| Bossier Parish Community College complies fully with the Louisiana Board of Regents Academic Affairs Policy 2.16 which states, "Specifically, the goals of these statewide general education requirements are that undergraduate program completers, depending on the respective degree level, shall attain appropriate competencies, as follows:
- to communicate effectively in oral and written English;
- to read with comprehension;
- to reason abstractly and think critically;
- to understand numerical data and statistics;
- to understand the scientific method;
- to be familiar with key technological and informational applications;
- to learn independently;
- to recognize and appreciate cultural diversity;
- to understand the nature and value of the fine and performing arts;
- to develop a personal value system while retaining a tolerance for others; and
- to understand the American political and economic system."
The bulleted items in this list cannot be taken out of context. The policy clearly emphasizes under the "goals" section of the policy "depending on the respective degree level, appropriate competencies shall be attained." The Louisiana Board of Regents does not allow individual colleges and universities to decide what competencies are appropriate for each degree level but rather specifies the general education courses required for each degree level to attain appropriate competencies in the master list of the eleven bulleted items above.
Attachment IV is an integral part of the Louisiana Board of Regents Policy 2.16 because it indicates the number of hours of general education courses that are required in each area for each degree level to attain the "appropriate" competencies at that level. Attachment IV contains explanations of the various curricular categories, including course names and levels that will satisfy the general education requirements. For example, for the social/behavioral sciences requirement, the Louisiana Board of Regents lists examples of what is considered a behavioral science and allows the individual college to decide which course(s) students may take. For example, the Board of Regents does not require a fine arts course in the Associate of Applied Science (AAS).
Bossier Parish Community College embraces the Louisiana Board of Regents premise that graduates of similar undergraduate degree and certificate programs should attain a broad-based common educational experience. Students select from approved general education courses to fulfill general education competencies. The College has defined required and elective courses in the General Catalog 61-64. Attachment IV defines various subjects which can be used to fulfill the requirements in each curricular area. The General Catalog 64 specifically defines courses students may select to complete Regents' core requirements.
All degrees and certificates offered by Bossier Parish Community College are submitted to the Louisiana Board of Regents for consideration, and only programs which satisfy appropriate general education requirements receive approval.
At the time of the submission of the Compliance Audit Report, Bossier Parish Community College had just completed a two-year redesign of course and learning outcomes to reflect a learning-centered approach, which previously had been a goals and objectives approach. The first academic year in which the College collected data to document attainment of general education core requirements based on learning outcomes was 2006-07, which included fall 2006 and spring 2007 semesters. At the time of submission of Compliance Audit in March 2007, the spring 2007 semester was still in progress. At that time, learning outcome results and the use of them from fall 2006 were still being collected, and this information from spring 2007 was not complete.
The Bossier Parish Community College general education core competency assessment document has now been completed to show that students have attained core competencies. The General Education Core Competency Assessment is attached as documentation. This document illustrates student attainment of college level competencies and the use of the results for improvement of student success. This approach is now an annual process.
Bossier Parish Community College offers undergraduate degree and certificate programs with a general education component that complies with Louisiana Board of Regents requirements. General education core requirements are listed in the Bossier Parish Community College General Catalog. Learning outcomes for general education competencies are measured and documented in the general education core competency assessment.
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