Philosophy of General Education (GE)

General Education provides students the means to comprehend the modern world. Toward that end, General Education provides students learning experiences meant to develop such abilities as being able to think critically, communicate clearly, use science and technology, and possess the basic principles, concepts, and methodologies both unique to, and shared by, various disciplines. General Education prepares students from diverse communities to live in and contribute to a complex, changing, multicultural, and diverse world. Most importantly, General Education creates a strong foundation in both breadth and depth upon which students can continue to develop an understanding of their specific interests, environments, and disciplines through productive lifelong learning.

Successful completion of approved programs at San Bernardino Valley College may lead to:

  • Completion of lower division (freshman and sophomore) requirements for transfer to upper division (junior) standing at a four-year college or university;
  • An Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree;
  • A Certificate of Completion in a specific occupational field.

Even though these objectives are listed separately, it is possible to achieve all three concurrently during the first two years of college. For example, it is possible to use the coursework completed for a certificate program as a major for an associate degree. Similarly, students completing lower division requirements for transfer to a four-year college or university will find it possible to meet the requirements for an associate degree from San Bernardino Valley College.

Students are encouraged to work with a counselor to develop an educational plan to meet educational goals in a time-effective manner. See Student Success and Support Program (SSSP) for details. 

Graduation Catalog Rights

Catalog Rights at San Bernardino Valley College (SBVC) are determined by the first term a student registers for courses at SBVC and/or Crafton Hills College (CHC), including courses offered through dual enrollment. Catalog rights remain with a student as long as they maintain continuous enrollment. A student may choose to fulfill graduation requirements from any academic year for which continuous enrollment is met.

Understanding Continuous Enrollment:

  • Continuous enrollment is defined as enrolling in at least one course during each academic year at SBVC and/or CHC, including courses offered through dual enrollment (Fall, Spring, Summer).
  • Any academic record symbol (A, B, C, D, F, CR, NC, P, NP, I, IP, EW, FW, or W) counts as enrollment.

Please Note: Catalog rights do not guarantee the availability of discontinued or significantly modified programs, courses, or requirements.

Catalog Rights and Transfer Institutions:

The California State Universities (CSUs) catalog rights are governed by Title 5, section 40401. Some CSUs may honor CCC catalog rights policies and extend their applicability to all students, in practice.

The University of California (UC) has no systemwide catalog rights policy. UC will continue to accept appropriate California Community College (CCC) certifications of IGETC and Cal-GETC for incoming students for the time being.

Graduation Requirement Exceptions

When a student has a deficiency in one or more of the areas required for graduation, he/she has the option of filing a Petition for Academic Exception, which is available in the Admissions and Records Office (AD/SS 100). The Scholastic Standards Committee will consider each petition based on its overall individual merit.