SUNY General Education Framework (SUNY GE)

The State University of New York’s overarching goal is to empower students to meet the changing demands of the 21st-century. Embedded in this goal are SUNY’s commitment to broad access to the highest quality education, deep and engaged learning, and overall student success.

SUNY General Education supports these goals by creating a system-wide framework—applicable to all SUNY undergraduate degree programs—that addresses the fundamental aims of postsecondary undergraduate education, including proficiency with essential skills and competencies, familiarization with disciplinary and interdisciplinary ways of knowing, and enhancement of the values and disposition of an engaged 21^st century global citizenry.

Moreover, SUNY General Education promotes equity by equipping SUNY undergraduates, regardless of background, program of study, or campus, with foundational capacities fostered through a broad liberal education to prepare them for further study, work, life, and global citizenship.  It encourages students to explore subjects and learning experiences beyond their intended major and fosters a commitment to personal growth and life-long learning.

Importantly, SUNY General Education supports seamless transfer of students between and among SUNY institutions and it ensures consistency in expected system-level learning outcomes while enabling individual campuses to develop unique signature features, including their respective array of educational offerings and pedagogical approaches.

SUNY General Education (GE) is a system-wide framework applicable to all SUNY undergraduate degree programs that addresses the fundamental goals of higher education, including proficiency with essential skills, familiarization with disciplinary and interdisciplinary ways of knowing, and enhancement of the values and disposition of an engaged 21^st century global citizenry.

SUNY’s General Education rests on the following guiding principles:

1. SUNY GE promotes equity by equipping all SUNY undergraduates—regardless of background, program of study, or campus—with foundational capacities fostered through a broad liberal education to prepare them for further study, work, life, and global citizenship.
2. SUNY GE encourages students to explore subjects and learning experiences beyond their intended major and fosters a commitment to personal growth and life-long learning.
3. SUNY GE aligns with SUNY’s commitment to deep and engaged learning and encourages persistence, completion, and success.
4. SUNY GE supports seamless transfer of students between and among SUNY institutions; it ensures consistency in expected learning outcomes while enabling individual campuses to develop unique signature features, including their respective array of educational offerings and pedagogical approaches.
5. SUNY GE specifies minimum requirements; campuses may set additional expectations, as long as those expectations remain consistent with SUNY policy, NYS regulation and education law, and institutional accreditation standards and expectations.
6. SUNY GE is internally consistent and coherent, and readily understood by students, faculty, staff, and other internal and external stakeholders.
7. SUNY GE includes clear and measurable student learning outcomes, assessed by campuses on an ongoing basis to ensure high-quality educational experiences for all undergraduate students; similarly, SUNY GE policy is reviewed regularly to ensure that it is effective, relevant, and up-to-date.

The SUNY GE framework includes twelve categories of knowledge, skills and competencies—ten knowledge and skills areas expose students to different ways of knowing so that they can make reasoned judgements outside as well as inside their academic field, and enabling them to develop diverse perspectives and global understanding; and two core competencies that extend beyond discipline-specific knowledge and skills. Among the specific knowledge and skills categories is a new requirement, Diversity: Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice. This requirement aligns with the SUNY Board of Trustees’ Policy on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (adopted September 10, 2015) as well as SUNY’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Phase I Action Plan (2021), which recommends including a diversity category in the general education requirements. In addition, explicitly delineated skills and competencies in quantitative reasoning, scientific reasoning, oral and written communication, critical thinking and reasoning, and information literacy help to ensure SUNY graduates have the 21st century knowledge, skills, and competencies they need, while also satisfying institutional accreditation expectations. While Middle States also requires technological competency, disciplines vary in terms of the technologies needed to support scholarly, creative, and applied endeavors. Campus faculty can best determine what constitutes technological competency in their respective disciplinary area and design curricula accordingly.  This approach to a MSCHE-required competency further illustrates a key feature of the SUNY GE framework: it provides flexibility for campuses to develop innovative and robust local general education programs for their respective undergraduate degrees.

SUNY General Education Knowledge and Skills Areas, and Core Competencies

1. Knowledge and Skills Areas (a minimum of 7 of 10 categories of knowledge and skills are required for AA-, AS-, and all baccalaureate-degree programs)

The following four are specifically required for all undergraduate-degree programs

Communication – written and oral
Diversity: Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice
Mathematics (and quantitative reasoning)
Natural Sciences (and scientific reasoning)[1]

In addition, a minimum of three of the following six are required for AA-, AS-, and all baccalaureate-degree programs

Humanities
Social Sciences
The Arts
US History and Civic Engagement
World History and Global Awareness
World Languages

2. Core Competencies – both required for all undergraduate-degree programs

Critical Thinking and Reasoning
Information Literacy

See Section B in the procedural guidance, including the summary Table 1, for more details on SUNY GE required minimum categories and credits by specific degree type.

The required student learning outcomes for each of the 12 categories of the SUNY General Education framework—ten knowledge and skills areas and two core competencies—are below. Note that the learning outcomes for each category are intentionally broad, to ensure seamless transfer as well as faculty flexibility. Campus faculty shall engage with the learning outcomes and develop language appropriate to the level of challenge to students warranted by the discipline and college-level study. Faculty may find Bloom’s Taxonomy and its subsequent revision[2] helpful in this regard. Note also, the guidance specific to each category.

[1] Campuses may approve substitutions for this requirement, as explained in the category description below.
[2] See, for example, https://www.bloomstaxonomy.net/

Communication – Written and Oral
(Required)

Students will

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

Guidance

Approvable courses for this category include

• a combination of two courses, one of which focuses more on written communication, the other on oral communication;
• a single course that combines written and oral communication;
• writing-intensive courses that also include sufficient attention to speaking skills;
• speaking-intensive courses that also include sufficient attention to writing skills.

In considering programs such as “Writing Across the Curriculum,” campuses shall ensure that required student learning outcomes are taught, practiced, and assessed in all courses involved.

Remedial or ESL courses are not acceptable within this category; nor shall students place out of this SUNY GE requirement by high scores on Regents and/or SAT (or similar) exams.

Diversity: Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice
(Required)

Students will

• describe the historical and contemporary societal factors that shape the development of individual and group identity involving race, class, and gender;
• 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
• apply the principles of rights, access, equity, and autonomous participation to past, current, or future social justice action.

Guidance

Campuses may expand on the definition of individual and group identity to include additional aspects of diversity. However, consistent with SUNY Seamless Transfer policy, if a sending institution certifies that a student has completed the Diversity: Equity, Inclusion and Social Justice requirement, the receiving institution must accept that this SUNY general education requirement is satisfied.

As called for in the Board of Trustees’ resolution, SUNY System Administration will work with campuses to ensure faculty have the training and resources to support the teaching and learning needs in this category.

Mathematics (and Quantitative Reasoning)
(Required)

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

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

Guidance

N.B.: Campuses may approve liberal arts and sciences courses outside the disciplinary area of Mathematics (e.g., courses in statistics, computer science, data science, formal/symbolic logic, etc.) for this required category, provided the student learning outcomes for Mathematics (and Quantitative Reasoning) are met within the course.

Remedial courses are not acceptable within this category; nor shall students place out of this SUNY GE requirement by high scores on Regents and/or SAT (or similar) exams.

Natural Sciences (and Scientific Reasoning)
(Required)

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

• 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
• application of scientific data, concepts, and models in one of the natural sciences.

Guidance

N.B.: Campuses may approve liberal arts and sciences courses outside the natural sciences (e.g., in social sciences) in lieu of the Natural Sciences required category, as long as the student learning outcomes include demonstrating scientific reasoning applied to the respective disciplinary area(s). In such cases, the campus shall ensure that transcripts clearly indicate that required Scientific Reasoning has been satisfied outside the Natural Sciences (e.g., in Social Sciences).

For courses in the traditional natural science disciplines (e.g., chemistry, biology, physics, etc.) the inclusion of a laboratory component, though highly desirable, is not necessary for campus approval. However, because many majors (e.g., in STEM- and health-related fields) require college-level laboratory science, including for transfer, students must be advised to select courses appropriate to the current and/or planned program of study and educational goals.

Humanities

Students will

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

Guidance

This category does not specify a particular humanities discipline or approach.

Consistent with the intention to maintain splitting the Arts and Humanities into two separate categories, “performance” courses would generally not be approvable in this category unless supported by documentation that they include a preponderance of scholarly humanistic study.

Standard scholarly histories of the arts are approvable in both the Humanities and Arts categories.

Social Sciences

Students will

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

Guidance 

Campuses are encouraged to approve courses that include a comprehensive introduction to a social science discipline.

For inter- or multi-disciplinary courses (e.g., women’s studies or the social science portions of integrated curricula), or courses that otherwise fall outside the envelope of traditional social science disciplines, course descriptions and syllabi shall demonstrate clearly:

• that they teach understanding of social science methodologies;
• which discipline(s) in the social sciences they draw on for concepts and theories; and
• that the majority of the text(s) used fall clearly within the social sciences.

The Arts

Students will

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

Guidance

Both performance-oriented and scholarly/historical offerings in the expressive arts are approvable for this category.

When considering performance-oriented courses for approval in the SUNY GE Arts category, campuses should include courses that engage students in the creative process directly while also fostering broader understanding of the principal form of artistic expression (e.g., appreciation, theory, history, aesthetic principles) so that these courses satisfy NYSED requirements for liberal arts and sciences.[3] Courses imparting purely technical skills with no demonstration of the broader understanding are not approvable.

Standard scholarly histories of the arts are approvable in both the Humanities and Arts categories.

[3] See http://www.nysed.gov/college-university-evaluation/department-expectations-curriculum#c

US History and Civic Engagement

Students will

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

Guidance

In addition to providing information about the connection of the United States’ past to its present, approvable courses in this category will focus on the role of individuals within communities, and developing civic understanding and other skills for engaging in the dynamics of the diverse and pluralistic society which comprises the public life of the United States.

World History and Global Awareness

Students will

• 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
• demonstrate an understanding of the structures, systems, and interrelationships among civilizations and cultures within historical and/or contemporary contexts, and their impact on wellbeing and sustainability.

Guidance

Courses on specialized topics or periods are approvable so long as the materials demonstrate that the primary focus of the course relates to larger developments of world history. The core of the course must be central to world history and global awareness, and the treatment of that core placed in broader cultural perspective so that students gain an acquaintance with world history and not just specialized knowledge of one narrowly defined topic.

World Languages

Students will

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

Guidance

The first college semester, or above, of a world language constitutes an approvable course in this category. American Sign Language courses are also approvable for SUNY GE World Languages.

Critical Thinking and Reasoning
(Required)

Students will

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

Guidance

Students need to acquire critical thinking and reasoning skills appropriate to the demands of the 21st century citizen, and campuses must have flexibility to implement and assess these learning outcomes across a diverse range of academic programs. 

The Critical Thinking and Reasoning competency is not necessarily associated with any one course, though the student learning outcomes may be required in one or more courses. In either case, campuses must ensure that the required learning outcomes are included in each undergraduate degree curriculum.

Information Literacy
(Required)

Students will

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

Guidance

Students need to acquire information literacy appropriate to the demands of the 21st century citizen, and campuses must have flexibility to implement and assess these learning outcomes across a diverse range of academic programs. 

The Information Literacy core competency is not necessarily associated with any one course, though the student learning outcomes may be required in one or more specific courses. In either case, campuses must ensure that the required learning outcomes are included in each undergraduate degree curriculum.

A. SUNY General Education Framework and Campus General Education Program(s)

A campus shall have one or more general education program(s) consistent with the requirements of the SUNY General Education framework. Each such program shall enable graduates of SUNY undergraduate degree programs to meet the required SUNY GE framework knowledge and skills areas, and core competencies. The campus Chief Academic Officer shall provide attestation that all degree programs are reviewed for consistency with the SUNY GE framework and programs revised accordingly, as necessary.

1. SUNY GE Course Review, Approval, Reporting. Campuses shall be responsible for reviewing and approving SUNY General Education courses. SUNY System Administration will provide guidance and support, including maintaining the CourSES reporting platform and the System-level database of approved SUNY GE courses, both current and historic. SUNY System Administration will no longer review individual campus courses for approval. Each campus shall have a faculty review process for adding, removing, or revising SUNY GE courses and updating their official list of approved SUNY GE courses. Each campus-approved SUNY GE course shall be aligned with the SUNY GE framework student learning outcomes for the respective category (or categories). Once approved, the campus shall report the SUNY GE course to System Administration via CourSES, which will populate the System-level database of SUNY GE courses. Approved SUNY GE courses shall not be removed from the database of approved SUNY GE courses, unless the student learning outcomes have changed and the course no longer meets the category for which it was approved and/or the course is no longer offered. In such cases, the course and its effective dates must remain on the list of approved SUNY GE courses for the historical record, so that students who had completed the course in the past will continue to receive credit for the category. The campus shall ensure its local database is consistent with the System-level database.
2. Syllabi for SUNY GE Courses. In keeping with good practice and the expectations of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and SUNY, the campus will ensure syllabi for SUNY GE courses make clear which SUNY GE student learning outcomes are covered.
3. Approval of Courses for which a Prerequisite in the Same Discipline is an Approved SUNY GE Course. If a campus-approved SUNY GE course is a prerequisite for other courses in the same discipline, campuses are encouraged to consider those courses for approval as well, as long as the learning outcomes build on knowledge and skills, consistent with the applicable SUNY GE learning outcomes. For example, if Biology 101 is an approved SUNY GE natural science course and a prerequisite for Biology 102, Biology 102 may be an approvable SUNY GE natural science course.
4. Approval of Courses in Multiple Categories. Campus faculty will determine whether a course satisfies student learning outcomes in multiple categories. A course approved in multiple categories must contain sufficient content to address all of the learning outcomes for each category. The campus shall ensure sufficient breadth in its general education program(s).
5. Equivalencies. Consistent with SUNY-wide policy, a student may satisfy the requirements of a SUNY GE category by demonstrating college-level proficiency in the student learning outcomes through Prior Learning Assessment (aka Credit by Evaluation); campus faculty will make such determinations; the student transcript, including any general education addenda, will reflect the credits awarded and category(ies) satisfied by the assessed learning.
6. Lower-division Courses. In both associate- and baccalaureate-degree programs, SUNY General Education helps prepare students for upper-division study across the liberal arts and sciences and in the major. Consistent with SUNY’s commitment to seamless transfer and student completion and success, the campus must ensure that students are able to complete the SUNY GE requirements within the first 60 credits of all associate-, BA-, and BS-degree programs. For specialized baccalaureate degree programs (BBA, BE, BFA, BPS, BTech, etc.), see section B for more detail.
7. Advanced or Upper-division Courses. To promote seamless transfer and timely degree completion, the campus is encouraged to complement and build on student academic preparation and prior learning by offering courses that further enrich knowledge and exercise skills. Such courses that achieve the relevant student learning outcomes may help students who transfer from non-SUNY institutions.
8. Review of Undergraduate Degree Programs. The campus shall review all undergraduate degree programs, to determine consistency with the SUNY GE framework and revise programs accordingly.
9. Student Waivers. Where appropriate, in accordance with SUNY-wide and local campus academic policies, the campus shall afford students the opportunity to obtain a waiver, for example, as a reasonable accommodation for a learning or other disability. Individual student waivers are at the discretion of the campus CAO or designee, and the reasons should be documented, as appropriate. Note: if a student obtains a waiver of a category, the category will be waived but the student will still need to satisfy the GE credit requirement for the program.
10. Programmatic Waivers. The campus may seek a waiver of the minimum number of SUNY GE knowledge and skills areas (as specified in section B below) and/or maximum credits of a degree level for a specific academic program in cases where the program’s curriculum is governed by external standards such as specialized accreditation. Note: The four specifically required areas may not be waived. The campus may request review and approval of program waivers from the SUNY Provost.
11. Information and Advisement for Students. Consistent with State regulation, institutional accreditation,[4] and long-standing SUNY policy, the campus shall provide information and timely advisement to prospective and enrolled students about SUNY GE, and local and programmatic general education requirements through its catalogs, websites, student program planning tools, and/or other sources. The campus must ensure the information is clear, accurate, complete, current, and easy to find. The Office of the Provost will work with campuses to help make information about general education requirements accessible to students and their advisors. Information should include, but is not limited to: general education requirements, including SUNY GE and local requirements; courses that students may use to satisfy SUNY GE, along with their availability and transferability; any specific general education requirements for particular majors; campus policies on grades in general education courses for native and transfer students; and effective date(s) for SUNY GE policies.
12. Alignment of Degree Type with Intended Purpose. In order to minimize the possibility of students losing credit or experiencing an extended course of study due to the need to take additional credits in transfer to baccalaureate-level degree programs from programs which are not designed for transfer, it is crucial for campuses to review the types of programs they offer in the context of the needs of the students they serve. In cases where students enroll in an AAS program, but intend to transfer to a BA or BS, general education expectations may not align and students will have to take additional credits in order to graduate from the baccalaureate degree program. An assessment of whether or not students from applied degree programs transfer into BA or BS programs would indicate whether the applied program (AAS or AOS) should be revised to a transfer program. Even if transfer trends do not support changing the program award, the institution should clearly indicate in all publications whether the program is intended to lead to transfer and/or prepare students directly for the workforce.
13. Assessment of the General Education Program.Each campus with one or more general education program(s) shall develop and implement a plan for the organized and systematic assessment of their general education program(s) that meets or exceeds the standards of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The plan shall indicate where in the curricula the learning outcomes for the SUNY GE framework knowledge and skills areas and core competencies are addressed and assessed (typically through curriculum mapping), and how the results are used to improve teaching and learning (MTP Vol. 10, No. 2, II. D).

[4] See MSCHE Standard III, criterion 3: An accredited institution possesses and demonstrates the following attributes or activities: …3. Academic programs of study that are clearly and accurately described in official publications of the institution in a way that students are able to understand and follow degree and program requirements and expected time to completion.

B. SUNY General Education Credit and Category Requirements

The SUNY General Education framework is foundational in nature and relevant to every student seeking a SUNY undergraduate degree, while being consistent with institutional accreditation requirements[5] and applicable New York State Education Department curriculum expectations.[6]

In both associate- and baccalaureate-degree programs, SUNY General Education helps prepare students for upper-division study across the liberal arts and sciences as well as requirements in the major. Consistent with SUNY’s commitment to seamless transfer and student completion and success, campuses must ensure that students can complete the applicable SUNY GE requirements within the first 60 credits of undergraduate-degree programs, as specified below:

For AA-, AS-, BA-, and BS-degree programs, the following credit and category requirements apply:

• At least 30 credits of SUNY GE approved Liberal Arts and Sciences during the first 60 credits of study;
• A minimum of seven (of ten) knowledge and skills areas, including the four specifically required; and
• The two core competencies.

For specialized baccalaureate-degree programs (BBA, BE, BFA, BPS, BTech, etc.), the following credit and category requirements apply:

• At least 30 credits of SUNY GE approved Liberal Arts and Sciences, with at least 20 credits completed during the first 60 credits of study;
• A minimum of seven (of ten) knowledge and skills areas, with a minimum of the four specifically required knowledge and skills areas completed during the first 60 credits; and
• The two core competencies.

Consistent with SUNY’s commitment to establish a strong foundation for every SUNY student seeking an undergraduate degree, along with institutional accreditation expectations and NYSED degree requirements, the campus’ required general education program also must be included in AAS degrees.

For AAS-degree programs, the following credit and category requirements apply:

• At least 20 credits of SUNY GE approved Liberal Arts and Sciences;
• A minimum of the four specifically required knowledge and skills areas; and
• The two core competencies.

Students in AOS-degree programs must also meet the campus general education program’s required knowledge, skills, and competencies. Whether accomplished by designating freestanding SUNY GE approved liberal arts and sciences courses and/or embedding required general education content into applied courses, curriculum mapping will help ensure the institution can demonstrate where required general education instruction is taking place and assessed.

For AOS-degree programs, the following credit and category requirements apply:

• A minimum of zero credits of SUNY GE approved Liberal Arts and Sciences (more LAS credits may be added, but none are required);
• A minimum of the four specifically required SUNY GE knowledge and skills areas (freestanding or embedded); and
• The two core competencies (freestanding or embedded).

The table below is adapted from the NYSED Policy Statement on Liberal Arts and Sciences,[7] which provides guidance intended to assist institutions of higher education in New York State in meeting the requirements of the Rules of the Board of Regents, Section 3.47 (c). The SUNY General Education framework requirements are consistent with applicable NYSED Regulations and curriculum expectations.

Table 1. NYSED and SUNY General Education Framework Required LAS Credits, Minimum Knowledge and Skills Areas, and Core Competencies

*For specialized baccalaureate degrees, at least 20 credits and a minimum of the four specifically required knowledge and skills areas must be completed during the first 60 credits of study.

As shown in the table above, specific proportions of LAS are required in state regulation for various degree types. These requirements help to ensure breadth of study integral to a program of general education. It should be noted, however, that in some extenuating circumstances, when necessary (e.g., to meet program accreditation requirements), general education learning outcomes may need to be incorporated into courses in the major. In such cases, the campus must ensure that minimum LAS requirements are satisfied. The campus should confer with its assigned SUNY program reviewer/liaison, as needed.

Note that a course approved to meet a core competency does not count toward the SUNY GE credit requirement unless the course also satisfies the learning outcomes in one or more knowledge and skills area(s).  

[5] Middle States Commission on Higher Education https://www.msche.org/
[6] See NYSED, http://www.nysed.gov/college-university-evaluation/department-expectations-curriculum#c
[7] See NYSED, http://www.nysed.gov/college-university-evaluation/department-expectations-curriculum#c

C. Seamless Transfer

One of the goals of the SUNY General Education framework is to support seamless transfer of students between and among SUNY institutions; it ensures consistency in expected learning outcomes while enabling individual campuses to develop unique signature features, including their respective array of educational offerings and pedagogical approaches. The campus Chief Academic Officer shall provide attestation that all degree programs ensure local compliance with Seamless Transfer Requirements (MTP Vol.13, No. 3; V.B.i.), which includes the transfer of general education courses. Consistent with the Policy and Guidance: Seamless Transfer Requirements (MTP, Vol. 13, No. 3):

1. Local general education requirements beyond the SUNY GE shall not require a transfer student to exceed the number of credits to graduation required of native students in the same program (MTP Vol.13, No. 3; I.A.vi.).
2. If a SUNY sending institution certifies that a student has completed SUNY GE, then the receiving institution must accept that requirement as being met (MTP Vol.13, No. 3; I.A.vii.).
3. If a SUNY sending institution certifies that a student has completed a SUNY GE knowledge and skills area, then the receiving institution must accept that requirement as being met. If the transfer student has completed SUNY GE areas that are different from the SUNY GE areas required by the receiving institution, the receiving institution may require the transfer student to fulfill the additional general education areas as long as it does not require the transfer student to exceed the number of credits to graduation that are required of students who began their college education at the same institution (MTP Vol.13, No. 3; I.A.viii.).
4. Each SUNY campus shall accept credit from transfer students for successfully completing SUNY GE framework courses (MTP Vol.13, No. 3; III.B.).
5. A passing grade counts as successful completion for the SUNY GE area at any campus; transfer of credit is guaranteed if a course is successfully completed with a grade of C or above. Each campus has discretion about whether a particular course grade satisfies local graduation requirements outside SUNY GE, provided that the campus treats native and transfer students the same (MTP Vol.13, No. 3; III.B.i.).
6. Successfully completed Pass/Fail courses may be accepted at the discretion of the campus, but transfer is not guaranteed (MTP Vol.13, No. 3; III.B.ii.).[8]
7. A sending campus shall provide a transcript, including any General Education transcript addenda (GETA) for each transferring student, and a receiving campus shall accept the transcript(s) as certification of completed SUNY GE (MTP Vol. 10, No.1; II.D.iv.). Methods of transcripting courses may be periodically reviewed and revised, in consultation with SUNY stakeholders, in order to remain current with advances in technology.
8. Consistent with prior SUNY policy, decisions regarding the transfer of SUNY GE courses can be appealed at the system and campus level, as described below.

Student Appeals

1. All students who have been accepted or are currently enrolled at SUNY campuses and who do not agree with a campus decision regarding acceptance or placement of general education courses and categories earned elsewhere in SUNY are allowed to appeal. Appeals must start at the campus level, and may proceed to the system level if necessary (MTP Vol.13, No. 3; III.D.i.).
2. Information and instructions regarding campus and system appeals processes shall be posted on campus websites in an easily accessible and understandable manner. Contact information should be made available, including updated information regarding the system-level appeals process (MTP Vol.13, No. 3; III.D.ii.).
3. If students do not agree with their local campus decision regarding the appeal, or have not received a campus response in 15 business days, the student may appeal to the SUNY Provost (MTP Vol.13, No. 3; III.D.ii.).

Campus Appeals to SUNY Provost

1. A SUNY receiving campus may appeal having to accept a SUNY GE and/or Transfer Path course from a SUNY sending campus (MTP Vol.13, No. 3; III.D.i.).
2. A sending campus may report a decision by a receiving campus not to accept a SUNY GE or Transfer Path course (MTP Vol.13, No. 3; III.D.ii.).
3. After receiving an appeal request, the SUNY Provost's Office will work with the campuses to resolve the concern (MTP Vol.13, No. 3; III.D.iii.).

[8] Note exception: See memorandum from Tod A. Laursen, Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor, April 7, 2020, “Due to the extraordinary circumstances surrounding SUNY’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, when evaluating general education course credit earned during the Spring 2020 term by incoming transfer students, transfer of credit is guaranteed at all SUNY campuses if a SUNY general education course is successfully completed with any passing grade, including a ‘P’ in a Pass/Fail grading system.” This exception applies only to general education course credit earned during the Spring 2020 term and thus does not impact the revised SUNY General Education requirements described in this guidance.

D. Implementation Timeline and Transition

The updated SUNY General Education is effective with the start of the fall 2023 semester, for new first-time students entering AA-, AS-, and all baccalaureate-degree programs; and effective with the start of the fall 2024 semester, for new first-time students entering AAS- and AOS-degree programs.

Continuing, returning, and transfer students having entered SUNY as new students prior to the implementation date for this SUNY GE policy have the right to complete the campus GE requirements in place at the time of first-time enrollment; the campus may also provide students the option of fulfilling the requirements under the new SUNY GE policy.

SUNY Council on Assessment (SCoA) – supporting continuous improvement efforts across SUNY

SUNY Council on Assessment: Enhancing Excellence in Assessment (YouTube, Zoom-In)

Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) Value Rubrics

The Degree Qualifications Profile (DQP) – “a learning-centered framework for what college graduates should know and be able to do to earn the associate, bachelor’s or master’s degree”

Call for Nominations:  SUNY Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Social Justice Fellows Program (deadline 3/31/23)

Since the Board of Trustee’s approval of the revised General Education framework, I have talked with many constituency groups about their work related to implementation.  One consistent thread I heard was that the faculty would like support for content development in shaping the new Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice (DEISJ) Knowledge and Skills area.  To this end, I asked Academic Affairs to work with UFS President Keith Landa and FCCC President Christy Woods to develop a plan that could directly help faculty.  I am pleased to announce the kick-off of the SUNY Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Social Justice Fellows Program.  Through the appointment of Diversity Fellows, this capacity-building initiative is aimed to develop faculty-to-faculty discussions and mentorship in DEISJ content development and deployment.  The program aims to enhance the development of subject area expertise to offer DEISJ general education courses.  Faculty who are interested in serving as DEISJ Fellows may self-nominate (instructions are in the links below).  Once nominations are received and reviewed, Academic Affairs will coordinate with academic administration of each finalist to confirm their eligibility and availability to participate.

Thank you.

Shadi

 
Shadi Sandvik, Ph.D.
Senior Vice Chancellor for Research, Innovation, and Economic Development
Provost-in-Charge

DEISJ Fellows Description

DEISJ Fellows Call for Nominations

Curriculum:

FCCC/UFS Guidance

A joint task group from FCCC and UFS, with advice from System colleagues, has put together the following guidance for campuses when considering courses for DEISJ approval.  This document is meant to be helpful advice for campuses which are working through their DEISJ course approval process; if your campus already has a process in place that works you should continue to follow it.

We recognize that AAS and AOS programs have some distinct issues to consider when approving courses for general education, so this document is primarily focused on AA, AS, and Baccalaureate degrees.  Further guidance relevant to AAS and AOS degrees will be developed and distributed in advance of the Fall 2024 implementation date for those degree programs.

Christy Woods
President, Faculty Council of Community Colleges

Keith Landa
President, University Faculty Senate

FCCC_UFS_Guidance on DEISJ Courses

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Rubric

The DEISJ rubric below was developed by a committee of members from Faculty Council of Community Colleges (FCCC), University Faculty Senate (UFS), and SUNY Council on Assessment (SCoA). The rubric is designed as a guidance document, with the hope that institutions will tailor the rubric to their own institution’s needs or design their own rubrics to share in a resource repository, to be shared via the SCoA website and SUNY Resource page.

This rubric is not meant to replace any locally developed rubrics already in use.

FCCC_UFS_GER Diversity Assessment Rubric Template

Pedagogy/instruction/faculty development:

SUNY Business Deans’ DEI Series: Leading the Future: Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Business Education - This seminar series included virtual workshops with an overall goal to engage the SUNY business education community in learning more about how we can advance DEI to benefit our students and future business professionals.  (2/11/22, recording)

SUNY Center for Professional Development “Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in Teaching and Learning Certificate Program” helps faculty develop a new mindset and explore strategies to implement more inclusive and equitable practices in their teaching.  Successful participants gain a basic set of essential skills and knowledge needed for teaching a diverse audience of students. The cost for the certificate program is $700. (for more information on this program see CPR recorded 4/26/22 - recording, slides.)

Through SUNY’s partnership with Lumen Learning, SUNY faculty and staff have access to two professional development opportunities that support diversity, equity, and inclusion, at no cost to faculty or their campus.

Professional development options:

1. In the 9-week Lumen Circles’ Belonging & Inclusive Teaching Fundamentals fellowships, faculty explore teaching strategies and learn to facilitate inclusive environments where all students feel they belong and thrive personally and academically. This program is appropriate for faculty currently teaching and will help them expand their skills in support of the SUNY Diversity: Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice GE Framework.
2. Lumen's self-paced workshop, Exploration of Belonging for Educators: Creating a Sense of Belonging to Support Student Success and Well-Being, aligns with SUNY's commitment to building a more inclusive community for all SUNY students. The self-paced virtual professional development experience consists of 4 modules (~5 hours effort per module). This program is appropriate for all SUNY faculty and staff who engage with students, including instructors, librarians, instructional designers, advisors, and student success staff. Sign up for the workshop here.

SUNY Online Summit 2022, March 1, 2022, 11:00AM – 12:00PM
Workshop: (Re)Designing Equitable Online Assignments, From Back To Front
Facilitator: Kevin Kelly
Recording: YouTube
Materials/Resources: Equitable Assignments Workshop, handouts and slides, Chat

Facilitating Race Talk & Difficult Conversations In the Classroom (recorded), presented by the Office of Inclusive Excellence and Counseling Services, Unviersity at Buffalo.

Cornell MOOC “Teaching & Learning in the Diverse Classroom”

Conversations with Program Reviewers (CPR): The following sessions of CPR were offered to provide information to campuses regarding implementation of the SUNY General Education Framework

Video recording and slide presentations will be posted, as they become available.

SUNY Conversations with Program Reviewers (CPR)

Q: For an approved general education course, must the SLO language be an exact match of the SLOs as written in the Memorandum to Presidents (https://system.suny.edu/media/suny/content-assets/documents/academic-affairs/general-education/suny-ge/MTP-SUNY-General-Education_Vol-21,-No.1.pdf)?

A: Courses approved as meeting a general education category must inlcude the SLOs as written in the Memorandum to Presidents. However, the language used locally may differ, as long as the intent of the SLOs remains intact. For example, campuses may utilize more discipline specific language when deemed appropriate (e.g., for a biology course, utilizing "biology" in place of "one of the natural sciences) and may utilize language locally determined to be more user-friendly for students. In all instances, it must be clearly stated in all relevant locations (e.g., syllabi, course catalogue) that a course meets a general education category and internal college records of the approval process must clearly show the crosswalk between approved courses and the categories for which they are approved. Courses approved for SUNY GE must meet the learning outcomes, not necessarily contain the SUNY SLOs verbatim. This is confirmed by the language which encourages faculty to build on earlier levels of courses by considering alternative language in Bloom’s taxonomy. See the General Education Framework Knowledge and Skills section of the guidance at this link: https://system.suny.edu/academic-affairs/acaproplan/general-education/suny-ge/

Q: May an approved general education course include SLOs in addition to those written in the Memorandum to Presidents?

A: An approved general education course may inlcude additional SLOs beyond what is written in the Memorandum to Presidents. However, the SUNY General Education SLOs are the basis for course approval and transfer of General Education courses. If a campus inlcudes additional SLOs as a local requirement, it cannot apply those criteria to students who transfer into the campus having completed the category. Local requirements may be added if the requirement does not necessitate the student completing more credits than the program requires of native students (MTP 13-1,  1.A.vi).  Students must not be required to repeat courses with similar content (MTP 11-1, 1. 4.).

Q: Must SLOs be referred to as Student Learning Outcomes or may a campus use different nomenclature? For example, is Course Learning Outcomes allowed?

A: The nomenclature for SLOs is not standardized. However, Student Learning Outcomes is the prefered language because SLOs are intended to represent what students are expected demonstrate they know and are able to do.

Q: Can a core competency be met in a course which is not approved for SUNY GE, and would the course count toward the credit requirement even if it is less than three credits?

A: Yes, core competencies may be met in a course that the campus has not approved for SUNY GE, including infusing or embedding the SLOs across the curriculum; however, these courses do not count toward the required number of SUNY GE credits. The only way for a core competency to count toward the credit requirement is if it is included in an approved SUNY general education course, because that course already earns the credit toward the requirement. Knowledge and skill area courses may be less than three credits, however, all of the SLOs of the category must still be achieved and assessed (MTP Vol 3 No.5).

Q: Does the Communication category have to be met by one course, or can it be met by one Written Communication course and one Oral Communication Course as some campuses have been doing under the prior requirements? If met by multiple required courses, may all course credits apply to the required total minimum credits for general education?

A: The SLOs for the Communication category may be spread across multiple required courses, rather than as part of a singular course. The implementation guidance for Communication was revised to reflect this in response to campus comments. If spread across multiple required courses, all such courses must be completed for a student to meet the category and the course credits for the multiple required courses may apply to the required total minimum credits for general education.

Q: The Diversity: Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice requirement is a Knowledge and Skills area, rather than a Core Competency. Would it be better for the associated SLOs to be infused across the curriculum rather than part of a standalone course? 

A: This question was considered at length by the General Education Advisory Committee (GEAC).  Based on extensive feedback from SUNY institutions, it was determined that the best way to ensure students received essential instruction in this category would be to make it a Knowledge and Skills area, which would typically be met with a standalone course. It should be noted that the requirements in the SUNY General Education Framework establish a minimum level of learning outcomes acquisition. Campuses are allowed, and indeed encouraged to expand on this requirement in whatever manner they deem appropriate.  This expansion could include the infusion learning across the curriculum. The SLOs express the vision. How the vision is achieved is locally determined.

Q: What training will be available to faculty for the diversity requirement?

A: On the SUNY General Education Framework (SUNY GE) webpage, under Resources for Campuses, there is a section for Diversity: Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice.

Additional resources are under development. Check back for additional updates.

Q: When a SLO has multiple parts, such as the race, class and gender aspects of the first SLO in the DEI-SJ category, must all of the parts be addressed in an approvable course? Is there a required proportion of content for each part?

A: An approvable course for the DEISJ category must include all stated SLOs. There is no defined rank ordering or set percentage of course content for each specified aspect of identity. Instead, in the development, review, and approval of courses, faculty are responsible for ensuring that an approved course meets the requirements.

Q: How can a Natural Science (and Scientific Reasoning) requirement be met by a social science course?

A: The required knowledge and Skills area Natural Science (and Scientific Reasoning) was added so that SUNY campuses would be compliant with the Middle States general education requirement for Scientific Reasoning. Overwhelming feedback from SUNY campuses indicated that many courses in the Social Sciences (and possibly other liberal arts disciplines) include scientific reasoning in their learning outcomes. For this reason, campuses have the latitude to substitute courses from other categories in lieu of the Natural Science Knowledge and Skills area as long as the learning outcomes for the course include scientific reasoning. Therefore, the following language was added to the implementation guidance for this category: “Campuses may approve liberal arts and sciences courses outside the natural sciences (e.g., in social sciences) in lieu of the Natural Sciences required category, as long as the student learning outcomes include demonstrating scientific reasoning applied to the respective disciplinary area(s). In such cases, the campus shall ensure that transcripts clearly indicate that required Scientific Reasoning has been satisfied outside the Natural Sciences (e.g., in Social Sciences).”

Q: Many of our courses which satisfied “the Arts” category under the previous requirements do not meet the Liberal Arts definition from the State Education Department. Do we have to remove all of these courses from eligibility?

A: “Performance” courses such as studio art, creative writing, and musical recitation, to name a few, are usually based on a theoretical foundation which would lend the course a liberal arts orientation. This is often not explicit in the learning outcomes for the course, but can be added for additional specificity. Additionally, the new General Education Framework allows for courses in the major to qualify for General Education as may be necessary in some programs.

Q: The second SLO under "World History and Global Awareness," refers to impacts on "well-being" and "sustainability." Do you have working definitions for these terms?

A: Sustainability is meant to be interpreted broadly as in the sustainability of a culture, civilization, nation, etc. as in the UN Sustainable Development Goals https://sdgs.un.org/goals which include access to education, economic vitality, etc. The goal was not to restrict narrowly the type of impact on wellbeing and sustainability. Instead, we wanted faculty to be able to select an impact in these broad areas appropriate to the content of their courses. For example, the environment quickly comes to mind when thinking about sustainability. However, an investment and finance course might consider the impact of the world bank on sustaining economies and reducing poverty.

Q: World Languages was previously part of the Humanities Knowledge and Skill area, will this be a separate category under the new GE format?

A: The Foreign Language category was a separate Knowledge and Skill area under the former GER. This has not changed, although the title of the category has been updated. Courses in this category would be eligible to also meet the Humanities category if they include the SLOs for that category.

Q: Under the new General Education Framework, final course approval shifts from SUNY System Administration to the campuses. When do campuses first have the authority to make such approval determinations? And, how will campuses notify SUNY System Administration of their approvals? How will these changes affect the program registration process? Perhaps the percent of change requiring a program revision could be changed due to the general education changes?

A: Campuses have the authority to make approval determinations for all courses applicable to the new SUNY General Education framework. Following campus approval, campuses will need to submit notifications to SUNY of such approvals. The specifics of this submission process remain in development through the offices of Academic Programs, Planning, and Assessment, Institutional Research, and Information Technology; but, this should not prevent campuses from engaging in the course review and approval process. Please note, for the sunsetting SUNY General Education Requirements, campuses should continue to submit to SUNY for approval until further notice. With regard to program revisions resulting from SUNY GE changes, the percentage of change is a NYSED requirement and not subject to change due to changes in SUNY policy; however, it should be noted that changing one course for another does not result in a change of the total of both courses. For example, a three credit course substitution resukts in a three credit changetoward the revision threshold and not a six credit change.

Q: How will we deal with maintaining two systems at the same time, one for the SUNY GER and one for the newer SUNY GE without students losing credit for completing under the old format?

A: The old categories will still be honored for students completing under the former format. Procedures for this are still under development.

Q: For programs that will be revised to meet the requirements of the new SUNY General Education Framework, will there be an expedited review process through SUNY and/or NYSED?

A: For non-licensure programs, changes to the general education requirements will require reregistration only if such changes contribute to cumulative changes since the most recent registration of one-third or more of the minimum credits required for the award (e.g., 20 credits for associate degree programs, 40 credits for bachelor’s degree programs). Therefore, changes to the general education requirements, in and of themselves, are not likley to prompt the need to reregister non-licesnure programs. If a campus anticipates a significant number of revisions to non-licensure programs, please consult with your SUNY academic program reviewer so that we can work with the campus and NYSED to determine the best way to proceed. For licensure-qualifying programs, please consult with your SUNY academic program reviewer if you anticipate making any changes to the curriculum so that we can work with the campus and NYSED to determine the best way to proceed, inlcuding whether an exception can be granted because the changes do not impact the required content for the profession.

Q: Given the change from SUNY approving courses for the GER to local campus approval, at what level is it decided that our courses do in fact meet a GE category? Is our campus decision final or do others have the right to challenge the designation?

A: Decisions regarding course approval for the SUNY General Education Framework reside with the campus offering the course. Each campus must have procedures to review and approve courses for the purpose of general education applicability. The campus procedures must be implemented in a manner that ensures each approved course contains sufficient content to address the SLOs of a Knowledge and Skill area. Faculty have the responsibility to evaluate courses. All policies governing seamless transfer of general education courses remain applicable, meaning that a receiving campus must accept as complete all general education requirements that have been determined to be completed at a sending campus.

Q: Does SUNY have a sense of how it will monitor progress at the campuses?

Chief Academic Officers will provide attestation of review and approval of SUNY GE courses.

Q: The new SUNY General Education Framework requires approved general education courses to be in the liberal arts and sciences. If a campus approves a course as meeting a general education requirement, is that course automatically considered to be in the liberal arts and sciences?

A: The determination of whether a course is in the liberal arts and sciences is under the authority of NYSED, not SUNY System Administration or campuses. In the general education review and approval process, campuses should first review the NYSED description of liberal arts and sciences (http://www.nysed.gov/college-university-evaluation/department-expectations-curriculum#c) and advance courses that align with the NYSED description of liberal arts and sciences. In cases where this is not possible, it is allowable to embed the SUNY GE learning outcomes in courses in the major. (See procedural guidance section B)

Q: Can a general education category (e.g., Diversity: Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice) be met through a course in a discipline that is generally not considered to be in the liberal arts and sciences (e.g., business, education, specialized professional courses in licensure-qualifying fields)?

The NYSED description of liberal arts and sciences includes this statement: "The required liberal arts core shall not be directed toward specific occupational or professional objectives." The implementation guidance does state, "specific proportions of LAS are required in state regulation for various degree types. These requirements help to ensure breadth of study integral to a program of general education. It should be noted, however, that in some extenuating circumstances, when necessary (e.g., to meet program accreditation requirements), general education learning outcomes may need to be incorporated into courses in the major. In such cases, the campus must ensure that minimum LAS requirements are satisfied. The campus should confer with its assigned SUNY program reviewer/liaison, as needed."

Q: Many of our courses such as “Business Ethics” are cross-listed between the major and a liberal arts discipline. Can they still count for general education?

A: The determination of eligibility for SUNY General Education approval rests with the course content, and not the course disciplinary prefix.

Q: Can a receiving campus decide to question our determination that a course meets the SUNY GE SLOs, deny transfer of credit, and require the student to retake courses with similar content? Or can we deny transfer of credit if a course meets the GE SLOs but we have a limit on how old the content is. For example if we have a policy that Natural Science courses cannot be more than 10 years old?

A: Policies governing transfer of general education courses still apply. Courses successfully completed with a grade of C or better are guaranteed to transfer. If the course was successfully completed under the previous GE format, the category must be considered as met. Programs, departments and institutions may have stricter requirements regarding credits if they are applicable to both native and transfer students alike. Transfer students may not be required to complete more credits than a native student to meet local requirements in the same program. If there is a problem with a receiving institution not accepting approved courses, an institutional appeal may be submitted (Implementation Guidance section C). Please note that campus appeals must be submitted via the SUNY Seamless Transfer Campus Appeals Form‌ and include the signature of the SUNY Campus Chief Administrative or Academic Officer/Provost. Link to form: https://system.suny.edu/media/suny/content-assets/documents/academic-affairs/SUNY_SeamlessTransfer_Campus_Appeals_Form.pdf

Q: Given the change from SUNY approving courses for the GER to local campus approval, at what level is it decided that our courses do in fact meet a GE category? Is our campus decision final or do others have the right to challenge the designation?

A: Decisions regarding course approval for the SUNY General Education Framework reside with the campus offering the course. Each campus must have procedures to review and approve courses for the purpose of general education applicability. The campus procedures must be implemented in a manner that ensures each approved course contains sufficient content to address the SLOs of a Knowledge and Skill area. Faculty have the responsibility to evaluate courses. All policies governing seamless transfer of general education courses remain applicable, meaning that a receiving campus must accept as complete all general education requirements that have been determined to be completed at a sending campus.

Q: For programs which are tight on credit requirements and would have difficulty meeting the GE requirements in the first 60 credits, What possible courses of action are open to us? Will the current programmatic credit caps still apply?

A: The process for program level waivers is being determined. There is a form on the SUNY website for these requests which will be reviewed by the department of academic programs, planning, and assessment. Each waiver is considered on a case by case basis upon review of the curriculum. The addition of a first year experience course, for example, may be considered an acceptable justification for a waiver of the credit cap, but approval would depend on a variety of factors such as the amount of LAS in the program, and accreditation and/or licensure requirements. Other possiilities include meeting the requirements before matriculating is a program, by such means as prior learning assessment. The link to the waiver request form is here: https://system.suny.edu/media/suny/content-assets/documents/academic-affairs/program-planning/forms/9_Seamless-Transfer-Waiver-Request-PILOT-2014-11-17.docx.

Q: Is it possible for a course to meet more than one Knowledge and Skill category?

A: Campus faculty will determine whether a course satisfies student learning outcomes in multiple categories. A course approved in multiple categories must contain sufficient content to address all of the learning outcomes for each category, and should have an assessment plan to evaluate student attainment of all of the learning outcomes for each of the multiple categories.. The campus shall ensure sufficient breadth in its general education program(s). Implementation Guidance A.iv. Where there is considerable overlap in content, assigning multiple GE categories is a reasonable solution, particularly in programs with credit constraints

Q: Can a core competency be met in a course which is not approved for SUNY GE, and would the course count toward the credit requirement even if it is less than three credits?

A: Yes, core competencies may be met in a course that the campus has not approved for SUNY GE, including infusing or embedding the SLOs across the curriculum; however, these courses do not count toward the required number of SUNY GE credits. The only way for a core competency to count toward the credit requirement is if it is included in an approved SUNY general education course, because that course already earns the credit toward the requirement. Knowledge and skill area courses may be less than three credits, however, all of the SLOs of the category must still be achieved and assessed (MTP Vol 3 No.5).

Q: Will assessment rubrics for the new learning outcomes be made available any time soon?

A: Any assessment rubrics will likely be developed by faculty locally, although the SUNY Council on Assessment (SCoA) may be able to provide some assistance in this.