Cal State University Implements Unified General Education Pathway for All Students
In a recent decision by Cal State trustees, a new general education pathway has been created that will apply to all students, including first-time freshmen. The decision, made on March 27, aims to streamline and simplify the general education requirements for all students within the California State University system.
The new pathway, known as Cal-GETC or the California General Education Transfer Curriculum, was initially proposed to improve the transfer experience for community college students entering the UC and Cal State systems. However, it will now be extended to include all students, regardless of their entry point into the university system.
The decision has faced opposition from faculty and students who argue that the new pathway eliminates valuable classes that contribute to lifelong learning. The number of general education required credits has been reduced from 39 to 34, with additional humanities and arts courses being eliminated in favor of adding a laboratory class requirement.
Despite the concerns raised by some faculty members, Cal State administrators and trustees believe that aligning general education requirements for all students will provide a more equitable set of degree requirements. They argue that having two different systems for transfer and first-time freshmen could lead to equity concerns and a sense of inequity among students.
While the new pathway represents a collaboration between the UC and Cal State systems, some faculty members have expressed reservations about the alignment, citing differences in the missions and student populations of the two systems. However, Cal State officials maintain that the new pathway takes into account the needs of all students and aims to provide clear and direct pathways to degree completion.
Overall, the implementation of the unified general education pathway represents a significant change for all students within the Cal State system. Despite the opposition, university officials believe that the new pathway will ultimately benefit students by providing a more streamlined and equitable educational experience.