Three major changes are awaiting approval to be implemented by fall semester 2025 in a restructure of Citrus College’s local associate degree requirements.
The potential revision could see a required ethnic studies course, earning credit for non-credit classes and new revised requirements to obtain a local associate’s degree from Citrus College.
A local associate’s degree can be obtained from a college that has tailored its curriculum to its region. While a regular associate is not tailored and can be obtained at any general two-year college.
The potential restructure comes off the back of the statewide Academic Senate Board policies AP 4100 and 4025 in collaboration with the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, which were voted on to approve by the Academic Senate to meet new mandated Title 5 requirements.
Policy AP 4100 will change the graduation requirements for degrees and certificates.
Policy AP 4025 will change the philosophy and criteria for an associate degree and general education.
Future Requirements
If both Board policies were to be put into place, the first major change students could be seeing would be a requirement to complete a three-unit ethnic studies course.
This was clarified over email by Michelle Plug-Gordin, curriculum chair for the Academic Senate.
“Every student will now complete a 3-unit course in Ethnic Studies, with options such as African American Studies, Asian American Studies, and Chicano/a/x Studies,” Plug-Gordin said over email.
The next change students can expect to come will be earning credit for noncredit, also known as mirror classes.
Plug-Gordin said this change is being put into place for students to “meet degree requirements more quickly by recognizing skills they already possess.”
The final change students may see is an overall changed requirement to obtain a local associate’s degree.
The new general education requirements for the 2025-2026 catalog are below.
- English Composition and Oral Communication/Critical Thinking for six units in two courses
- Mathematical concepts and quantitative reasoning for three units in one course
- Arts and humanities for three units in one course
- Social and behavioral sciences for three units in one course
- Natural sciences for three units in one course
- Ethnic studies for three units in one course
- Personal health and wellness for three units in one course
Both AP 4100 and AP 4025 have been under revision by the academic senate, with AP 4100 being first approved by the Board on May 18, 2010 and AP 4025 on July 21, 2009.
Current Requirements
The current general education requirements for the 2024-2025 catalog on the Citrus College website state “9 semester or 12 quarter units required with at least one course each from A1 (English composition), A2 (communication and analytical thinking) and A3 (mathematics).” Along with the three A sections:
- A minimum of four natural science units
- Six arts and humanities units,
- Six social and behavior units
- Three kinesiology/dance units are required.
“These updates are designed to help students succeed in both educational and career pathways, saving them time and money,” Plug-Gordin said in the email.
These new general education requirements also align with the Cal-GETC pattern, which meets the transfer requirements for both UC and CSU systems.
