At an LMCAS meeting September 9, several potential changes coming to LMC’s GE pattern in Fall 2025 were revealed, raising the number of required units from 18 to 21. Some of these changes will be mandated by the state, while other changes will be determined by the college.
GE refers to “General Education,” the basic required curriculum for an undergraduate degree.
One of the first major changes is the formation of “CalGETC,” a GE pattern that merges UC and CSU transfer requirements. Previously, these were separate patterns known by the names “IGETC” and “CSU BE Breadth Requirements.”
Starting in 2025, CalGETC will become the standard package offered to students attending California community colleges who are looking to transfer to a four-year institution.
But perhaps the biggest change to affect LMC students is a state-mandated change to the Ethnic Studies classification, which will require all transfer and local GE patterns to include an Ethnic Studies course that meets specific criteria to remain in the GE curriculum.
The local GE pattern refers to the requirements set by a community college to receive an AA or AS degree; these courses may have units that transfer to a UC or CSU, but they are not always eligible for transfer.
Currently, LMC’s local GE pattern consists of 18 units: Language and Rationality (6 units), Natural Sciences (3 units), Arts and Humanities (3 units), Social and Behavioral Science (3 units), and Ethnic/Multicultural Studies (3 units).
The new GE pattern would consist of 21 units, with Language and Rationality being split into Language (6 units) and Mathematics (3 units). This new pattern would also see a change in which courses are to be accepted into the Ethnic Studies category.
While the category — currently known as Ethnic/Multicultural Studies — is currently broad, featuring several courses that focus on diverse perspectives across various demographics (ethnicity, gender, sexuality, lived experience, etc.), the new Ethnic Studies category would narrow it down to disciplines pertaining to ethnicity exclusively.
This means that many of the courses within the Ethnic/Multicultural Studies category will not be listed as required courses, since they no longer qualify as Ethnic Studies.
LMC’s General Education Committee has identified two possible outcomes for the courses being disqualified: the local GE pattern will remain 21 units, and disqualified courses will be placed into existing categories; or they will be placed into a brand-new Multicultural Perspectives category, creating a local GE pattern of 24 units.
For students, this would not mean an increase in required units to earn a degree overall; rather, it would mean that students would need to supplement one of their elective courses to accommodate for the new required GE category.
Professor Bob Moore, who represented the GE Committee during the meeting, outlined the significance of this decision. He presented two potential perspectives, acknowledging the need to balance inclusivity and practicality for students.
The first perspective might argue, “We don’t want to put more load on students. We don’t want to make them have to take more courses,” said Moore. “That might mean more money or time.”
Moore then presented a counterpoint, calling back to LMC’s commitment to diversity.
“We have always been a school — forever, since its inception — that emphasized diversity. It’s in our mission statement, our value statement,” he said.
Moore proposed the idea that if these courses are not split into their own Multicultural Perspectives category, they could see a drop in enrollment; students might not feel motivated to attend courses that are not required.
“If we want to offer courses and say that we value diversity, we might want to step up to the plate,” said Moore.
Later in the meeting, Interim Director of Student Life and International Students Robert Delgado said, “I just wanted to highlight the importance of what Bob Moore presented. This is probably the biggest significant change I’ve seen to General Ed in the 10 years I’ve been here. This is a big change for students.”
Delgado added that he has questions and is curious to hear from students; he asked those in attendance to consider their academic situation, and the implication this decision has on funding and course planning.
Moore anticipates multiple readings of the policy before a final decision is made, and gives a tentative estimate that the final vote will not occur until the end of the semester. The course catalog is to be finalized March 2025.
