Guiding Notes for Cal-GETC Course Review

These Guiding Notes have been developed based on recommendations from the faculty and staff who review California community college (CCC) course outlines proposed for lower-division general education credit in the University of California (UC) and the California State University (CSU). They elaborate on state and systemwide policies, adding guidance from experienced reviewers. 

Guiding Notes for Cal-GETC Course ReviewThis link will open a PDF file. (pdf) (November 2024)​

Guiding Notes Summary of Changes This link will take you to an external website in a new tab. (November 2024)


Cal-GETC Course Review Process

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GE Review Process 2024

In the fall, CCC articulation officers submit courses by entering new or substantially revised course outlines into ASSIST. Course outlines submitted with “substantial changes” must include an explanation of revisions. 

Substantial changes for re-review include any changes to the following aspects of a COR: cross-listing courses, or changes in content, student learning objectives, modes of delivery (only if student learning objectives or content are affected), prerequisites, contact hours and/or decrease in units, or methods/criteria of assessment.

Change in hours from lecture to lab or lab to lecture
Course content
Course objectives/learning outcomes
Contact hours and/or decrease in units
Cross-listing courses (non-technical)
Prerequisites or corequisites

Technical changes include changes to the following aspects of a COR: prefix, number, increase in units, title changes and/or updates of representative texts and/or resource materials. Technical changes alone do not require re-review.

Course number 
Course prefix/subject 
Course title 
Increase in units
Updates to representative textbooks

Note: Substantive and technical changes also apply to CSU American Institution (AI) course submissions.

See Guiding Notes for Cal-GETC Course ReviewThis link will open a PDF file. (pdf)

CCCs will indicate the pattern, Cal-GETC and/or CSU AI Areas to which proposed courses are applied. Reviewers use area-specific criteria as well as the following, which apply to all submitted courses:

  1. Any course submitted for Cal-GETC must be both CSU and UC transferable and baccalaureate level. For Cal-GETC, courses must be UC-transferable (on the UC TCA).
  2. Course has appropriate number of units for the Cal-GETC Area.
  3. Course content should reflect a balance between breadth and depth appropriate for lower-division work.
  4. Variable-topics courses are excluded (directed-study or independent study).
  5. Course outline includes at least one textbook; laboratory science must include a lab manual.
  6. Representative textbooks are current and published within 7 years of submission year or identified as a “classic text” or “discipline classic”.            
  7. Course outline includes methods/criteria of assessment and college-level assignments.
  8. Course outline contains enough detail to decide whether it is appropriate to fulfill the proposed Cal-GETC Area.
  9. Course outline should make sense to the reviewers.
  10. Course outline is in English.
  11. Course outline is complete.

See Guiding Notes for Cal-GETC Course ReviewThis link will open a PDF file. (pdf)

GE review requires CCCs to have curriculum approved (e.g., college curriculum committee or college/district board) for cross-listing before submitting course outlines of record. Course outlines of record for cross-listed courses are identical in title, description, objectives, content, methods of instruction, methods of evaluation, textbooks/readings, and assignments but may have a different prefix. All approved cross-listed courses must appear together or with an annotation in official college publications.

See Guiding Notes for Cal-GETC Course ReviewThis link will open a PDF file. (pdf)

Questions

If you have questions about the Ethnic Studies requirement, please use the link below.

GE Workshops and Training


CSU GE Reviewer Participation

The CSU Chancellor's Office invites full-time CSU and CCC Articulation officers to participate in the annual GE review process. We continue to offer a high-quality general education curriculum that separates California public higher education from other states. As a GE reviewer, you will be working with colleagues across the state on this important interdependent task that provides robust transfer options for our students. 

If you would like to participate or need more information, please contact Kieran Mulholland at kmulholland@calstate.edu.