Appendix 3: Learning goals in peer institutions 1

Appendix 3: Learning goals in peer institutions

Institutions with Open Curricula

Brown University

Below are a few goals to keep in mind as you plan your course of study:

Work on your speaking and writing

Understand differences among cultures

Evaluate human behavior

Learn what it means to study the past

Experience scientific inquiry

Develop a facility with symbolic languages

Expand your reading skills

Enhance your aesthetic sensibility

Embrace diversity

Collaborate fully

Apply what you have learned

[The extensive explanations are omitted; see

http://brown.edu/Administration/Dean_of_the_College/curriculum/downl

oads/Lib_Learning_Goals.pdf]

Appendix 3: Learning goals in peer institutions 2

Grinnell College

The Elements of a Liberal Education

The original seven liberal arts, in the classical world, consisted of the trivium of deductive

reasoning comprised of grammar, logic, and rhetoric, and the quadrivium of quantitative

reasoning, which encompassed geometry, astronomy, arithmetic, and music. In Rethinking

Liberal Education (1996), Bruce Kimball describes how the medieval European universities

added to the seven liberal arts “the three philosophies”: natural philosophy (empirical science),

moral philosophy (human thought and behavior), and metaphysics (ontology, or the study of

being). These categories of the liberal arts, inherited from the medieval European university, find

their modern forms in the science, social studies, and humanities divisions into which Grinnell

College, like many colleges and universities today, distributes its academic departments.

Interdisciplinary programs draw upon multiple departments to examine newer areas of study

such as environmental studies, global development, gender and women’s studies, technology,

and American studies.

Grinnell faculty members have articulated six areas of study in the current curriculum that are

important elements of a liberal education. Students should review this list for guidance as they

consider their curricular plans.

1. Nothing enhances the expression of knowledge better than engaging, clear, and accurate

language. Reading closely, thinking clearly, and writing effectively form a web of

connected skills, whether practiced in the First-Year Tutorial, in the Writing Lab, in

designated writing courses, or in courses ranging from the introductory to the advanced

level in almost every discipline. Students planning their academic programs should strive

for the ability to convey their ideas with power and grace, to analyze and formulate

arguments, and to adapt each piece of writing to its context and audience.

2. Study of a language other than one’s own opens the mind to new ways of thinking.

Language placement tests are offered during New Student Orientation, and students are

asked to determine their appropriate level at that time. Many Grinnell College faculty

members urge their advisees to study a nonnative language and its literature, not only for

the exposure to a rich alternative world of cultural meanings, but also to gain a valuable

perspective (unavailable to the monolingual person) on the workings of language itself.

For careful planning, students should note that many off-campus study opportunities, the

Appendix 3: Learning goals in peer institutions 3

Alternative Language Study Option, certain academic majors, and many types of

postgraduate study require specific levels of demonstrated ability in foreign languages.

3. An education in the natural sciences—biology, chemistry, physics, and psychology—

introduces techniques of observation and experimentation, the relation of data to

hypotheses, and the practice of scientific reasoning. This work trains the mind to relate

concrete empirical information to abstract models, stimulating multidimensional and

creative habits of thought. Sustained experience in the laboratory and a grasp of basic

scientific principles lead to a better understanding of commonly observed phenomena.

Nonspecialists who are scientifically literate bring valuable understanding to public

discourse and to an increasing number of professional settings.

4. Quantitative reasoning, with emphasis on mathematical models and methods above the

secondary-school level, aids in the expression of hypotheses, processes, and theoretical

relations. A course in statistics can be helpful for all students, and particularly for those

who might work in the social and behavioral sciences. Studies in computer science offer

valuable exposure to principles of logic and problem-solving paradigms.

5. The study of human behavior and society leads students to investigate their own identities

and to gain insight into social categories and relations. Faculty advisers often urge

students to take a sustained look at the history of a specific society, and also to examine a

contemporary society (or a segment of it) that is unfamiliar. In light of these encounters,

students learn to make and evaluate their own political and ethical choices. Whether a

student explores anthropology, economics, education, history, philosophy, political

science, religious studies, sociology, or interdisciplinary studies, this question will lie

near the heart of the inquiry: in what ways have people lived together, and how should

they live together?

6. Students enlarge their understanding of the liberal arts through the study of creative

expression. In the analysis of creative works, whether through historical survey of forms,

aesthetic theory, or interpretive practice, the arts occupy the foreground, though

knowledge of history and society may inform the analysis. In this way, courses in

literature, music, theatre, dance, and the visual arts complement studies in anthropology,

history, philosophy, religious studies, and other fields. Students also benefit from

learning, through direct instruction in artistic or literary technique, the intense discipline

of art and its interplay between conscious intent and unconscious design.

Students of the liberal arts should use this framework as a starting point for intellectual discovery

and personal development as they plan their four years of study in consultation with their

advisers.

Hamilton College (actually is phasing in requirements)

Appendix 3: Learning goals in peer institutions 4

College Purposes and Goals

Hamilton College is committed to the intellectual and personal development of students. We

seek to nourish a love of learning, a creative spirit, and an informed and responsible engagement

with an ever-changing world. To promote these qualities, the College challenges all of its

students to work with their advisors to devise an educational program that fosters:

Intellectual Curiosity and Flexibility — examining facts, phenomena and issues in

depth, and from a variety of perspectives, and having the courage to revise beliefs and

outlooks in light of new evidence.

Analytic Discernment — analyzing information, patterns, connections, arguments, ideas,

and views quantitatively and symbolically.

Aesthetic Discernment — evaluating quality and value in a variety of artistic and other

intellectual domains.

Disciplinary Practice — engaging in the focused and sustained practice of disciplinary

techniques and methodologies in order to acquire mastery of a specific ability or craft.

Creativity — imagining and developing original ideas, approaches, works and

interpretations, and solving problems resourcefully.

Communication and Expression — expressing oneself with clarity and eloquence, in

both traditional and contemporary media, through writing and speaking, and through

visual, aural, gestural and other modalities.

Understanding of Cultural Diversity — critically engaging with multiple cultural

traditions and perspectives, and with interpersonal situations that enhance understanding of

different identities and foster the ability to work and live productively and harmoniously

with others.

Ethical, Informed and Engaged Citizenship — developing an awareness of the

challenges and responsibilities of local, national and global citizenship, and the ability to

meet such challenges and fulfill such responsibilities by exercising sound and informed

judgment in accordance with just principles.

In pursuing these goals, students should progress meaningfully along a path toward fulfilling

their potential for being thoughtful, responsible, and purposeful individuals with the capacity to

make a positive difference in the world.

Education in the liberal arts at Hamilton College comprises:

I. Foundations: The faculty expects that students will attain a high level of engagement early in

their studies and will develop as creative and critical thinkers, writers and speakers. To achieve

these aims, the College encourages all students to participate in at least four proseminars and

Appendix 3: Learning goals in peer institutions 5

requires all students to complete the Writing Program and the Quantitative Literacy

Requirement.

1. The Proseminar Program: Proseminars emphasize active participation and engagement in learning.

Proseminars offer intensive interaction among students, and between students and instructors, through

emphasis on writing, speaking and discussion, and other approaches to inquiry and expression that

demand such intensive interaction. Descriptions of proseminars are available through advisors and the

Office of the Registrar.

2. The Writing Program: Students must pass at least three writing-intensive courses. For a full

description of the Writing Program requirements, see "Standards for Written Work."

3. The Quantitative Literacy Requirement: For students through the Class of 2013. Every student must

demonstrate basic quantitative literacy by passing a quantitative skills examination given during

Orientation, or by passing a designated quantitative course, or by completing a non-credit tutorial. This

requirement should be completed by the end of the second year. For a detailed description and list of

courses, see "Standards for Quantitative Work."

The Quantitative and Symbolic Reasoning Requirement: For students in the Classes of 2014 and 2015.

Every student must pass at least one designated quantitative and symbolic reasoning course. This

requirement should be completed by the end of the second year. For a detailed description of this

requirement, see "Standards for Quantitative Work."

II. Breadth in the Liberal Arts: As a liberal arts college, Hamilton expects students to

undertake coursework in a wide variety of disciplines, to explore areas unfamiliar to them and to

make connections across courses and disciplines. A liberally educated person studies in the

traditional academic divisions of the arts, foreign languages, the humanities, mathematics, the

sciences and the social sciences. Hamilton also emphasizes cultural analysis, including the study

of non-western traditions and of diversity in the United States. Students will work with their

advisors to determine how best to achieve this intellectual balance.

III. Concentration: Each student must meet the requirements for a concentration.

IV. Senior Program: All students are required to complete the Senior Program in their

concentrations as a means of demonstrating an appropriate level of mastery of the content and

methods of a discipline. Each department and program of concentration has designed a senior

program that serves as an integrating and culminating experience for the concentration. Building

on their courses and showing their increasing ability to work independently in terms of both

motivation and subject matter, seniors are required to produce a significant synthesis of

knowledge by means of one of the following: a research project leading to a written, aural or

visual creation; a seminar for concentrators, including a major presentation and research paper by

each student; or comprehensive examinations ideally involving both written and aural

components.

Appendix 3: Learning goals in peer institutions 6

Students make progress toward meeting these goals by studying broadly across diverse areas of

inquiry, guided by their advisors, and investigating a particular area of study more thoroughly by

completing a concentration of their choosing. A faculty advisor assigned to each student provides

information, advice and dialogue about choice of courses as the student strives to meet these

goals. For many faculty members and students, this relationship will be as important as any they

form. As the primary intellectual guide, the faculty determines the fundamental structure and the

basic requirements of the curriculum in light of the liberal arts tradition and its appropriate

adaptation to the contemporary world.

In sum, our mission is to provide an educational experience that emphasizes academic excellence

and the development of students as human beings, as we prepare them to make choices and

accept the responsibilities of citizenship in a democratic world of intellect and diversity.

Smith College

1The Smith “Design for Learning” (2007) plan “to reimagine a liberal arts education” defined

“essential capabilities,” currently being assessed, before getting to majors for the decennial

report. The capabilities are:

Develop the ability to think critically and analytically and to convey knowledge and

understanding by

writing clearly

speaking articulately

reading closely

evaluating and presenting evidence accurately

knowing and using quantitative skills

applying scientific reasoning

engaging with artistic creation and expression

working independently

…and collaboratively

Develop a historical and comparative perspective, which requires

learning a foreign language

studying the historical development of societies, cultures, and philosophies

understanding multi- and interdisciplinary approaches

Become an informed global citizen, which requires

engaging with communities beyond Smith

valuing tolerance and appreciating diversity

applying moral reasoning to ethical problems

understanding environmental challenges.

Appendix 3: Learning goals in peer institutions 7

Wesleyan University

ESSENTIAL CAPABILITIES

A Wesleyan Education for the 21st Century describes the University's vision for an education in

the liberal arts and sciences: "The task of a liberal education is to instill a capacity for critical and

creative thinking that can address unfamiliar and changing circumstances, to engender a moral

sensibility that can weigh consequences beyond self, and to establish an enduring love of

learning for its own sake that will enable graduates to refresh their education throughout their

lives."

The University aims to accomplish this by a three-pronged approach that exposes students to the

most essential issues in broad areas of knowledge; enhances our students' skills in interpreting,

communicating, and creating knowledge; and allows them to explore one area of knowledge

more deeply. The first component is fulfilled by means of the general education expectations, the

second by taking courses that will enhance the students' essential capabilities, and the third by

completing a concentration requirement (a major). We believe that this combination of breadth,

depth, and skills prepares our students to meet the challenges they will face throughout their

lives, to continue to be lifelong learners, and to grow as productive, creative, and ethical human

beings.

On March 1, 2005, the faculty updated the essential capabilities, with the understanding that

some, such as critical thinking and analysis, are deeply embedded in all or most of our courses

and in Wesleyan's interactive and diverse community. Their pervasiveness makes the unsuitable

for labeling particular courses. Others capabilities, however, lend themselves to labeling

individual courses or clusters of courses. They are:

Writing The ability to write coherently and effectively. This skill implies the ability to reflect on the

writing process and to choose a style, tone, and method of argumentation appropriate to the

intended audience.

Speaking The ability to speak clearly and effectively. This skill involves the ability to articulate and

advocate for ideas, to listen, to express in words the nature and import of artistic works, and to

participate effectively in public forums, choosing the level of discourse appropriate to the

occasion.

Interpretation The ability to understand, evaluate, and contextualize meaningful forms, including written texts,

objects, practices, performances, and sites. This includes (but is not limited to) qualitative

responses to subjects, whether in language or in a non-verbal artistic or scientific medium.

Quantitative Reasoning The ability to understand and use numerical ideas and methods to describe and analyze

Appendix 3: Learning goals in peer institutions 8

quantifiable properties of the world. Quantitative reasoning involves skills such as making

reliable measurements, using statistical reasoning, modeling empirical data, formulating

mathematical descriptions and theories, and using mathematical techniques to explain data and

predict outcomes.

Logical Reasoning The ability to make, recognize, and assess logical arguments. This skill involves extracting or

extending knowledge on the basis of existing knowledge through deductive inference and

inductive reasoning.

Designing, Creating, and Realizing The ability to design, create, and build. This skill might be demonstrated through scientific

experimentation to realize a research endeavor, a theater or dance production, or creation of

works such as a painting, a film, or a musical composition.

Ethical Reasoning The ability to reflect on moral issues in the abstract and in historical narratives within particular

traditions. Ethical reasoning is the ability to identify, assess, and develop ethical arguments from

a variety of ethical positions.

Intercultural Literacy The ability to understand diverse cultural formations in relation to their wider historical and

social contexts and environments. Intercultural literacy also implies the ability to understand and

respect another point of view. Study of a language not one's own, contemporary or classical, is

central to this skill. The study of a language embedded in a different cultural context, whether in

North America or abroad, may also contribute to this ability.

Information Literacy The ability to locate, evaluate, and effectively use various sources of information for a specific

purpose. Information literacy implies the ability to judge the relevance and reliability of

information sources as well as to present a line of investigation in an appropriate format.

Effective Citizenship The ability to analyze and develop informed opinions on the political and social life of one's

local community, one's country, and the global community, and to engage in constructive action

if appropriate. As with Intercultural Literacy, study abroad or study in a different cultural context

within North America may contribute to a firm grasp of this ability.

Appendix 3: Learning goals in peer institutions 9

Colleges with requirements

Beloit College

The Goals of Beloit College

As a learning community, we value

the pursuit of knowledge through free inquiry

the pursuit of personal, social, and intellectual development through multiple paths

a spirit of collaboration, civility, and respect

creativity and innovation

the educational benefits of engaging diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and identities

active, responsible citizenship

integrity of purpose and performance

As members of this community, Beloit College students develop

a passion for learning within and beyond the classroom

depth and breadth of knowledge

an understanding of the significance of human accomplishments across cultures and

times

an understanding of the ways in which human communities operate and interact

an understanding of scientific perspectives and processes

an understanding of diverse cultures and the effects of culture on behavior

an appreciation of aesthetics and the power of creative expression

an awareness of the ways in which disciplines interact and overlap

a core of essential skills for productive, meaningful engagement with the world:

o effective written and oral communication

o logical thinking

o quantitative reasoning

o information literacy

o problem-solving

o judgment

We accomplish these goals through a rigorous, coherent curriculum and comprehensive

cocurriculum that emphasize

engaged learning

collaborative learning

experiential learning

interdisciplinary and integrated learning

Appendix 3: Learning goals in peer institutions 10

international/global perspectives

--approved by Academic Senate December 2005, Approved by Board of Trustees February 2006

Carleton College

Student Learning Outcomes

These six institutional learning outcomes, which are drawn from the academic goals section of

the College’s Mission, form the basis for our assessment plan. The purpose of our plan is to

gauge the degree to which we are achieving these goals and to guide discussions of how we can

enhance teaching and learning.

The College’s mission is to provide an exceptional undergraduate liberal arts education. At

Carleton, we value intellectual curiosity, risk taking, courage, the development of wisdom and

creativity. As a residential liberal arts college, Carleton strives to create a collaborative

community in which faculty, staff, and students respect one another. These qualities are an

integral part of who we are and because we do not want to lose sight of them, we state them here,

along with the more measurable objectives listed below.

Carleton College graduates should be able to:

1. Demonstrate that they have acquired knowledge necessary for the continuing study

of the world’s peoples, arts, environments, literatures, sciences and institutions i.e.

learning to learn.

2. Demonstrate substantial knowledge of a field of study and the modes of inquiry or

methodologies pertinent to that field. 3. Analyze evidence i.e. identify underlying assumptions in particular theoretical

orientations, methodological approaches or arguments; present opposing viewpoints and

alternative hypotheses; recognize quantitative and qualitative claims, etc.

4. Formulate and solve problems i.e. locate, analyze, synthesize and evaluate

information; discern patterns, coherence and significance; explore a situation,

phenomenon, question or problem to arrive at a hypothesis or conclusion about it, come

to well-reasoned conclusions or solutions, etc.

5. Communicate and argue effectively.

6. In their chosen field of study, conduct disciplinary and/or interdisciplinary research

and/or undertake independent work which may include artistic creation or

production.

(Carleton has a large number of breadth requirements [Writing, Q Reasoning, Science, et

al.], which it maps against these six goals

Appendix 3: Learning goals in peer institutions 11

Haverford College

Educational Goals & Aspirations

In Spring of 2010, the Board of Managers and the Faculty endorsed a set of student

learning goals that a Haverford education is designed to achieve. This document, our

“Educational Goals and Aspirations,” continues to evolve as faculty consider and articulate

the many facets of a Haverford education.

Mastery and Critique

Haverford College’s curriculum is designed not only to help students acquire a particular body of

knowledge but to develop the capacity to learn, to understand, to make sound and thoughtful

Appendix 3: Learning goals in peer institutions 12

judgments, and to balance creativity and analysis. Within each discipline, academic work

evolves from the mastery of key concepts through critical analysis to active participation in the

construction of scholarship. This intellectual preparation culminates in our academic requirement

that each senior produce a piece of independent work in the form of a senior thesis or project.

Students cultivate the ability to critique and analyze primary texts, to appreciate theoretical rigor,

and to learn through observation, experiment, or empirical methods, as appropriate. Students thus

gain mastery of their chosen disciplines.

Ownership, Contribution, and Accountability

In all disciplines, students are expected to contribute original ideas for which they are

accountable. They learn to present and defend their ideas both orally and in writing. Students are

encouraged to interrogate and articulate why they think what they think, both inside and outside

of the classroom.

Translation and Interpretation

Students engage in acts of translation, interpretation, and cultural inquiry in every area of their

studies. These intellectual habits encourage students to formulate questions, explore areas of

difference, and understand their own positions vis-à-vis various forms of history, politics and

knowledge. Such practices develop models of reading and analysis that illuminate students’

scholarship and judgments across disciplines and contexts.

Breadth and Depth

Appendix 3: Learning goals in peer institutions 13

In addition to mastering a discipline, all students are required to acquaint themselves with the

breadth of intellectual approaches exemplified in the classic divisions of natural sciences, social

sciences, and humanities; they must have experience of a second language and acquire

quantitative skills. As distinctions among the divisions continue to blur, students are encouraged

to explore interdisciplinarity through minors and areas of concentration.

Communication and Representation

All academic majors require students to communicate and represent ideas in modes that are

appropriate to the discipline. The primary form of communication is often written prose, but

students also learn to express themselves and their original contributions in a variety of

presentation forms (e.g., oral, artistic, creative). A College Writing requirement is implemented

during the first year, to ensure that all students enter their academic disciplines with basic skills

of written argument and persuasion.

Non doctior, sed meliore doctrina imbutus

Our Quaker heritage is expressed in the Haverford motto: "Not more learned, but imbued with

better learning." We offer our students many opportunities to engage fundamental issues of

inequality and social justice. The college encourages students to put learning into action for

greater ethical purposes. Our Quaker principles turn classrooms into communities where faculty

and students learn from each other, and where all voices are heard. In such contexts, students and

Appendix 3: Learning goals in peer institutions 14

faculty alike become better thinkers, listeners and speakers, making them partners in the creation

of knowledge.