Two alternative models for dealing with writing skills are being used within the CSU system:

At Dominguez Hills and San Francisco, two lower-division writing courses are required. In addition, at San Francisco students must pass a junior writing proficiency test.

Three campuses designate certain GE courses as “Writing Intensive”:

At Northridge, all upper-division GE courses are writing intensive (2500+ words). Further, a writing exam is required for entrance into upper-division GE.

At San Marcos all GE courses are writing intensive (2500+ words).

At San Luis Obispo, six GE courses (both upper- and lower-division) are designated as writing intensive (3000+ words that account for ½ the grade).

3.Physical Education Requirement

Only two campuses (San Bernardino and Stanislaus) require a physical education activity course within the GE program. Several campuses allow one physical education activity course as an option within the Lifelong Learning Category (E).

Recommendations

Bringing the San Bernardino General Education program into line with the system “norm” in any of these three areas would result in a reduction in the size of the program. Would such reductions compromise the purposes of the General Education program?

Perhaps the easiest change would be to modify the upper-division writing requirement (Category F). Currently students meet the requirement by either completing one of the upper-division expository writing courses or by passing a proficiency exam. But, those passing the exam must substitute a free elective, so that this category requires 4 units, regardless of the option chosen by the student. By removing the requirement that a student passing the proficiency exam must substitute a free elective, this category would then require 0 units instead of 4. Students not taking or not passing the proficiency exam would be required to complete a writing course (whose units would not count within the GE package). This would reduce the size of the program by 4 units.

It is not clear to the GE Committee what the effects of such a change would be. For students not taking or passing the proficiency exam, while the size of the GE package would have decreased, there would be no actual savings in terms of courses required to graduation. In order to see a reduction in total course requirements, more students would take, and, presumably, more students would pass the proficiency exam. It is not clear to the committee if having fewer students take the upper-division writing course would be detrimental to their individual skills.

As the development of writing skills is central to the mission of the general education program, and as the GE Committee is not certain of the results that such a recommendation might entail, the GE Committee cannot endorse a change to the upper-division writing requirement without further consultation.

By modifying the physical education activity requirement in the Lifelong Understanding Category (Category E) the GE program could be reduced by 2 units. Currently, the Lifelong Understanding Category requires six units; two units addressing physical physiological issues, two units addressing social and psychological issues, and a two unit activity requirement. One option would be to allow one activity course as an option within Lifelong Understanding, allowing students to select courses from two of the three areas. Another option would be to eliminate the activity requirement.