The Pillars
Historical & Contemporary Insights | Human Behavior & Social Institutions | Global Citizenship
Aesthetic Expression | Quantitative Reasoning | Scientific Reasoning
Historical and Contemporary Insights
Pillar Objective: Describe and analyze continuity and change in one or more cultures.
Pillar Student Learning Outcomes: At the completion of this course, students will be able to
SLO 1: describe and analyze historical and cultural continuity and change over one or more periods of time;
SLO 2: identify and interpret evidence from primary sources (such as historical documents, works of art and literature, material artifacts, or oral traditions and interviews) and/or scholarly sources;
SLO 3: construct evidence-based arguments that connect specific historical and cultural changes to regional, national, and/or global processes.
Human Behavior and Social Institutions
Pillar Objective: Evaluate cultural norms, societal institutions, and implicit and explicit assumptions about themselves.
Student Learning Outcomes: At the completion of this course, students will be able to
SLO 1: explain the relationship between social institutions and individual and cultural perspectives;
SLO 2: articulate how assumptions and biases underlie/connect to personal beliefs and behaviors;
SLO 3: examine human behavior, cultural norms, and social institutions through a disciplinary lens.
Pillar Objective: Develop skills for global citizenship through the study of world languages and cultures.
Student Learning Outcomes: At the completion of this course, students will be able to
SLO 1: recognize similarities and differences among the artifacts, practices and/or institutions, and perspectives of world cultures;
SLO 2: demonstrate awareness of the role of ethnocentrism in shaping perceptions of the world.
If this course IS being offered with World Languages designation, it must also meet the following Student Learning Outcome: At the completion of this course, students will be able to
SLO 3: communicate in a language other than English.
Pillar Objective: Explore and/or engage in creative and artistic expression.
Student Learning Outcomes: At the completion of this course, students will be able to
SLO 1: demonstrate an understanding of the aesthetic principles within a particular discipline;
SLO 2: identify and/or execute artistic elements as a form of expression.
Pillar Objective: Analyze which quantitative reasoning methods best address different types of questions and apply them to various problems in context.
Student Learning Outcomes: At the completion of this course, students will be able to:
SLO 1: Representation: formulate a question/issue using appropriate mathematical, algorithmic, and/or statistical terms, and explain the decision process behind the choices made in that formulation.
SLO 2: Solving Problems: use mathematical, algorithmic, and/or statistical methods to gather and/or analyze data. Justification of the methods chosen should be included.
SLO 3: Reasonableness: determine the reasonableness of an answer and/or evaluate the explanations of data for reasonableness. Understand the limitations behind the methods used in the previous outcome.
SLO 4: Close the Loop: interpret the results of a mathematical, algorithmic, and/or statistical analysis. Present the interpretation in a context appropriate for a broader audience.
Pillar Objective: Use scientific reasoning to address a variety of questions in context.
Student Learning Outcomes: At the completion of this course, students will be able to
SLO 1: use scientific theories, scientific models, and empirical evidence to describe and make predictions about natural phenomena.
SLO 2: use appropriate scientific practices, including making observations, asking scientific questions, formulating hypotheses, identifying relevant variables, planning and carrying out investigations, evaluating data, and drawing evidence-based conclusions
SLO 3: describe how scientific reasoning is used to address significant contemporary issues with regard to social, cultural, and/or ethical considerations.