Institutional Research and Assessment
General Education Program
The State University of New York requires graduates of bachelor degree (B.S.) programs to successfully complete 30 credit hours of coursework distributed among 7 of 10 knowledge and skill areas, collectively referred to as general education, including:
- Basic Communication (required)
- Mathematics (required)
- American History
- Other World Civilizations
- Foreign Language
- Social Sciences
- Humanities
- The Arts
- Natural Sciences
- Western Civilization
The core of the curricula for all ESF undergraduate degree programs satisfy the natural science, basic communications, mathematics, humanities, and other world civilizations general education knowledge and skill areas. For the remaining general education knowledge and skill areas requirements, students in all majors must complete two course chosen from the course selections in the remaining knowledge and skill areas. Specific courses may be designated to fulfill general education requirements in certain categories for certain degree programs; where applicable, these are noted in the tables here: listing of all General Education courses (Registrar website).
Grade Policy for General Education courses
General education courses are treated in the same manner as all other courses regarding credit eligible to be applied toward degree programs. For all coursework taken at ESF, a passing grade (“D” or above) must be achieved for credit to be applied toward the satisfaction of degree requirements. For coursework taken at other institutions, credit may only be transferred with a grade of “C” or better.
College Wide Learning Outcomes
SUNY ESF’s college wide college learning outcomes (CLO’s) are concerned with six areas: (1) Scientific Reasoning; (2) Quantitative Reasoning; (3) Basic Communication Skills; (4) Technological and Information Literacy; (5) Values, Ethics and Diverse Perspectives; and (6) Critical Thinking.
- Scientific Reasoning
Students will be able to: demonstrate understanding of modern science and the implications of scientific discoveries, apply the scientific method, and use science to address contemporary problems. - Quantitative Reasoning
Students will be able to effectively describe, interpret, apply, and evaluate quantitative information. - Communication
Students will be able to: formulate and present ideas that reflect critical thinking skills and show awareness of audience, context, and purpose, and present a well-developed argument - Technological and Information Literacy
Students will be able to: use critical thinking skills to determine the information needed to solve a problem, access information using appropriate technologies, and effectively and appropriately use information to accomplish a specific purpose. - Values, Ethics and Diverse Perspectives
Students will be able to: demonstrate awareness of diverse cultures and values, recognize ethical issues in contemporary society, and apply ethical concepts in addressing diverse personal, professional, and societal settings. - Critical Thinking
Students will be able to: identify, analyze, evaluate, and develop well-reasoned arguments. (Note: this area inherently overlaps outcomes in the prior areas.)
Syllabus Template
Syllabus Template Revised Reflecting College Learning Outcomes.