History
Starting in 2018, the Sonoma State General Education program underwent a significant revision. The revision was prompted by student and faculty feedback about problems with the prior GE program, the issue of CSU Executive Order 1100 and Executive Order 1110 (requiring changes to GE programs systemwide), and suggestions from WASC to create a more coherent and assessable GE program. Some internal and external impetuses for the GE Program revision include:
- Revision of CSU Executive Order 1110 in Spring 2023.
- Revision of CSU Executive Order 1100 in Fall 2020.
- Revision of CSU Executive Order 1100 in Fall 2019.
- Issuance of CSU Executive Orders 1100 and 1110 in August 2017.
- Recommendations from the GE Program Review, finalized in 2017-18.
GE Revision Timeline
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2018: GERS taskforce
In March 2018, the Academic Senate Executive Committee created the GE Revision Subcommittee (GERS) taskforce, under the Educational Policies Committee (EPC), to undertake the process of revising SSU's GE program. GERS members were appointed by the Academic Senate’s Structure & Functions Committee. All members were at-large, representing the entire campus community rather than their schools or departments.
Members
- Suzanne Rivoire – Computer Science, Chair
- Michelle Jolly – History
- Tim Wandling – English
- Jeff Baldwin – Geography, Environment, and Planning
- Hope Ortiz – International Programs
- Chiara Bacigalupa, Education
Alternates (always present, non-voting)
- Michael Balasek – Advising
- Christine Renaudin – Modern Languages and Literature
Administration
- Karen Moranski — then AVP
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2019: GE Revision Approved by Senate
In April 2019, EPC finalized and submitted an amended proposal for GE revision to Academic Senate with an unanimous recommendation that Senate approve the new GE Program. At its meeting on May 16, Academic Senate amended and approved the new GE curriculum for SSU.
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2019: First courses under the new GE program
In Academic Year 2018-19, General Education information sessions were held to explain the GE rollout (slides from the 9/4 workshop, slides from the 9/18 info session). Faculty developed content area criteria and approved courses for area A1, A2, B4, E, and upper division B.
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2020: GE Area F implemented
In Summer 2020, California passed AB 1460 requiring all CSU students to complete a 3 unit course in ethnic studies prior to graduation. During the academic year 2020-2021, the General Education Subcommittee, and Academic Programs worked on implementation of this requirement. Learn more by reading the AB 1460 implementation document.
In Fall 2020, EO 1100 was revised in accordance with AB 1460. This resulted in addition of a 3-unit Ethnic Studies course in Area F and changing lower division Area D Social Science requirements to a total of 6-units. Course content criteria were developed for Areas C and D.
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2021: Spring GE Implementation Forum
Representatives presented workshops at faculty meetings and curriculum committee meetings on the new GE program. The GE Forum Slide Deck and Zoom recording are archived.
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2021: All courses require re-approval under new GE program
As of Summer 2021, GE courses approved under the previous program lost their GE status. To remain in the GE program, courses had to go through approval as a revised GE Course or as a newly proposed GE Course.
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2021: GE Areas C and D completed
In Fall 2021, course approvals for Areas C and D were initiated, and content criteria were developed for overlay courses in sustainability and global awareness.
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2021: Introduction of AB 928
In October 2021, AB 928 was signed. The purpose of AB 928 is to establish a singular lower division general education (GE) pathway that meets the academic requirements necessary for transfer admission to the CSU and the UC system campuses by December 31, 2023. AB 928 will necessitate further changes to the GE pattern. For details, see the CSU's implementation timeline for AB 928.
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2022: Cross-listing GE Area F
In Spring 2022, Sonoma State completed development of a course cross-listing process and content area criteria for ethnic studies classes to be included under Area F.
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2022: Sunsetting Area C and D
In Summer 2022, any Area C and D courses not launched in Curriculog by end of Fall semester 2021 sunset from the GE program.
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2022: Expansion of new GE program
In the 2022-23 Academic Year, the GE Subcommittee continued to approve new courses for all GE areas. The University Studies Curriculum Committee approved content criteria for Second Year Experience courses and began approving proposals. The Overlay Subcommittee began approving overlay courses in sustainability and global awareness.
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2024: CalGETC pattern adopted by CSU
The CSU Board of Trustees approved proposed changes to Title 5 CSU General Education that modify CSU GE Breadth to mirror the Cal-GETC pattern and units.
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New Fall 2025 GE pattern takes effect at SSU
Changes related to AB 928 creating a Cal-GETC GE pathway take effect within the SSU & the CSU.
Teachout Plan
While the GE program was in transition, GE faculty continued to teach “old format” GE courses until classes from the distribution area for that course were called for approval (see above timeline). EPC approved the transition of all courses to 3-units unless they had already been approved with a unit exception or had received approval from the GE Subcommittee to continue until the course unit exception is considered.
After approval of new courses in a distribution area began “old format” GE course offerings were phased out. Phase out depended on student-need, for students both under the original GE program and the subsequent GE programs. Students who were unable to meet their catalog requirements with courses in the new GE program were supported by course substitutions or waivers on a case-by-case basis. “Old format courses that were not approved to be taught in the new GE program were removed from the old GE curriculum, although not necessarily from the SSU catalog.
In addition, since subarea C3 and all subareas of lower division D were discontinued under the new GE structure resulting from EO 1100, students that matriculated to SSU prior to Fall 2019 were allowed to meet these sub area requirements in the following ways (also indicated on student ARRs):
- Area C3 could be met with any additional C1 or C2 course.
- Areas D1, D2, and D5 could each be met with any lower division area D course. Students were still required to reach 15 units in Area D total, as required by all pre-2019 GE programs.
GE Implementation Team
Once GERS finished developing the new GE program, a new team, the GE Implementation Team, was formed to put the program into practice. The GE implementation Team met regularly to address student roadblocks arising from transitioning of the GE programs. Examples of roadblocks include mapping of current GE courses to discontinued GE areas, addressing advising issues, facilitating scheduling of GE courses during the transition, and revising the implementation plan to address student and faculty needs. Members of the team are listed below.
- Dennis Goss (University Scheduler)
- Katie Musick (Degree Audit and Catalog Analyst)
- Megan McIntyre (Chair, GE Subcommittee)
- Emily Asencio (Chair, EPC)
- Luisa Grossi (Articulations Officer)
- Veronica Lopez Gonzalez (Administrative Analyst)
- Kari Manwiller (Catalog and Curriculum Analyst)
- Michael Balasek (Director of the Advising Center)
- Giovanni Mejia (Data Analyst)
- Kaitlin Springmier (Chair of University Studies)
- Jenn Lillig (Interim Associate Dean of Academic Programs)
- Stacey Bosick (Interim AVP of Academic Programs and Dean of Graduate and Undergraduate Studies)