Area A Guidelines (GE 2020)
Area A: English Language Communication and Critical Thinking
Introduction
Speaking, writing, and reasoning skills are foundational for developing and demonstrating communication competency. The purpose of GE Area A is to enhance students’ abilities in listening, speaking, reading, and writing through active-learning and practice. Speaking and writing are fundamental modes of expression that rely on the principles of rhetoric, sound reasoning, and critical thinking. Area A courses also examine the ethics of communication and explore issues related to diversity and inclusion. Overall, courses in Area A prepare students to communicate in effective, ethical, and inclusive ways across disciplines and in a globalized context. The Area A sequence assumes that the mastery of well-reasoned and effective communication must be achieved over time. Development of these foundational communication skills is crucial to a student’s success at the university and beyond. Courses in Area A illustrate why the general education program is a vital component of a student’s educational experience and allow a student to experience how the general education program supports and enhances the curriculum of their major.
Template Requirements
The current list of courses approved for Area A can be found in the Cal Poly catalog.
| subarea | standard | High-Unit | Curriculum Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| A1¹: Oral Communication | 4 | 4 | A1 guidelines |
|
A2¹: Written Communication Writing Intensive |
4 | 4 | A2 guidelines |
|
A3¹: Critical Thinking Writing Intensive |
4 | 4 | A3 guidelines |
| Area A Unit Subtotal: | 12 | 12 |
¹ This subarea is part of the Golden Four sequence. As outlined by CSU policy, students admitted in Fall 2016 or later must receive a grade of C- or better to complete the requirement.
Area A Curriculum Guidelines
As you review the sections that follow, please note that "Educational Objectives" refer to what students will learn by completing that subarea while "Criteria" refer to how the course is designed to support that learning. Together, these objectives and criteria are referred to as our "(curriculum) guidelines". Additional information about GE curriculum guidelines can be found here.
A1: Oral Communication
The purpose of GE Subarea A1 is to help students develop their oral communication skills in English by examining principles of listening, speaking, reading, writing, and analyzing audiences from a rhetorical perspective. The ethics of oral communication is also explored, with attention to issues related to diversity and inclusion. Learning objectives are organized in a scaffolded manner; as students achieve lower-numbered objectives, it is expected that they will apply that knowledge in achieving higher-numbered objectives.
Educational Objectives
Upon completion of a qualifying A1 course, students should be able to:
- EO1 Explain how audience and rhetorical situation influence topic, genre, content, style, and delivery in creating and presenting effective oral communications;
- EO2 Practice a recursive process of reading, writing, speaking, and listening in composing and revising oral communications;
- EO3 Demonstrate information literacy through the successful search, discovery, critical evaluation, and ethical reporting of information;
- EO4 Employ sound reasoning, effective organization, and accuracy in expression based on audience awareness and an understanding of cultural differences in communication norms and practices;
- EO5 Use effective listening skills by studying and practicing the principles of active listening;
- EO6 Compose persuasive effective, ethical, and inclusive oral communications.
Criteria
The course proposal and expanded course outline for courses in A1 must clearly indicate how the course meets each of the following criteria:
- CR1 Students complete a minimum of 3 original oral presentation assignments with:
- a. At least one informative presentation;
- b. At least one persuasive presentation;
- c. A total of at least 21 minutes of graded speaking time per student across oral presentation assignments;
- CR2 Instructional materials and course content (e.g., readings, examples used in class, course assignments) incorporate contributions made by individuals from diverse and/or underrepresented¹ groups;
- CR3 As appropriate, address issues of sustainability;
- CR4 Course capacity is set at 18–22 students.
Note:
¹ By “diverse” we intend the definition of diversity found in the Cal Poly Statement on Diversity and Inclusivity. By “underrepresented groups” is intended groups who are currently underrepresented and historically marginalized groups.
A2: Written Communication
The purpose of GE Subarea A2 is to teach writing, rhetoric, and composition and to help students develop their written communication skills in English by examining rhetorical principles of reading, writing, and analyzing audiences. The ethics of written communication should also be explored with attention to issues related to diversity and inclusion. Learning objectives are organized in a scaffolded manner; as students achieve lower-numbered objectives, it is expected that they will apply that knowledge in achieving higher-numbered objectives.
Educational Objectives
Upon completion of a qualifying A2 course, students should be able to:
- EO1 Explain how audience and rhetorical situation influence topic, genre, content, and style in composing effective written communications;
- EO2 Practice a recursive writing process that includes drafting, peer review, revision, and editing;
- EO3 Recognize that the writing process is necessary to the discovery, development, and clarification of ideas;
- EO4 Demonstrate information literacy through the successful search, discovery, critical evaluation, and ethical reporting of information;
- EO5 Employ sound reasoning, effective organization, and accuracy in expression based on audience awareness and an understanding of cultural differences in communication norms and practices;
- EO6 Compose persuasive written arguments that advocate on issues of personal and/or social import using sound reasoning and evidence.
Criteria
The course proposal and expanded course outline for courses in A2 must clearly indicate how the course meets each of the following criteria:
- CR1 Students complete a minimum of 4 writing sequences including non-fiction narrative writing, rhetorical analysis, and argument;
- CR2 Students write a minimum of 3,000 words across all writing assignments; instructors may choose to include tasks like revision plans, topic proposals, and post-writing reflections in their word count;
- CR3 Meet all other criteria for GE writing-intensive courses (GE Writing Intensive Requirements);
- CR4 Instructional materials and course content (e.g., readings, examples used in class, course assignments) incorporate contributions made by individuals from diverse and/or underrepresented groups;
- CR5 As appropriate, address issues of sustainability;
- CR6 Course capacity is set at 18–22 students.
A3: Critical Thinking & Communication
The purpose of GE Subarea A3 is to help students develop their reasoning skills in English by examining principles of argumentation, reasoning, and logic across the range of modalities and technologies in which composing occurs. Courses in Subarea A3 enable students to assess the reasoning strategies and ethics of their own and others’ communication. The ethics of communication are also explored, with attention to issues related to diversity and inclusion. Given that critical thinking is often explored and expressed through modes of communication, A3 courses are designated as writing intensive. Learning objectives are organized in a scaffolded manner; as students achieve lower-numbered objectives, it is expected that they will apply that knowledge in achieving higher-numbered objectives.
Educational Objectives
Upon completion of a qualifying A3 course, students should be able to:
- EO1 Identify the rhetorical strategies used to make arguments in a variety of situations and for a range of audiences from diverse backgrounds and experiences;
- EO2 Describe the ethical and cultural dimensions of argument;
- EO3 Recognize lines of reasoning, including inductive processes, deductive processes, and formal and informal fallacies of language and thought;
- EO4 Distinguish matters of fact from issues of judgment or opinion and use them appropriately to reach well-supported factual or judgmental conclusions;
- EO5 Analyze and evaluate arguments using the principles of rhetoric and formal logic;
- EO6 Compose oral or written arguments that advocate on issues of social import using sound reasoning and evidence.
Criteria
The course proposal and expanded course outline for courses in A3 must clearly indicate how the course meets each of the following criteria:
- CR1 Enrollment prerequisites list completion of Area A2;
- CR2 Students complete at least one writing assignment focused on analysis and/or argumentation;
- CR3 Meet all other criteria for GE writing-intensive courses (GE Writing Intensive Requirements);
- CR4 Instructional materials and course content (e.g., readings, examples used in class, course assignments) incorporate contributions made by individuals from diverse and/or underrepresented groups;
- CR5 As appropriate, address issues of sustainability;
- CR6 Course capacity is set at 18–24 students or fewer.
Sources:
- AS-913-21 "Resolution to Establish Area F in the General Education 2020 Template" (pdf). 2 March 2021
- AS-879-19 "Resolution on Subject Area Guidelines (I) for General Education 2020" (pdf). 4 June 2019.
Last updated September 24, 2024