The purpose of General Education in the Ontario college system is to contribute to the development of citizens who are conscious of the diversity, complexity, and richness of the human experience; who are able to establish meaning through this consciousness; and, who can contribute thoughtfully, creatively, and positively to the society in which they live and work.
General Education (GNED) courses are offered in five themes:
- Arts & Society
- Civic Life
- Social & Cultural Understanding
- Personal Understanding
- Science & Technology
Student Selection of Elective Courses
The general education learning opportunities are delivered using a combination of a college mandated general education courses, GNED 500 - Global Citizenship: From Social Analysis to Social Action, linked to our distinctive college "Signature Learning Experience", and two elective general education courses in our two year diploma and three year advanced diploma programs. Our one year Ontario college post secondary certificate programs of two or three academic semesters in length currently offer an elective GNED course or recommended GNED 500 course. The GNED 500 course covers all 5 possible themes for general education.
In all other general education courses, we strive to develop course content to address at least two of the GNED theme areas, ensuring that elective selections will continue to address breath of knowledge requirements and the application of this learning to the creation of meaningful work and meaning lives for our learners.