General Education

Download as PDF

General education is an integral component of the students’ total educational experience. A sound general education program contributes to the development of learned and inquisitive individuals by providing them with a breadth of knowledge and by stimulating academic curiosity. The totality of general education courses affords students opportunities to enhance their skills in effective communication, quantitative literacy, and technology and to broaden their perspectives on cultural, historical, and global issues. A solid foundation in general education prepares students for more specialized study and provides them with the skills to adapt and contribute to an ever-changing workforce.

Statement of General Education Mission

Clinton Community College is committed to General Education, to learning which promotes the intellectual, social, and personal development of each student. Through its degree programs, the College provides students with the skills and knowledge they will need to fulfill their academic goals and to succeed in their careers. The General Education Program of the College mirrors the program adopted by the State University of New York Trustees, with modifications by curricula.

SUNY General Education (SUNY-GE)

SUNY General Education (GE) is a system-wide framework applicable to all degree-seeking students. The framework consists of ten Knowledge and Skills areas and two Core Competencies.

SUNY-GE CREDIT AND CATEGORY REQUIREMENTS

For A.A., A.S., and baccalaureate degree programs, the following credit and category requirements apply to students entering Fall 2023 or later:

  • At least 30 credits of SUNY GE‐approved coursework
  • A minimum of seven (of ten) Knowledge and Skills Areas, including the four specifically required (Communication, Diversity, Mathematics, Natural Sciences)
  • The two core competencies

For A.A.S. degree programs, the following credit and category requirements apply to students entering Fall 2024 or later:

  • At least 20 credits of SUNY GE‐approved coursework
  • A minimum of the four (of ten) Knowledge and Skills Areas, including the four specifically required (Communication, Diversity, Mathematics, Natural Sciences)
  • The two core competencies

For A.O.S. degree programs, the following credit and category requirements apply to students entering Fall 2024 or later:

  • A minimum of zero credits of SUNY GE‐approved coursework
  • A minimum of the four (of ten) Knowledge and Skills Areas (freestanding or embedded), including the four specifically required (Communication, Diversity, Mathematics, Natural Sciences)
  • The two core competencies (freestanding or embedded)

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS AREAS

Communication –Written and Oral

Students will:

  1. research a topic, develop an argument, and organize supporting details;
  2. demonstrate coherent college‐level communication (written and oral) that informs, persuades, or otherwise engages with an audience;
  3. evaluate communication for substance, bias, and intended effect; and
  4. demonstrate the ability to revise and improve written and oral communication.

Diversity: Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice

Students will

  1. describe the historical and contemporary societal factors that shape the development of individual and group identity involving race, class, and gender;
  2. analyze the role that complex networks of social structures and systems play in the creation and perpetuation of the dynamics of power, privilege, oppression, and opportunity; and
  3. apply the principles of rights, access, equity, and autonomous participation to past, current, or future social justice action.

Mathematics (and Quantitative Reasoning)

Students will demonstrate mathematical skills and quantitative reasoning, including the ability to

  1. interpret and draw inferences from appropriate mathematical models such as formulas, graphs, tables, or schematics;
  2. represent mathematical information symbolically, visually, numerically, or verbally as appropriate; and
  3. employ quantitative methods such as arithmetic, algebra, geometry, or statistics to solve problems.

Natural Sciences (and Scientific Reasoning)

Students will demonstrate scientific reasoning applied to the natural world, including

  1. an understanding of the methods scientists use to explore natural phenomena, including observation, hypothesis development, measurement and data collection, experimentation, evaluation of evidence, and employment of data analysis or mathematical modeling; and
  2. application of scientific data, concepts, and models in one of the natural (or physical) sciences.

Humanities

Students will

  1. demonstrate knowledge of the conventions and methods of at least one of the humanities; and
  2. recognize and analyze nuance and complexity of meaning through critical reflections on text, visual images, or artifacts.

Social Sciences

Students successfully completing a course in this category will:

  1. describe major concepts and theories of at least one discipline in the social sciences; and
  2. demonstrate an understanding of the methods social scientists use to explore social phenomena.

The Arts

Students successfully completing a course in this category will:

  1. demonstrate an understanding of at least one principal form of artistic expression and the creative process inherent therein.

US History and Civic Engagement

Students successfully completing a course in this category will:

  1. demonstrate understanding of United States' society and/or history, including the diversity of individuals and communities that make up the nation;
  2. understand the role of individual participation in US communities and government; and
  3. apply historical and contemporary evidence to draw, support, or verify conclusions.

World History and Global Awareness

Students successfully completing a course in this category will:

  1. demonstrate knowledge of a broad outline of world history and/or the development of the distinctive features of at least one civilization or culture in relation to other regions of the world; and
  2. demonstrate an understanding of the structures, systems, and interrelationships among civilizations and cultures within historical and/or contemporary contexts, and their impact on well-being and sustainability.

World Languages

Students successfully completing a course in this category will:

  1. exhibit basic proficiency in the understanding and use of a world language; and
  2. demonstrate knowledge of the distinctive features of culture(s) associated with the language they are studying.

CORE COMPETENCIES

Critical Thinking and Reasoning

Students will:

  1. clearly articulate an issue or problem;
  2. identify, analyze, and evaluate ideas, data, and arguments as they occur in their own or others' work;
  3. acknowledge limitations such as perspective and bias; and
  4. develop well-reasoned (logical) arguments to form judgments and/or draw conclusions.

Information Literacy

Students will:

  1. locate information effectively using tools appropriate to their need and discipline;
  2. evaluate information with an awareness of authority, validity, and bias; and
  3. demonstrate an understanding of the ethical dimensions of information use, creation, and dissemination.

SUNY General Education Requirement (SUNY-GER)

SUNY General Education Requirement (GER) is a system-wide requirement applicable to all Associate of Arts (A.A.), Associate of Science (A.S.) and baccalaureate degree seeking students entering between Fall 2010 and Spring 2023. The requirement consists of ten Knowledge and Skills areas and two Competencies. 

SUNY-GER CREDIT AND CATEGORY REQUIREMENTS

For A.A., A.S., and baccalaureate degree programs, the following credit and category requirements apply:

  • At least 30 credits of SUNY GE-approved coursework
  • A minimum of seven (of ten) Knowledge and Skills Areas, including the two specifically required (Basic Communication and Mathematics)
  • The two competencies

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS AREAS

American History

Students will demonstrate:

  1. Knowledge of a basic narrative of American history: political, economic, social, and cultural, including knowledge of unity and diversity in American society;
  2. Knowledge of common institutions in American society and how they have affected different groups; and
  3. Understanding of America's evolving relationship with the rest of the world.

Basic Communication

Students will:

  1. Produce coherent texts within common college-level written forms;
  2. Demonstrate the ability to revise and improve such texts;
  3. Research a topic, develop an argument, and organize supporting details;
  4. Develop proficiency in oral discourse; and
  5. Evaluate an oral presentation according to established criteria.

Foreign Language

Students will demonstrate:

  1. Basic proficiency in the understanding and use of a foreign language; and
  2. Knowledge of the distinctive features of culture(s) associated with the language they are studying.

Humanities

Students will demonstrate:

  1. Knowledge of the conventions and methods of at least one of the humanities (Art, English, Languages, Music, or Philosophy) in addition to those encompassed by other knowledge areas required by the General Education program.

Mathematics

Students will demonstrate the ability to:

  1. Interpret and draw inferences from mathematical models such as formulas, graphs, tables and schematics;
  2. Represent mathematical information symbolically, visually, numerically and verbally;
  3. Employ quantitative methods such as, arithmetic, algebra, geometry, or statistics to solve problems;
  4. Estimate and check mathematical results for reasonableness; and
  5. Recognize the limits of mathematical and statistical methods.

Natural Sciences

Students will demonstrate:

  1.  Understanding of the methods scientists use to explore natural phenomena, including observation, hypothesis development, measurement and data collection, experimentation, evaluation of evidence, and employment of mathematical analysis; and
  2. Application of scientific data, concepts, and models in one of the natural sciences.

Other World Civilizations

Students will demonstrate:

  1. Knowledge of either a broad outline of world history, or
  2. The distinctive features of the history, institutions, economy, society, culture, etc., of one non-Western civilization.

Social Sciences

Students will demonstrate:

  1. Understanding of the methods social scientists use to explore social phenomena, including observation, hypothesis development, measurement and data collection, experimentation, evaluation of evidence, and employment of mathematical and interpretive analysis; and
  2. Knowledge of major concepts, models and issues of at least one discipline in the social sciences.

The Arts

Students will demonstrate:

  1. Understanding of at least one principal form of artistic expression and the creative process inherent therein.

Western Civilization

Students will:

  1.  Demonstrate knowledge of the development of the distinctive features of the history, institutions, economy, society, culture, etc., of Western civilization; and
  2. Relate the development of Western civilization to that of other regions of the world.

COMPETENCIES

Critical Thinking (Reasoning)

Students will:

  1. Identify, analyze, and evaluate arguments as they occur in their own or others’ work; and
  2. Develop well-reasoned arguments.

Information Management

Students will:

  1.  Perform the basic operations of personal computer use;
  2. Understand and use basic research techniques; and
  3.  Locate, evaluate, and synthesize information from a variety of sources.

For a list of approved CCC courses in each SUNY-GER category, visit https://www.clinton.edu/degrees-and-programs/general-education/SUNY-GER.aspx

Transfer of General Education Credits to SUNY Institutions

  • If a SUNY sending institution certifies that a student has completed the SUNY-GER (for students entering prior to Fall 2023) or SUNY-GE (for students entering Fall 2023 or later) in its entirety, then the receiving institution must accept that requirement as being met.
  • If a SUNY sending institution certifies that a student has completed a Knowledge and Skills area, then the receiving institution must accept that category requirement as being met.

Transfer of General Education Credits to Non-SUNY Institutions

Most colleges stipulate their own general education course requirements. Students who plan to transfer to four-year colleges or universities outside the State University of New York should check with the transfer institution to determine the recommended general education courses. For additional information about transferring to a non-SUNY college, contact the CCC Counseling and Advisement Office.

Assessment of General Education Student Learning Outcomes

In accordance with the guidelines set by the State University of New York, Clinton Community College has developed a comprehensive plan for assessing general education student learning outcomes. Outcomes from each of the ten Knowledge and Skills Areas and the two Competencies are assessed following a three-year cycle.

Additional Resources

For contact information and additional resources, please visit the General Education website: www.clinton.edu/degrees-and-programs/general-education