Call for New GE Courses

On January 29, 2024, CAB approved the following call for courses.

The Curriculum Advisory Board (CAB) invites applications for additional courses to receive the Global Cultures (GC) and U.S. Diversity (USD) designation in order to provide students with more and varied opportunities to meet the University Diversity Requirements. As indicated in EM 21-023, these requirements are not part of General Education, and may be met by both GE and non-GE courses, but are overseen by CAB, which reviews and approves courses with the GC and USD designations.

Please consider seeking this designation for applicable (1) existing GE courses, (2) existing majors courses not part of General Education, and/or (3) any new courses your department is currently developing outside of GE. (Please note this is not a call for new GE courses. A GC or USD designation does not entail any GE affiliation or obligation.)

EM 21-023 provides the following guidance on the requirements for GC and USD courses:

Students must complete both of the following two aspects of the Diversity Requirement (two courses):

• S. Diversity (USD): One course outside Area F that develops greater understanding of the history and experiences of diverse peoples and cultures within the U.S. Any course that focuses on the study of sign language also meets this requirement.
• Global Cultures (GC): One course that focuses on the exploration and understanding of cultures outside of the U.S. Any course that focuses on the study of an international language also meets this requirement.

Courses that satisfy the Diversity Requirement must introduce and examine:

• Basic concepts of intergroup and intercultural relations, such as racism, ethnocentrism, the impact of cultures on each other, perception, and the intersection of differing value systems.
• The intersection of ethnicity, language, or culture with gender, sexuality, class, or other important social categories, such as religion.

Students, after completing the diversity courses, will have knowledge of:

• Relationships between different ethnic groups and cultures
• Interactions, values, and perceptions of marginalized or underserved communities
• The social construction of class, race, ethnicity, gender, or nationality

To apply for the GC or USD designation for an existing course, please complete the application on the Curriculum Service website and submit completed forms to Curriculum Services by March 6. New courses seeking these designations may do so through normal curriculum procedures.

Newly approved GC and USD designations will be reflected in the 2025-26 Catalog.

On March 6, 2023, CAB approved the following call for courses.

After consultation with Academic Advising, the Enrollment Management Advisory Committee, and College Deans, CAB determined that historical and projected student demand did not justify a call for new courses in any GE Subject Area. After consultation with College Deans and Pathway Coordinators, CAB determined that programmatic needs did justify inviting departments to propose replacement courses, for the following reasons.

1. After program changes reflected in EM 21-023, which reconfigured extant and created new Upper Division Pathways, there is interest in continuing to hone GE offerings.
2. Due to shifts in enrollments departments are looking to provide updated GE course offerings.
3. In light of programmatic needs new GE course offerings must replace an extant GE course offering.

Therefore, on March 6, 2023, CAB voted to consider proposals for GE courses for the 2024-25 catalog that replace existing GE courses. Proposed replacement courses may be new or existing courses (with or without GE status). Proposed replacement courses must be offered by the proposing department or proposed with the approval of the department offering the course to be replaced. Replacement courses should also be in the same level (upper or lower division) and in the same GE area (D, Upper Division C, etc.) as the course being replaced.

Please contact your Department Chair if you are interested in proposing a replacement course. Proposals are due from Department ChairsFriday, April 7.

On February 21, 2022, CAB approved decided not to issue a call for new GE courses.

1. Historical and Projected Student Demand
   • After consultation with Academic Advising and the Enrollment Management Advisory Committee, and College Deans, CAB determined that historical and projected student demand do not justify a call for courses in a GE Area.
2. Programmatic Needs
   • After consultation with Academic Advising and the Enrollment Management Advisory Committee, and College Deans, CAB determined that programmatic needs do not justify a call for courses in a GE Area.

On January 25, 2021, CAB approved the following Call for Courses. To apply please contact your Department Chair for more information.

1. Historical and Projected Student Demand
   • After consultation with Academic Advising and the Enrollment Management Advisory Committee, CAB determined that historical and projected student demand did not justify a call for courses in a GE Area.
2. Programmatic Needs
   • Due to program changes in EO 1100, which added a new GE Area F, CAB recommends a call for new or existing courses (with or without GE status) in  
     • Lower-division or upper-division Area F “Ethnic Studies.” This call is only open to courses with an AAST, AFAM, AIST, CHLX, or MCGS prefix or courses with an existing cross-list with an AAST, AFAM, AIST, CHLX, or MCGS prefixed course.  See EO 1100 for Area F definition and core competencies, including the CSU system requirement that only courses with Ethnic Studies prefixes shall be approved for this requirement. Course proposals will be reviewed and recommended to CAB by the Ethnic Studies ad hoc Committee.  
     • Any lower-division GE Area except C2 “Humanities” or F “Ethnic Studies,” for the GE Minor in Race, Ethnicity, and Sovereignty.  See EO 1100 for a list of lower-division GE Areas and definitions.
   • At the request of EPPC and Senate, to increase the variety of courses in GE from across the university, CAB recommends a call for new or existing courses (with or without GE status)
     • Lower-division or upper-division Area B, “Scientific Inquiry and Quantitative Reasoning,” including B1 “Physical Science,” B2 “Life Science,” and B4 (A4) “Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning.” See EO 1100 for Area B definitions.

On January 21, 2020, by a unanimous vote, CAB approved the following GE Areas/Pathways for a Call for Courses. 

1. Historical and Projected Student Demand
   • Academic Advising consultation recommended adding courses in Upper-Division Areas B, C, and D.  However, CAB determined that the restructured Pathways for Fall 2021 reduced the need for additional courses in Areas B and C.  Instead, CAB recommends a call in
     • Upper-Division Area D, Health and Wellness.

1. Programmatic Needs
   • Due to program changes in EO 1100's definition of Area B4, which includes "traditional mathematics" in addition to courses in "computer science, personal finance, statistics or discipline-based mathematics or quantitative reasoning courses, for example," CAB recommends a call in
     • Lower-Division B4 (Currently A4) Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning 
   • Due to program changes in EM 19-021, which created new Pathways and redesigned some existing Pathways, CAB recommends a call in
     • Upper-Division B, Equity, Ethics, and Policy (including quantitative reasoning areas)
     • Upper-Division B, Innovation, Design, and the Arts (including quantitative reasoning areas)
     • Upper-Division B, Race, Ethnicity, and Sovereignty (including quantitative reasoning areas)
     • Upper-Division B, Sustainability and Climate Change (including quantitative reasoning areas)
     • Upper-Division D, California: People, Place, and Cultures
     • Upper-Division D, Innovation, Design and the Arts

Note: During the process of identifying programmatic needs, CAB worked with Departments and Colleges to address programmatic needs with existing courses, and reduced the number of areas of "programmatic need" significantly from the first consultation with the College Deans.  During the call for new courses, where possible, CAB will continue to advocate for the use of existing GE classes to address aforementioned programmatic needs by prioritizing (1) existing GE courses (on the GE Planning Sheet), (2) existing GE course substitutions, (3) existing non-GE courses, and (4) new courses.