CUNY Master Plan 2012-2016

THE CUNY MASTER PLAN 2012-2016
plines that will eliminate obstacles for transparent and successful transfer of equivalent coursework
from one institution to another.”
The Pathways reform of general education and transfer at CUNY, established by a unanimous vote of the
Board of Trustees on June 27, 2011, removes roadblocks to student progress and ensures that courses meet
high standards. Once fully implemented, Pathways will help students transfer their general education,
major, and elective credits seamlessly among CUNY’s colleges, smoothing the transfer process and producing
better-prepared students by setting high standards—as determined by faculty across the University.
The centerpiece of the Pathways initiative is a new, systemwide framework for general education that
leaves course-specific decisions to college faculty and governance bodies. When it is complete, Pathways will:
• Raise the quality of content in general education courses at both community and senior colleges, by
aligning curricula to rigorous, agreed-upon learning objectives;
• Give students more opportunities to explore and take chances and to study in more upper-division
classes than most can now;
• Better enable students to do minors or to double major;
• Put CUNY more in line with regard to the number of credits required by most U.S. universities for
general education;
• Remove uncertainty from the process of transferring among CUNY colleges.
The process of developing the Pathways framework engaged all constituents of the University community.
The Chancellor, after seeking nominations from the colleges and the University Faculty Senate,
established a task force, composed primarily of faculty and chaired by the Dean of the CUNY School of
Law, to develop recommendations for a general education, common core framework defined by learning
outcomes. The task force comprised two committees: a 16-member steering committee and a 39-member
working committee to advise it and serve as a communication channel with the colleges. The task force
sent draft recommendations to the entire CUNY community, revised those recommendations based on
feedback received, and submitted final recommendations to the Chancellor, who accepted those recommendations
in December 2011.
The task force’s general education recommendations build on the excellent general education curricula
already developed by CUNY’s campuses. In recognition of the distinct characteristics of the various
CUNY colleges, flexibility for individual campuses has been maintained. From the beginning, the process
of defining the framework’s content areas and outcomes has been faculty-driven; every committee has
been and will continue to be predominantly or entirely faculty. The recommended structure puts students
at the center of the University’s academic enterprise, with clearly articulated, challenging outcomes
and defined pathways. It is the result of an inclusive, consultative process that engaged the entire
University and reflects suggestions and concerns offered by every CUNY campus.
The 30 credits of the Common Core of general education will develop a broad range of knowledge and
skills and build a solid intellectual foundation upon which students can engage in study and analysis at
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