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Learning Framework

Finger Lakes Community College adopted its first college-wide learning outcomes in 1992 to guide the educational experiences of all students, regardless of program. In 2014, the faculty revised these outcomes to better reflect the distinctive values of an FLCC education while also responding to changes in SUNY and regional accreditation requirements. That same year, the Academic Senate approved a new framework to guide general education at FLCC.

Between 2021 and 2024, SUNY introduced additional revisions to the General Education Framework, including updates to Knowledge & Skills areas, the addition of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice and Civic Discourse competencies, and expanded attention to the role of technology in Information Literacy. In response, FLCC undertook another review of its Learning Framework through faculty workshops, listening sessions, and collaborative governance processes. An ad hoc committee representing academic departments, Assessment and Curriculum committees, the Library, Student Affairs, and the Office of Assessment, Planning, and Continuous Improvement developed the revised framework, which was approved through governance in spring 2026.

As part of this revision, the College adopted the white oak as the new symbol of the Learning Framework, replacing the Parthenon. Native to the Finger Lakes region and represented by longstanding trees on the Canandaigua campus, the white oak reflects FLCC’s deep community roots, resilience, adaptability, and support for diverse learning pathways. Its acorns symbolize the College’s investment in students and their future growth. At the time this catalog was published, the updated graphic representation of the Framework was still being finalized for release in fall 2026.

FLCC graduates demonstrate the College’s core values:

  • Inquiry: Pose insightful and productive questions; generate, evaluate, integrate, and cite evidence to support reasonable conclusions.
  • Interconnectedness: Express connections among disciplines with creativity and clarity.
  • Perseverance: Take actionable steps to complete tasks independently and collaboratively.
  • Vitality: Consider the impact of individual actions on personal and community well-being, including physical, environmental, social, occupational, and financial wellness.

As part of the Learning Framework, students complete SUNY-approved general education requirements established through their degree programs and regional accreditation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.