General Education (Prior to Fall 2016)

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: The General Education Requirements presented on this page apply to all students who enrolled in an associate degree program prior to the Fall 2016 semester.

Students who enroll in a degree program, or change majors, beginning with the Fall 2016 semester will be required to follow new General Education Requirements.  These new requirements align with General Education Competencies adopted by the Connecticut State Colleges & Universities System as part of the Transfer Articulation Program. To view these new requirements, click here.

General Education Requirements (Prior to Fall 2016)

Guidelines for Fulfilling General Education/Liberal Arts Requirements (for students who enrolled in an associate degree program prior to the Fall 2016 semester)

Each degree program in the College requires that a minimum of 33 percent of the courses be in the Liberal Arts. The Liberal Arts include the broad categories of humanities, fine arts, social science, science, and mathematics.  Any courses listed below will fulfill these requirements; however, please note exceptions.

As part of these requirements, students must have had successfully completed two “L” (library information literacy) courses and one “D” (diversity) course by the time they have completed 60 credits.  Click on the “L and D Courses” tab above, for more information

Please note:

• *ENG*101 Composition does not satisfy the Humanities or Liberal Arts requirement.
• *ESL*130 or above (up to 15 credits) satisfy Language and/or Humanities electives and/or requirements.
  
• **MAT*075, MAT*085, and MAT*095 do not satisfy the Mathematics requirement.

“L” (Library) Course and “D” (Diversity) Course Requirements

MxCC’s former General Education requirements mandated that students must have had two “L”  (library information literacy) courses and one “D”(diversity) course by the time they have completed 60 credits.  Students who transferred to MxCC with 30 credits or more are exempt from these requirements; if transferring with fewer than 30 credits, one “L” course and one “D” course are required.  Students who transferred in an ENG*101 equivalent course may use it to meet an “L” course requirement automatically.  No other transfer courses will fulfill an “L” or “D” requirement without special evaluation.

“L” Courses

An “L” course is one that requires some form of library project or research paper and includes a class session on information access by the library staff.  Information is a prominent part of all facets of our modern society and lifestyle.  As such, MxCC recognizes the importance of information literacy:  the ability to understand, navigate, and use information effectively.  Accordingly, MxCC has established competencies in information literacy that students should attain upon graduation.  Specific outcomes include the ability to:

1. Recognize how information is generally organized and disseminated and how to access it.
2. Identify key resources for and effectively navigate information within specific disciplines.
3. Define a specific research topic and determine the nature and extent of the information needed for it.
4. Develop and implement an initial search strategy appropriate for a specific research need.
5. Assess the effectiveness of a search strategy and refine it as necessary.
6. Evaluate information and sources critically to determine if they are appropriate for use.
7. Identify and employ practices which are consistent with the ethical and legal uses of information.
8. Organize, synthesize, and communicate information effectively.

A list of approved “L” courses appears below.

“D” Courses

A diversity or “D” course is designed to foster understanding, open-mindedness, and the valuing of others through an appreciation of human differences.  This may include race, ethnicity, culture, religion, national origin, as well as class, age, gender, sexual orientation, physical disability, or other considerations.  “D” courses may take a comparative approach or focus on specific areas, especially those which have traditionally been underappreciated.  Specific outcomes include:

1. Students will deal constructively with information, ideas, and emotions associated with diversity and conflict.
2. Students will function more effectively in a pluralistic and diverse work environment within the realities of a global economy and marketplace.
3. Students’ experiences of marginalization will be reduced and there will be an increase of their understanding of individuals’ experiences, values, and perspectives and the benefits of diverse ways within each field or discipline.
4. Students will understand how the institutions, ideas, and traditions of the contemporary world develop and vary.
5. Students will recognize diversity (such as the significance of race, gender, sexuality, class, religion, ethnicity, and/or other forms of differences) in experiences and perspectives in the cultures studied.

A list of approved “D” courses appears in the list, below.