OVERVIEW OF THE TRANSFER GENERAL EDUCATION CORE CURRICULUM
With the statement of values as common ground, the Arizona public community colleges and universities have agreed upon a common structure for a general education core curriculum. This core curriculum provides students attending any Arizona public postsecondary institution with the opportunity to build a core general education program which is transferable to any other state institution without loss of credit. This common agreement is called the Transfer General Education Core Curriculum (TGECC).
The TGECC is composed of a minimum of 41 semester hours of lower division general education coursework in which a student may prepare for transfer. The TGECC is transferable from one Arizona community college to another Arizona community college. Students transferring from an Arizona community college to one of the three state universities have the option of completing the lower division general education requirements at the university to which they transfer or completing the TGECC. Courses beyond the TGECC which are completed at an Arizona community college will be accepted in transfer by each university according to course articulation information provided in the Arizona Higher Education Course Equivalency Guide.
Completion of the TGECC will fulfill lower division general education requirements at all three state universities. Students utilizing this option will still be required to fulfill lower division program requirements and prerequisites within their college and major/minor area of study. In order to most efficiently complete a degree program, students should select courses to meet the TGECC requirements that will also fulfill program requirements in the college and major they intend to pursue upon transfer. Majors in the professional fields -- i.e., architecture, engineering, business, fine/creative arts, or health professions -- and sciences have significant prerequisites and/or program requirements that must be completed before a student may be admitted to upper division coursework. Community college students who are undecided about which of the three universities they plan to attend or what program of study they intend to pursue are advised to explore educational options while they complete the TGECC. In all cases, students have the responsibility for selecting general education coursework that is relevant to the requirements of their intended major and degree.
Transfer students must meet established institutional admissions standards, as well as admission criteria for specific majors/programs at the state universities. Students who complete both the TGECC and an Associate of Arts degree will be assigned junior-class standing by the three state universities. Junior-class standing is based on the number of units a student has earned and does not necessarily indicate the remaining number of units needed to complete degree requirements. Course prerequisites, major requirements, and upper division requirements will continue to be specified by each university. Appropriate sequencing of course and timely completion of course prerequisites are essential to ensure efficient progress toward a baccalaureate degree. Students who have identified the university they plan to attend and/or a major area of study are advised to fulfill requirements and prerequisites identified by these programs through transfer guides and/or curriculum check sheets provided by the three state universities. The TGECC does not replace or disregard articulation agreements developed to enhance the transfer process between specific institutions.
The TGECC is outlined in this document. Each Arizona community college will identify coursework that will comprise the lower division TGECC at that institution. In order for a course to be included in a community college's TGECC, it must be accepted for transfer credit in any category (equivalent course, departmental elective credit, general elective credit) at all three state universities according to the Arizona Higher Education Course Equivalency Guide for the academic year in which the course was taken. Students must complete a course with a grade of "C" or better to receive credit for transfer. Upon completion of the TGECC, the community college will certify achievement of the block on the official institutional transcript, including identification of how the special requirements in Section II of the TGECC were satisfied. A minimum of 15 semester hours of coursework must be completed in residence at the community college district certifying completion of the TGECC.
The TGECC is reviewed and monitored each academic year by the subject area articulation task forces and the General Education Articulation Task Force (GEATF). The statewide GEATF is comprised of representatives from each Arizona community college and state university. The GEATF is responsible for monitoring the TGECC and reviewing related appeals. The GEATF is responsible to the Academic Program Articulation Steering Committee (APASC).
State of Arizona
TGECC
Rev. June 17, 1993
GENERAL EDUCATION VALUES STATEMENT
Through a general education program, a college or university commits students and faculty to the pursuit of wholeness in learning - to seeing the relationship of our special interests to the larger academic and cultural contexts which we share. The search for an integrated understanding requires a general desire to learn, an energetic interest in the world, and a willingness to put ourselves in the place of those whose beliefs and outlooks are different from our own. A general education program, pursued by curious and empathetic faculty and students, provides a structure in which the accumulation of knowledge and the practice of disciplined, independent thinking can grow into comprehensive understanding and reasoned value.
Wholeness in learning results from participation in a learning community where both thinking independently and connecting with the heritage of human thought and knowledge are necessary and complementary. We come to understand our nature and our limits. We develop skill, openness, delicacy, and strength in negotiating with the world beyond ourselves. We test the conceptual frameworks that govern thought against the details of content and subject matter and the realities of experience. We accept the inevitable responsibility for making informed judgements.
An effective general education program requires the exercise of thoughtful and precise writing, critical reading, quantitative thinking, and processes of analysis and synthesis which underlie valid reasoning. Therefore, students must have a solid foundation in writing, reading, mathematics, and critical thinking.
Studies in the traditional academic disciplines are built upon foundation skills in thought and communication and lead students to grasp the conceptual frameworks that govern different fields of study. Such courses demonstrate that the study of specialized subject matter in any of the traditional knowledge areas - Fine Arts and Humanities, Mathematics, Biological and Physical Sciences, Social and Behavioral Sciences - is critical to the central dialogues of general education.
Interdisciplinary studies focus on the conceptual frameworks through which a thinker, a culture, or an academic discipline may approach an issue. We discover both the ordering power and the potential limitations of the fundamental models of understanding that have shaped our thinking throughout the history of civilization. We acknowledge the dependence of thought upon these models, judge them through comparison with alternative models from other thinkers and cultures, and yet are able to continue to participate with active, discerning commitments in the political, ethical and aesthetic life of the community.
General education is designed for all undergraduate students and may include coursework at both the lower division and upper division levels. The purpose is to give every student pursuing an undergraduate degree the basic skills and the familiarity with various branches of knowledge which are associated with college and university education and are useful in advanced study within the university and in life beyond the university.
State of Arizona
TGECC
Rev. June 17, 1993
TRANSFER GENERAL EDUCATION CORE CURRICULUM
(Specific TGECC changes indicated by gray shading)
The areas that comprise the TGECC and purpose of each are as follows:
I. SUBJECT AREA REQUIREMENTS
A block of a minimum of 41 semester hours of lower division general education coursework that may be completed at an Arizona community college and used to fulfill lower division general education requirements upon transfer to another Arizona community college or any of the three Arizona universities. Specifications for each individual subject area are provided in Appendix A of this document.
MINIMUM MINIMUM
SUBJECT AREA NUMBER OF COURSES NUMBER OF COURSES
1. FRESHMAN COMPOSITION 2 Courses 6 Semester Hours
2. MATHEMATICS 1 Course 3 Semester Hours
3. ARTS & HUMANITIES 3 Courses 9 Semester Hours
4. SOCIAL & BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES 3 Courses 9 Semester Hours
5. PHYSICAL & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 2 Courses 8 Semester Hours
6. OPTIONS * 2 Courses 6 Semester Hours
II. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
An approved transfer general education core curriculum must contain an intensive writing/critical inquiry component and specified awareness area components. The requirements for the intensive writing/critical inquiry component and the specified awareness area components may be met through one of the options listed below. Refer to sections 6 and 7 of Appendix A for more information about fulfillment of these special requirements.
A. Option 1 - Specific Course Option
1. At least 3 semester hours of intensive writing/critical inquiry coursework
2. At least 3 semester hours of coursework in ethnic/race/gender awareness.
3. At least 3 semester hours of coursework emphasizing CONTEMPORARY global/international awareness or historical awareness.
B. Option 2 - Program Option
1. Requirements embedded in total general education coursework program
C. Option 3 - Any combination of Option 1, and Option 2
III. OPTIONS *
Courses in this area should be selected to enhance the TGECC and to expand the preparation of students prior to transfer. Students who know which state university they intend to transfer to or what area of study they plan to pursue after transfer should choose coursework that will directly apply to specified requirements of the major or institutions. Recommendations for additional coursework include the following:
A. Intensive writing/critical inquiry
B. Awareness areas
C. Foreign language
D. Computer science/computer information systems
E. Oral communication
F. Mathematics or numeracy
G. Laboratory science
H. Specific major/program requirements
NOTE: Additional upper division general education credits may be required by baccalaureate-granting state institutions. Beyond the general education core requirements, specific college and major requirements must be met.
State of Arizona
TGECC
Rev. June 17, 1993
APPENDIX A
SUBJECT AREA AND SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS INTERPRETATION
1. FRESHMAN COMPOSITION
The Freshman Composition requirement must be fulfilled by completion of a one-year lower division English Composition sequence. Courses designed exclusively for satisfaction of preparatory composition cannot be counted toward fulfillment of this requirement.
2. MATHEMATICS
One course in college algebra or a quantitative course for which college algebra is a prerequisite shall be taken.
3. ARTS AND HUMANITIES
Courses that can be used to fulfill this requirement include art, dance, humanities, literature, music, philosophy, religion, theater arts, and western civilization. At least 6 semester hours must be selected from the humanities or provide an historical perspective. Interdisciplinary courses which include both the Arts and Humanities may fulfill this criterion. At least 3 semester hours of coursework must be selected from the Arts. Courses in the Arts may include performance or studio components; however, courses that are primarily performance or studio based cannot be used to satisfy this requirement.
4. SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES
Courses in this requirement area include anthropology, economics, ethnic/race/gender studies, history, political science, psychology, social geography, and sociology. Coursework must be chosen from at least two disciplines.
5. PHYSICAL AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Two courses, both with laboratory requirements, shall be taken from astronomy, biology, botany, chemistry, geology, physics, physical geography, or zoology. Both courses may be taken in a single discipline or in two separate disciplines.
6. INTENSIVE WRITING/CRITICAL INQUIRY
At least one course beyond the Freshman Composition requirement shall involve the development of competence in written discourse and involve the gathering, interpretation, and evaluation of evidence. This coursework may be completed in the following ways: 1) by selecting an approved course in one or more of the subject areas 3, 4, or 5 listed in Area I of the TGECC; 2) by embedding the intensive writing experience into the transfer core curriculum as a whole; or 3) by a designated and approved writing intensive course(s).
7. AWARENESS AREAS
Awareness areas include courses which advance ethnic/race/gender awareness, contemporary global/international awareness, and historical awareness. One course emphasizing ethnic/race/ gender awareness is required. One course emphasizing contemporary global/international awareness or historical awareness is also required. The awareness area requirements may be met: 1) by completion of an approved course in one or more of the subject areas 3, 4, or 5 listed in Area I of the TGECC; 2) by embedding forms of awareness into the subject areas 3, 4, or 5 listed in Area I of the TGECC; or 3) by completion of additional designated approved course(s).
State of Arizona
TGECC
Rev. June 17, 1991