General Education

The philosophy and criteria for the associate degree and general education in California community colleges, as outlined in Title 5 Section 55061, address key considerations. This includes alignment with the institutional mission, purposes, demographics, and economics of the community. The philosophy for the associate degree emphasizes the development of capabilities such as clear communication, mathematical proficiency, interdisciplinary understanding, cultural awareness, ethical reasoning, self-understanding, and self-efficacy. General education, according to the Board of Governors’ policy, aims to foster self-understanding by introducing students to diverse ways of comprehending the modern world. It provides opportunities for intellectual skills, information technology proficiency, affective and creative capabilities, social attitudes, and an appreciation for cultural diversity.

Plans A, B, and C

The awarding of an Associate degree represents more than an accumulation of units. It symbolizes a successful attempt on the part of the college to lead students through patterns of learning experiences designed to develop certain capabilities and insights. Among these are the ability to think and to communicate clearly and effectively both orally and in writing, to use quantitative reasoning skills, to understand the modes of inquiry of the major disciplines, to be aware of other cultures and time periods, to appreciate the contributions and struggles of various communities and ethnic groups within the United States, to achieve insights gained through experience in thinking about ethical issues, and to develop the capacity for self-understanding.​​

LBCC has three General Education Patterns: ​

1. Plan A: Local Associate Degree
   • Plan A may be used to satisfy the GE requirements for Local A.A. or A.S. degrees.​
2. Plan B: CSUGE-Breadth​​
   • Plan B may be used to satisfy the GE requirements for Local A.A. or A.S. degrees and Associate Degrees for Transfer. ​
3. Plan C: IGETC (UC system)​​
   • Plan C may be used to satisfy the GE requirements for students intending to transfer to a UC or CSU campus, for Associate Degrees for Transfer and for Local A.A. or A.S. degrees.​​

The AD/GE Subcommittee reviews all requests for GE approval. ​​

Articulating Courses

All articulation inquiries should begin with the Articulation Officer, Trevor Rodriguez (trodriguez@lbcc.edu), a member of the Curriculum Committee and multiple standing subcommittees.

In their role, the Articulation Officer consults with discipline faculty to design and develop transferable courses, to identify courses needing articulation with baccalaureate level institutions, and to identify comparable courses at other colleges and universities.

The Articulation Officer submits courses to the C-ID system and informs discipline faculty, the Curriculum Chair, and the Dean of Academic Affairs, of C-ID approvals, or conditional approvals, which may require periodic reminders of pending deadlines for course modifications.

In the context of the California Community College system, the term “articulation” is defined as follows:

Articulation refers specifically to course articulation: the process of developing a formal, written agreement that identifies courses (or sequences of courses) on a “sending” campus that are comparable to, or acceptable in lieu of, specific course requirements at a “receiving” campus.

Successful completion of an articulated course assures the student and the faculty that the student has taken the appropriate course, received the necessary instruction and preparation, and that similar outcomes can be assured. In short, the articulation process enables the student to progress to the next level of instruction at the receiving institution. It is important to note that articulated courses are not to be construed as “equivalent” but rather as comparable, or acceptable in lieu of each other.

All formal articulation agreements, associate degrees for transfer, and other articulation and transfer resources are available on the District’s articulation website, including agreements between the District and the higher education public systems (UC and CSU), which are housed on the Articulation System Stimulating Inter-Institutional Student Transfer (ASSIST). ASSIST is the official repository of articulation for California’s public colleges and universities.

Helpful Resources

• ASSIST

California’s Official Articulation Repository ASSIST is a computerized student-transfer information system that can be accessed at www.assist.org.

• Numbering System (C-ID)

C-ID (Course Identification Numbering System) is a supranumbering, faculty-driven system to assign numbers to significant transfer courses, and a response to needs of transfer partners and their transfer initiatives. Each C-ID number identifies a lower-division, transferable course commonly articulated between the California Community Colleges and universities (including Universities of California, the California State Universities, as well as with many of California’s independent colleges and universities).Finalized and draft course descriptors may be found at: https://www.c-id.net/descriptors

• Additional Information about the Articulation Process

Please peruse the California Articulation Policies and Procedures Handbook (revised Spring 2013).

Graduation Requirements & Proficiencies

Graduation Requirements

Administrative Procedure 4100 outlines how the Curriculum Committee and District use Title 5 language to determine degree and certificate requirements. 

In addition to the requirements for general education stipulated by Title 5, many colleges include additional course requirements for graduation. For instance, LBCC’s Local Associate Degree Plan A has areas for students to complete course work in 

• Physical Fitness/Wellness
• Health Education

Graduation Proficiencies

Each community college has the authority to determine local additional requirements for graduation with a local Associate degree. For instance, at LBCC we have Graduation Proficiencies that students must meet in:

• Mathematics 
• Reading
• Writing
• Information Competency