SUNY schools to require added civic discourse, information literacy curriculum
Jaden Chen | Daily Orange File Photo
Starting in fall 2026, SUNY will require courses in civic discourse and information literacy to promote ethical engagement and critical thinking. These changes are part of efforts to enhance students' skills.
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State University of New York Chancellor John B. King announced new requirements for the SUNY undergraduate general education curriculum, with a primary focus on teaching students how to engage in ethical, respectful civic discourse.
Effective fall 2026, the updated undergraduate general education curriculum will introduce civic discourse and information literacy as core requirements in its curriculum. The civic discourse requirement focuses on fostering skills for respectful dialogue and productive conflict resolution while information literacy will address the rise of artificial intelligence and its relevance in college classrooms.
“The newly added civic discourse component ensures students gain the skills necessary to participate in civic life and engage in healthy dialogues in order to secure the future of our democracy,” the release states.
With the new curriculum, students will learn the critical evaluation process of diverse information sources, the ethical use of such technologies and effective information retrieval tailored to student needs.
According to the release, the revised student learning outcomes for information literacy are now focused on ensuring that students have the skills to use artificial intelligence effectively and ethically, instead of steering them away from machine learning algorithms entirely.
These changes are part of SUNY’s partnership with Gov. Kathy Hochul’s efforts to develop AI research in New York state.
In June 2024, the SUNY provost’s office formed a working group to create recommendations for the updated core competencies. The draft was circulated twice across the system for feedback before the SUNY Board of Trustees approved it in December.
The changes are set to roll out in two phases. Campuses will first develop and optionally adopt new learning experiences in civic discourse and artificial intelligence, followed by full implementation for all incoming associate and bachelor’s degree students starting in fall 2026.
Students will not be required to take additional credits once the curriculum requirements are implemented.
Published on January 14, 2025 at 9:04 pm
Contact Madeline: mmgoodhe@syr.edu
