General Education Competencies & Foundational Component Areas

Critical Thinking Skills

Includes creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, analysis, evaluation, and synthesis of information.

Communication Skills

By effective development, interpretation, and expression of ideas through written, oral and visual communication.

Empirical & Quant Skills

The manipulation and analysis of numerical data or observable facts by Empirical and Quantitative Skills, result in informed conclusions.

Teamwork

The ability to consider different points of view and to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal.

Social Responsibility

Social Responsibility is intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the ability to engage effectively.

Personal Responsibility

Personal Responsibility is the ability to connect choices, actions, and consequences to ethical decision-making.

About Foundational Component Areas

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board determined the Foundational Component Areas that comprise the core curriculum. There are eight Foundational Component Areas (FCA) and one Component Area Option (CAO). The CAO may provide options for students to choose additional courses from other FCA. Each FCA has a component description as definition, a set number of Semester Credit Hours (SCH) required for completion of a component, and specified Core Objectives requirements. The tables below allow faculty to consider how the proposed general education courses align with the Foundation Component Areas and the required Competencies.  Please consider these questions prior to submitting a general education core curriculum course to the General Education Council.

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