and a student. Beginning in Fall 22, a second student will join the committee, and CAB and EPPC have recommended adding a third student to CAB along with adding voting privileges to the CAB members from Academic Advising Programs and Graduation Advising. In addition to its voting members, CAB also includes members from Curriculum Services, Academic Publications and Scheduling Services, First-Year Experience, and a Provost Designee (the Dean of Undergraduate Education). Due to a turnover in pathway coordinators, the representation of colleges changes every year. Here is the composition of the 2020-21 CAB voting membership:

College of Agriculture: 1 voting member on CAB (5% of all CAB voting members); AG offered 13 GE sections in Fall 20 (1.6% of total) (not including 16 lab secs.)

College of Behavioral and Social Sciences: 5 voting members on CAB (25% of all CAB voting members); BSS offered 220 GE sections in Fall 20 (27% of total) (not including 18 lab/activity secs.)

College of Business: 1 voting member on CAB (5% of all CAB voting members); COB offered 3 GE sections in Fall 20 (0.3% of total)

College of Communication and Education: 2 voting members on CAB (10% of all CAB voting members); CME offered 108 GE sections offered in Fall 20 (13.3% of total)

College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Construction Management: 1 voting member on CAB (5% of all CAB voting members); ECC offered 10 GE sections in Fall 20 (1.2%) (not including 12 activity secs.)

College of Humanities and Fine Arts: 4 voting members on CAB (20% of all CAB voting members); HFA offered 266 GE sections in Fall 20 (32.8% of total) (not including 43 activity secs.)

College of Natural Sciences: 3 voting members on CAB (15% of all CAB voting members); NS offered 173 GE sections in Fall 20 (21.3% of total) (not including 202 lab/activity secs.)

Meriam Library: 1 voting member on CAB (5% of all CAB voting members)

Undergraduate Education 1 voting member on CAB (5% of all CAB voting members); UED offered 19 GE sections in Fall 20 (2.3% of total)

Student 1 voting member on CAB (5% of all CAB voting members)

Following the creation of Ethnic Studies as a lower-division GE Area F, CAB undertook a transparent and consultative process to suggest and implement revisions to Chico State’s GE Policy (Interim EM 21-002).

September: CAB communicates to Senate Officers that it is waiting to initiate any discussions around implementation until it receives direction, and until there is a formalized role for Ethnic Studies faculty in this process.

September 28: Senate Executive Committee creates the Ethnic Studies (ES) ad hoc subcommittee, charging CAB to “consult with the Ethnic Studies ad hoc subcommittee on all aspects of implementation of the Ethnic Studies requirement, including, but not limited to, any proposed revisions to EM 19-021.”

October 12: CAB and the ES Subcommittee meet to discuss changes to the Executive Order

November 2 and 16: CAB discusses and approves courses proposed for Area F by the ES Subcommittee

November 17 and 18: CAB and ES representatives attend Board of Trustees meetings

November 19: CAB representative attended EPPC Discussion Item on revisions to GE Policy

November 30: CAB Discussion Item of revisions to GE Policy (open meeting, with agenda posted on website).

December 3: Revised Executive Order shared with CAB and ES Committee

December 7: CAB Introduction Item of revisions to GE Policy (open meeting, with agenda posted on website: ES Committee members and Green Leaf Committee members invited to attend).

December 14: CAB Action Item (open meeting, with agenda posted on website: ES Committee members and Green Leaf Committee members invited to attend) Tabled to January 25 for more consultation/discussion.

December-January CAB faculty representatives consulted with their colleges: some arranged meetings, others conducted their own surveys, and still others collected feedback (including comments) on a common survey. In all, we received over a hundred responses, which were disaggregated by college and provided to the faculty representatives. CAB solicited and received feedback from the Ethnic Studies ad hoc Committee. CAB solicited and received feedback from the Black Faculty and Staff Association (BFSA CAB solicited and received feedback from the University Diversity Council (UDC) Campus Climate Considerations.

January 25: CAB Action Item (open meeting, with agenda posted on website: ES Committee members and Green Leaf Committee members invited to attend). Tabled to February 8 for more discussion.

January 28: CAB representative attended EPPC Discussion Item on EM 19-021 (ES Committee notified by CAB)

January 28: CAB representative attended FASP Discussion Item on EM 19-021 and graduation requirement proposals (ES Committee notified by CAB)

February 4: CAB representative attended Academic Senate Discussion Item on proposal for an Interim EM to implement Area F in Fall 21 (ES Committee notified by CAB)

February 8: CAB Action Item approved unanimously (CAB, open meeting, with agenda posted on website: ES Committee and Green Leaf Committee members invited to attend) and submitted to EPPC.

February 12: CAB update to Student Academic Senate

February 25: EPPC Introduction Item (ES Committee notified by CAB)

March 11: EPPC Action Item (ES Committee notified by CAB)

March 24: CAB shared EPPC amendment to the antiracist pedagogy section with the UDC Campus Climate Considerations Committee

March 25: Senate Introduction Item (ES Committee notified by CAB)

March 28: CAB solicited and received feedback from the BFSA regarding a senate suggestion to replace of “Black students” with “students of color” in the antiracist pedagogy section. The Chair of the BFSA responded that “the consensus from the group is to keep the focus and the language specific to Black students. Some members noted that if the language of GE course review aims to parallel the senate resolution then replacing “Black students” with “students of color” is not addressing the issue. Additionally, the hope is that in addition to the language in these various resolutions and policies there will also be intentional and significant effort in development and delivery of workshops, any efforts at all, to help faculty and staff on this campus to recognize anti-Black practices and pedagogies. It is, of course problematic to expect folks to intuit them. The concern is if it is only the latter, then respectfully this will be received as performative activism and the language will not matter.”

Added, for the three student representatives on CAB, that they shall serve one-year terms, renewable twice.

Modified/added, "At the time of review, course proponents will provide evidence of how racially just classroom practices, antiracist pedagogies, and the dismantling of anti-Black practices are utilized, with the overall intention of contributing toward a healthy racial campus climate that results in equitable educational experiences for Black students. In keeping with the Academic Senate "Resolution Regarding Equity Gaps of Underrepresented Minority Student Achievement" adopted April 4, 2019, at the time of GE review, course proponents will provide evidence of how equity gaps have been addressed and provide non-instructor specific data, if available, concerning those equity gaps as defined in the resolution."

Added CAB voting status to the representatives of Academic Advising Programs and Graduation Advising.

Added CAB voting status to the EPPC representative.

Modified/added "U.S. Diversity (USD): One course outside Area F that develops greater understanding of the history..."