The general education requirements for associate degrees at Florida Gateway College are consistent with the College philosophy which states that each student who attends the College shall be assisted in acquiring learning as a lifelong pattern. Specifically, students in career-oriented areas should be able to communicate, to calculate, and to understand the social and scientific implications of the world around them. Students seeking transfer to a baccalaureate program should complete a general education requirement which is broad in scope and requires an in-depth level of inquiry.
The College recognizes that student learning goals may change during a lifetime; therefore, the general education requirement for all degrees is collegiate in nature and, as such, should provide an academic foundation for lifelong learning. It is designed to meet students at their levels of ability and assist them in attaining collegiate levels of performance. Not all students come to the College prepared for this level of endeavor. Developmental education courses, therefore, are provided to assist the student in gaining the requisite skills necessary to be successful in a work or collegiate setting.
Students in an Associate in Arts or Associate in Science degree are required to demonstrate computer competency by passing SLS 1501 with a grade of C or higher or satisfactory completion of a college-wide computer competency test.
Florida Gateway College requires students in all associate degree programs to demonstrate oral communication competency. Competency is defined as the ability to perceive, interpret, evaluate, organize, and demonstrate effective oral presentation. Students who were admitted for first time registration for the summer of 2001 and after (or students who have not been enrolled for at least one semester for every year of enrollment), are required to prove competency by passing one of the following courses before graduation: ORI 2000 Fundamentals of Oral Interpretation , SPC 1017 Oral Communications , SPC 1061 Introduction to Academic and Professional Speaking , or SPC 2608 Public Speaking .
Listed below are the FGC General Learning Outcomes to be mastered by all students who complete an Associate in Arts program or an Associate in Science program. The curriculum in these courses will be mapped to confirm coverage of the competencies and the course examinations will be designed to assess mastery of the competencies.
- Communications
Students will demonstrate the ability to understand and be understood through oral and written communication skills.
Objectives:
- After reading college level curriculum, students will be able to apply reading skills to compose a response in a variety of contexts.
- Students will demonstrate the ability to recognize and compose college level writing in a variety of contexts.
- Students will demonstrate the ability to compose and deliver oral communication in a variety of contexts.
- Critical Thinking
Students will demonstrate the knowledge and ability to evaluate carefully and apply reasoning to differentiate between facts, inferences, assumptions and conclusions.
Objectives:
- Students will demonstrate the ability to question and evaluate information (data, ideas or concepts) for accuracy, objectivity and quality.
- Students will demonstrate the ability to analyze information (data, idea or concepts) in context to draw appropriate and well supported conclusions.
- Students will demonstrate the ability to synthesize ideas from a variety of sources producing an original product.
- Quantitative Reasoning
Students will demonstrate the ability to use numerical, geometric and measurement data in computations and reasoning to draw logical conclusions and make well-reasoned decisions.
Objectives:
- Students will demonstrate the ability to make necessary conversions from one system to another.
- Students will demonstrate the ability to interpret mathematical models such as formulas, graphs, tables, and to draw inferences from them.
- Students will demonstrate the ability to estimate and check answers to problems in order to determine reasonableness, identify alternatives, and select optimal results.
- Scientific Reasoning
Students will demonstrate the ability to apply empirical evidence to describe, understand and predict natural phenomena.
Objectives:
- Students will demonstrate the ability to integrate ideas and concepts from different disciplines to make field/lab observations, research archives, perform and collect analytical data to investigate natural phenomena.
- Students will demonstrate the ability to utilize and apply those data to construct maps, diagrams, graphs, and models to represent the natural phenomena.
- Students will demonstrate the ability to critically form his/her hypothesis of the natural phenomena observed.
- Information Literacy
Students will demonstrate the ability to locate, comprehend, evaluate and use information effectively and ethically.
- Students will demonstrate the ability to locate relevant resource materials available in the library or through the Florida college system in either electronic or print format.
- Students will demonstrate the ability to utilize appropriate electronic web resources to support their beliefs, position, and/or argument.
- Students will demonstrate the ability to use information derived from a variety of sources in accordance with the laws and guidelines of “Fair Use” and intellectual property rights.
- Cultural Awareness
Students will demonstrate an awareness and understanding of the diversity within and/or interconnections among various cultures.
Objectives:
- Students will demonstrate an understanding of the differences and/or interconnections between and among various cultures.
- Students will demonstrate an awareness of diverse perspectives on select cultures, cultural issues, and/or cultural products.
- Students will demonstrate the ability to reflect on cultural information in order to formulate their own opinions and responses.
General Information
The Associate in Science (A.S.) degree is designed for the student seeking training in business, health, technical, industrial, or public service fields.
A student interested in the Associate in Science degree is required to meet all general admission requirements and special program admission requirements and achieve acceptable scores on the college placement exam.
A student should check with an advisor to determine which courses, if any, may transfer.
A student wishing to apply to an Associate in Science program should consult the admission section of this catalog for information about general college admissions. However, a student is cautioned that acceptance into selective college programs is done officially by the specific instructional department and not the admissions office.
A student must complete a general admission application to the College and may also be required to submit a supplemental application to the instructional program.
Many of the Associate in Science degree programs have limited or special admissions requirements. A student should not assume guaranteed admittance because he or she has completed recommended or required prerequisites. A student will be officially notified, in writing, of his or her acceptance into a particular Associate in Science program.
The Associate in Science degree student is required to complete a placement exam as prescribed by State Board Rule.
A student who does not achieve minimum scores will be required to take developmental education classes in English, math, reading, and SLS 1501 The College Experience . Developmental education classes will not count toward completion of an academic degree.
Florida Gateway College Student Guarantee Program
Any Associate in Science graduate, who is judged by his/her employer to be lacking in the technical job skills identified in the exit competencies for his/her specific degree program will be provided up to twelve (12) tuition-free credit hours of additional skill training, under the conditions of the guarantee policy.
Special Conditions:
- The graduate must have earned the A.S. degree, beginning 1999 or thereafter, in an occupational program identified in the College catalog.
- The graduate must have completed the A.S. degree at FGC (with a majority of the credits being earned at FGC) and must have completed the degree within a four-year time span.
- Graduates must be employed full time in an area directly related to the area of program concentration.
- Employment related to the degree area must commence within twelve (12) months of graduation.
- The employer must certify, in writing, that the employee is lacking entry-level skills identified by FGC as the employee’s program competencies and must specify the areas of deficiency within ninety (90) days of the graduate’s initial employment.
- The employer, graduate, faculty, and Division Chair are to develop a written education plan for retraining. The plan is to be approved by the appropriate Vice President.
- Retraining will be limited to twelve (12) credit hours related to the identified skill deficiency and those classes regularly scheduled during the period covered by the retraining plan.
- All retraining must be completed within eighteen months from the time the educational plan is agreed upon.
- The graduate and/or employer is responsible for cost of books, insurance, and uniforms.
- The guarantee does not imply that the graduate will pass any licensing or qualifying examination for a particular career.
- If the student has passed a national or state licensing exam (i.e.: NCLEX; Microsoft certification) the College has no obligation to retrain.
- The student’s sole remedy against FGC and its employees for skill deficiencies shall be limited to twelve (12) credit hours of tuition-free education (fees included) under conditions described above.
Graduation Requirements
All students must:
- Complete the program requirements as outlined in the program section of the catalog,
- Demonstrate competence in reading, math, and language,
- Complete at least 15 hours of general education requirements as part of an A.S. program,
- Meet Florida Gateway College’s residency requirement by completing a minimum of 25 percent of the program in residence at FGC before graduation from Florida Gateway College,
- Maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher,
- Demonstrate computer and oral communication competency,
- Pass the College’s Communication/Computation Rule (Gordon Rule) classes with a 2.0 GPA for each class.
A student who owes an obligation to the College will not receive a diploma or transcript until the obligation is resolved.
A student is strongly encouraged to contact the instructional program department concerning the guidelines and requirements for full acceptance into the Associate in Science degree program.
Associate in Science Programs
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