General Education Learning Outcomes

Communication

Includes the ability to listen, speak, and write competently so as to gain skills to interact effectively with others; and to read with comprehension.

Students will:

1. Examine messages from print, electronic, and/or visual sources. Students will interpret meaning and credibility of the message.
2. Use effective verbal or written delivery techniques. These include the appropriate use of structure, content, language, execution, technology, and non-verbal cues.
3. Develop and express a thesis through an appropriate use of evidence/ logic/data.
4. Display appropriate listening behaviors. This includes the attention to messages, the clarification of shared meaning, and the nonverbal confirmation of comprehension.
5. Utilize audience analysis in the development of the communication message.
6. Display effective group participation through the application of group discussion, group interaction, and/or public group presentation.

See Communication Rubric (revised Dec. 2017)

Critical Thinking

Includes the ability to grasp complexities, relationships, similarities and differences; to draw inferences and conclusions; to identify and troubleshoot problems; to collect and identify data to formulate and test solutions; and to identify how individual values and perceptions influence decision making.

Students will:

1. Identify and summarize, or explain the main question(s), problem(s), issue(s), points and/or argument(s).
2. Evaluate the quality of supporting data or evidence.
3. Analyze and evaluate the context, assumptions, and/or bias regarding the main problem, issue, or arguments.
4. State a position, perspective, thesis, hypothesis, argument, or findings, based on a line of reasoning and/or evidence.
5. Identify and evaluate relevant and valid points of view, including cultural values, conceptual models, theoretical frameworks, or different methodologies.
6. Draw valid conclusions.
7. Discuss the implications and consequences of their own work, including conclusions, findings, projects, or products.
8. Develop a logical conclusion based on a solution to a problem or an outcome of an experiment.

See Critical Thinking Rubric (revised Dec. 2017)

Diversity

(adopted Feb. 2022)

Students will:

1. Identify and describe diverse and changing human cultures in the United States (e.g., domestic, international, dominant, non-dominant, marginalized, othered, disenfranchised, empowered, systemically inequitable, systemically equitable, and intersecting, etc.).
2. Describe and explain global cultural markers (e.g., language, history, customs, worldviews, natural environments, abilities, artifacts, etc.) that constitute one’s self and one’s self in relation to other cultures and/or people.
3. Describe and explain the physical, institutional, social and cultural barriers and/or transformative opportunities which give rise to corresponding environmental injustices and justices.
4. Analyze the physical, institutional, social, and cultural barriers and/or transformative opportunities which influence diverse and changing human cultures and impact systemic inequities and injustices (e.g., class, race and mixed race, ethnicity, national origin, age, language, gender, ability, sovereignty, sexual orientation, political ideologies, economic structure, natural environments, historical events, social movements, religion, and/or other forms of identity or intersections of identities).
5. Research and analyze cultural competency (e.g., differences, rules, biases, systemic inequities, and transformative opportunities, etc.) in one’s own or another society, within or between non-dominant and dominant groups, and intersectional identities using relevant methodologies.

See Diversity Rubric (approved Sept. 2022)

Information Literacy

Includes the ability to understand information technology; use applications as tools; and to evaluate the applicability and validity of information.

Students will:

1. Identify sources: Identify and access appropriate sources for a given task using relevant research methodologies and technologies.
2. Evaluate sources: Identify and evaluate cues to credibility (e.g. authority, currency, partiality, limitations, and/or accuracy, etc.) and cues to incredibility (e.g. misinformation, disinformation, malinformation, propaganda, and/or fake news, etc.) for truth and intentionality.
3. Attribute sources: Attribute, use, and cite sources appropriately for a given task to avoid academic dishonesty.
4. Synthesize information: Synthesize information from multiple and/or diverse sources to produce a product (e.g. papers, literature reviews, informative brochures, lab reports, etc.) that accurately reflects relevant information.

See Information Literacy Rubric (revised March 2023)

People and Cultural Awareness

Includes the ability to develop a broad understanding of linguistic, political, social, environmental, religious, and economic systems; to attain skills to function effectively as responsible, ethical community members; and to learn to value, respect and critique the aesthetic and creative process.

Students will:

1. Use evidence and/or explain responsibilities of ethical contributing members living in diverse societies.
2. Analyze and articulate the ways in which individuals, groups, and institutions influence society.
3. Analyze and/or explain the impact of culture and experience on one’s worldview and behavior, including assumptions, biases, prejudices, and stereotypes.
4. Explain ethical positions and/or culturally-situated ideologies that may differ from their own.
5. Compare economic, historical, political, cultural, and/or social dynamics of diverse world cultures.
6. Critique the aesthetic and creative processes/products represented in particular cultural contexts constructively and respectfully.

See People and Cultural Awareness Rubric (revised Dec. 2017)

Quantitative Reasoning

Includes the ability to use scientific reasoning skills including induction and deduction; to discern bias and subjectivity; to perform appropriate calculations; and to understand, evaluate, model and effectively use data.

(revised Aug. 2021)

Students will:

1. Computational Skills: Demonstrate proficiency with arithmetic and algebraic computational skills, and extends them, for example, to geometric and statistical computations.
2. Communication of Quantitative Arguments: Express quantitative information symbolically, graphically, and in written or oral language.
3. Analysis of Quantitative Arguments: Select and use appropriate numeric, symbolic, graphical and statistical reasoning to interpret, analyze and critique information or line of reasoning presented by others.
4. Formulation of Quantitative Arguments: Recognize, evaluate, and use quantitative information, quantitative reasoning and technology to support a position or line of reasoning.
5. Mathematical Process: Design and follow a multi-step mathematical process through to a logical conclusion and critically evaluate the reasonableness of the result.
6. Quantitative Models: Create, analyze, and apply appropriate quantitative models to solve quantitative, theoretical, and real-world problems.

See Quantitative Reasoning Rubric (revised May 2022)