Overview
The purpose of a general education is to provide students with an intellectual and cultural basis for their development as informed individuals in our society. This requires an understanding of the ideas that have formed our own civilization, an appreciation of other cultures, and having a knowledge of the fundamental principles that govern the physical universe.
The Cortland General Education Program fulfills all SUNY General Education requirements and includes additional elements specific to the Cortland degree. Students must take one course in each of the learning outcome categories with the exception of (Category 2) Natural Sciences which is a two course requirement, (Category 9) Foreign Language where the requirement depends on degree program, and (Category 10) Basic Communication where both academic writing and presentation skills must be completed.
Learning Outcomes
To see the specific learning outcomes in each of the General Education Categories, refer to the university catalog.
Teaching
As a faculty member teaching an approved General Education course, you have the privilege of contributing to the development of our students outside of your department. Through the teaching of your course you are exposing students to a variety of disciplines and building a foundation of knowledge. The General Education program strengthens students' knowledge in the liberal arts as they develop competence in their chosen major.
Syllabus
As a GE faculty member, please be sure to include the following information in your syllabus:
- Clearly identify which GE category the course fulfills.
- List learning outcomes associated with the appropriate category (which can be found at the above website).
- Include the number of written pages required for the course. All GE courses require a minimum of 5 - 7 written pages.
Assessment
SUNY Cortland has a long and systematic history of general education (GE) assessment (SUNY Cortland General Education Assessment Plan, April 2002). Initial assessment of the Cortland GE Program commenced in 1996 and then a rigorous and systematic approach was subsequently developed and implemented in 1999. General education courses are assessed on a three-year assessment cycle. As a faculty member teaching in the GE program you may be asked to assess your course(s), evaluate other GE courses, and/or provide feedback on assessment results. Your participation in the assessment process is critical in the continual review and improvement of program.