As you may know, the Academic Standards Advisory Committee (ASAC) recently voted to recommend the removal of the Digital Literacy requirement for the Associate of General Studies (AGS) and all Associate of Applied Science (AAS) and Associate of Science (AS) degrees. This aligns with other community colleges and statewide degrees, which do not have a digital literacy requirement. The Academic and Student Affairs division has accepted the recommendation from ASAC and the removal of this requirement will go into effect for the 2025-26 catalog year. 

We considered information from faculty, staff and deans when making this decision.  I want to thank everyone that provided information for consideration during this process, both faculty and staff.  I would especially like to thank faculty from the Computer Information Sciences and Office Administration Technology programs, for providing information to ASAC during our discussions. Ultimately, ASAC recognizes the critical importance of digital literacy for both the college and underprepared students. As a college it is critical for us to engage in conversations to determine how we will continue supporting all students in the realm of digital literacy moving into the future.

Next Steps for Programs

We value the existing digital literacy courses and recognize their importance in preparing our students for success in an increasingly digital world. In light of this change, we strongly encourage all programs to continue working with their deans to carefully analyze their curricula to ensure that digital literacy skills remain integrated throughout their respective pathways. This may involve identifying opportunities to incorporate relevant digital competencies within existing courses or developing new, discipline-specific modules that address these essential skills. Before entirely removing the existing digital literacy courses from degree pathways, we urge programs to do a thorough audit and carefully consider all options, including the possibility of maintaining these courses as recommended electives or developing program-specific alternatives that align with industry needs. 

Tim Pierce is available as a reference to guide programs through making these changes for the 2025-26 catalog. 

Yours, 

David Hallett
Vice President, Academic & Student Affairs