General education is intended to nurture the development of literate, well-informed graduates who are competent life-long learners. It is basic to Lewis-Clark State College's mission. General education "connects learning to life" by providing students with the skills, knowledge, and dispositions necessary for continued learning about their natural and social worlds, thinking clearly about them, communicating their ideas about them effectively, and functioning comfortably in a variety of social institutions. These broad goals are part of all programs (see "Expectations of Students" on page 3 of the catalog).

The General Education Core Curriculum is the foundation for courses that students take in major programs. The Curriculum includes three aspects: learning skills, basic knowledge, and values clarification. Communication, computation, human relations, and wellness skills are building blocks for success in college programs and effective life long learning. Basic knowledge introduces students to the content and methodology of the major areas of knowledge—the humanities and fine arts, the natural sciences, mathematics, and the social sciences—and provides an opportunity for students to examine the linkages among different areas of knowledge. The General Education Core Curriculum enables students to recognize different value systems and to understand and refine their personal values.

The Core Curriculum is a series of courses that are essential to all baccalaureate and associate degree programs at LCSC; and its goals are integral elements within all certificate programs. LCSC's General Education Core Curriculum conforms to the State Board of Education's credit and course requirements.

While the Core Curriculum provides foundations in learning skills and basic knowledge, the major programs provide a sustained emphasis on general education goals in order to refine those skills and relate basic knowledge to the purposes of their programs. Additionally, ethics and values are a more explicit part of program objectives.