Philosophy
California State University, Los Angeles is a comprehensive institution
that offers educational opportunities to its students who are as
varied as the city’s population. Cal State LA. has a special mission
to provide an educational experience that recognizes and takes full
advantage of this diversity, while emphasizing the knowledge,
experiences, and ethical concerns common to all people.
The General Education program enriches the lives of students as they
acquire knowledge, learn to think critically, and use methodologies of
the various disciplines. Students also learn to prepare for
participation in a democracy, to appreciate a sense of shared cultural
heritage, and to understand the environment. Students experience
self-discovery and personal growth and recognize them as lifelong
processes.
Mission
General Education prepares students for advanced study in
their chosen academic disciplines and provides a broad
foundation for a lifetime of intellectual discovery and personal and
professional development. The mission of the General Education
program is:
- to prepare students with the intellectual skills and habits
necessary for success; - to provide students with a breadth of knowledge through focused
study in a range of disciplines and disciplinary-specific ways of
knowing; - to encourage students to bridge disciplines and
disciplinary-specific ways of knowing; to develop students who are
informed citizens and reflective and ethical thinkers actively committed
to improving their local and global communities; and - to encourage students to become self-motivated and self-directed
lifelong learners and leaders in their communities.
GELOs
General Education Learning Outcomes
The General Education program at CSULA is defined by a set of learning outcomes that are aligned with the CSULA Institutional Learning outcomes and the Liberal Education and America’s Promise (LEAP) outcomes promoted by the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) and adopted by the California State University system.
Knowledge: Mastery of Content and Processes of Inquiry
Students who successfully complete GE will be able to:
- Demonstrate understanding of the physical and natural world.
- Demonstrate understanding of contemporary events within political and historical contexts.
- Demonstrate understanding of the diversity of cultures and communities in the United States and abroad.
- Demonstrate understanding of constructions, institutions, and structures of power and privilege in societies as well as strategies used to challenge existing inequalities.
- Demonstrate understanding of a range of disciplinary ways of knowing.
- Demonstrate understanding of creative expression in the context of the relevant art form and intellectual history.
- Demonstrate understanding of race, ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic class.
Proficiency: Intellectual Skills
Students who successfully complete GE will be able to:
- Demonstrate civic literacy that would enable them to participate effectively in a democratic society.
- Use inquiry processes, including quantitative and qualitative reasoning and critical and creative thinking, to engage with contemporary and enduring questions.
- Find, use, evaluate and process information in order to engage in complex decision-making and problem solving.
- Read, speak and write effectively.
- Demonstrate an ability to work collaboratively.
Engagement: Local and Global Communities
Students who successfully complete GE will be able to:
- Demonstrate the capacity to engage meaningfully with diverse communities.
- Demonstrate understanding of how individuals affect society and the environment.
- Demonstrate the capacity to make well informed, ethical, and socially responsible decisions.
- Demonstrate understanding of the interconnectedness of local and global communities.
- Demonstrate literacy in the perspectives and needs of individuals and groups.
Transformation: Integrative Learning
Students who successfully complete GE will be able to:
- Integrate academic learning with life through project-based experiences.
- Integrate their knowledge, skills and experience to address complex, enduring, and emerging issues.
GELO Map
GE Program (48 units) |
Required Courses |
Units |
GELOs |
EO 1100 Blocks |
IHE—civic and community-based learning at CSULA |
3 |
E |
E |
|
Oral Communication |
3 |
P |
A1* |
|
Written Communication |
3 |
P |
A2* |
|
Critical Thinking and Composition |
3 |
P |
A3* |
|
Quantitative Reasoning & Mathematical Concepts |
3 |
K, P |
B4* |
|
American Institutions – US History |
3 |
K, P |
C |
|
American Institutions – US Constitution and State/Local Govt. |
3 |
K, P |
D |
|
Natural Science – including two courses, from at least two categories: Physical Science (B1); Biological Science (B2); or interdisciplinary Physical-Biological Science (B3) |
6 |
K, P |
B |
|
Arts & Humanities (1 arts and 1 humanities) |
6 |
K, P, E |
C |
|
Social Science |
6 |
K, P, E |
D |
|
Three of the 9 units (one course) must include a civic and community- based learning component. |
Natural Science and Quantitative Reasoning |
3 |
K, P, E, T |
B |
Arts & Humanities |
3 |
K, P, E, T |
C |
|
Social Science |
3 |
K, P, E, T |
D |
* A minimum C- grade in A1, A2, A3, and B4 classes is required. This does not apply to meeting prerequisite for courses that require these courses to be completed with a grade of C or better.
GELO (General Education Learning Outcome) Abbreviations:
K = Knowledge: content and processes of inquiry; P = Proficiency: Intellectual Skills; E = Engagement: Local and Global Communities; T = Transformation: Integrative and Lifelong Learning
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