This manual on general education and common learning was prepared by and for the Dallas County Community College District's (DCCCD's) Committees for Common Learning (CCL's), which have been charged with reviewing the DCCCD's general education curriculum and degree requirements and making recommendations concerning common learning requirements and standards of student performance. After explaining the history and rationale of the DCCCD's Common Learning Project, the manual presents the responsibilities of the campus and districtwide CCL's and an administrative timetable. The next sections define key curriculum-related terms, present general education models used at four colleges, and discuss extracurricular activities as a vehicle for common learning. Following a review of socioeconomic trends and societal changes and their implications for general education, the manual presents a model for implementing and overcoming resistance to change. The last two sections consider the parameters to the DCCCD's curriculum revision set by Texas state agencies and regulations, and review potential obstacles to implementing a revised general education curriculum. Appendices contain: (1) a list of CCL members; (2) "Skills for Living," a guide for revising the general education curriculum; (3) current DCCCD degree requirements; (4) information on general education in occupational curricula; (5) data on DCCCD faculty and students; and (6) "Avoiding the Potholes: 43 Strategies for Reforming General Education, a paper by Jerry Gaff which reviews common problems faced by curriculum reform committees. (DAB)