WCU's Liberal Studies Program engages in an on-going assessment of student learning within its curriculum. Our Liberal Studies curriculum consists of approximately 250 courses, and its size means that it touches almost every student experience and almost every department at the university. It is important, then, that the university work to evaluate the extent to which the Program speaks to its intended content and objectives. Additionally, the accreditation process requires program assessment, as SACS-COC comprehensive standard 8.2.b states that for general education competencies, the university must “identify expected outcomes, assess the extent to which it achieves these outcomes, and provide evidence of seeking improvement.” (SACS-COC, Resource Manual for the Principles of Accreditation, 2018, p. 70).
To this end, the Liberal Studies Committee has identified eight student learning objectives and outcomes it expects all WCU students to achieve upon completion of their Liberal Studies courses.
These objectives are outlined below, as are their related outcomes and associated
rubrics.
Outcome #1: Students will formulate focused questions and hypotheses that address appropriately
the topic at hand, as well as identify and explain a method of inquiry.
Associated Rubric
Outcome #2: Students will identify appropriate information sources and evaluate critically
the credibility of those sources for relevance, legitimacy, and bias.
Associated Rubric
Outcome #3: Students will evaluate evidence and context as a means of analyzing complex issues.
Outcome #4: Students will apply appropriate disciplinary methodologies to answer questions
and propose solutions to problems within the human and natural worlds.
Associated Rubric
Outcome #5: Students will craft written and/or oral communication demonstrating organization,
clarity, logic, and skill for various audiences.
Associated Rubric
Outcome #6: Students will recognize behaviors and define choices that affect their lifelong
well-being.
Associated Rubric
Outcome #7: Students will examine critically various cultures through historical and contemporary
contexts at the local, national, and/or global levels.
Associated Rubric
Outcome #8: Students will evaluate the impact of their own and others’ actions on the human
and/or natural worlds.
Associated Rubric
Outcome #9: Students will acknowledge and understand the concept of diversity and demonstrate the ability to critically analyze dimensions and perspectives of diversity.
Outcome #10: Students will acknowledge and understand the concept of equity and demonstrate the ability to address structural inequities at the social, institutional, and/or individual levels.
Outcome #11: Students will acknowledge and understand the concept of inclusion, and will demonstrate the ability to address issues of inclusive participatory environments.
If you are looking for a quick recap of the assessment process and how it applies
to you as an LS instructor, please check out this FAQ.
If you are looking for a more detailed explanation of the Liberal Studies assessment
process, then the video below is for you! The first 15 minutes of the video offer a summary of WHY and HOW we assess the Liberal
Studies program, along with instructions for faculty who are being asked to submit
artifacts for assessment. Then, the last eight minutes of the video offer a more
in-depth look at assignment design for the Liberal Studies assessment process.
To access the video's table of contents (so you can focus on the areas of information
most relevant to you), click on the caret [or arrow mark] at the bottom of the video
screen.
The Liberal Studies Program has mapped how the courses within its curriculum align with the Program's eight student learning objectives. For more detail, please click on the tabs below.
| C1 - Writing | |||
| ENGL 101 | Means of Expression | ||
| ENGL 202 | Information Literacy | ||
| C2 - Mathematics | |||
| MATH 101 | Means of Expression | ||
| MATH 130 | Problem Solving | ||
| MATH 170 | Problem Solving | ||
| C3 - Oral Communication | |||
| COMM 201 | Means of Expression | ||
| C4 - Wellness | |||
| HEAL 111 | Awareness of Self | ||
| HEAL 123 | Awareness of Self | ||
| HSCC 101 | Critical Thinking | Awareness of Self | Awareness of Impact |
| C5 - Physical and Biological Sciences | |||
| AST 102 | Problem Solving | ||
| AST 103 | Critical Thinking | Problem Solving | |
| AST 104 | Critical Thinking | Problem Solving | |
| BIOL 102 | Awareness of Impact | ||
| BIOL 103 | Awareness of Impact | ||
| BIOL 104 | Awareness of Impact | ||
| BIOL 105 | Awareness of Impact | ||
| CHEM 101 | Critical Thinking | Problem Solving | |
| ENVH 130 | Information Literacy | Critical Thinking | Problem Solving |
| ESI 140 | Critical Thinking | Awareness of Impact | |
| GEOL 140 | Inquiry | Awareness of Impact | |
| GEOL 141 | Inquiry | Information Literacy | Awareness of Impact |
| GEOL 145 | Inquiry | Problem Solving | |
| GEOL 150 | Critical Thinking | Problem Solving | |
| GEOL 151 | Inquiry | Problem Solving | |
| NRM 140 | Critical Thinking | Awareness of Impact | |
|
PHYS 105 |
Problem Solving |
||
| FYS - First Year Seminar | |||
| ACCT 195 | Problem Solving | Means of Expression | Awareness of Impact |
| ANTH 190 | Critical Thinking | ||
| BA 195 | Awareness of Impact | ||
| BIOL 190 | Critical Thinking | ||
| BIOL 192 | Critical Thinking | ||
| BIOL 193 | Critical Thinking | ||
| BIOL 194 | Critical Thinking | ||
| CHEM 190 | Critical Thinking | Awareness of Impact | |
| CHEM 191 | Critical Thinking | Awareness of Impact | |
| CHEM 192 | Inquiry | ||
|
CHEM 193 |
Problem Solving |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
|
| CHEM 194 | Problem Solving | ||
| CIS 195 | Means of Expression | ||
| CJ 190 | Critical Thinking | Awareness of Impact | |
| CM 190 | Means of Expression | Awareness of Impact | |
| COMM 190 | Critical Thinking | ||
| COMM 199 | Awareness of Impact | ||
| CS 191 | Means of Expression | ||
|
EDCI 191 |
Awareness of Self |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
|
| ENGL 190 | Information Literacy | Critical Thinking | |
| ENGL 191 | Means of Expression | ||
| ENGL 192 | Critical Thinking | ||
| ENGR 190 | Problem Solving | ||
| ENGR 199 | Problem Solving | ||
| ENVH 190 | Critical Thinking | Means of Expression | Information Literacy |
| FIN 195 | Problem Solving | ||
| GEOL 191 | Awareness of Impact | ||
| FPA 190 | Critical Thinking | Means of Expression | |
| HIST 190 | Means of Expression | ||
| HSCC 191 | Awareness of Impact | ||
| HSCC 192 | Inquiry | ||
|
JPN 190 |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
|
|
| LAW 195 | Critical Thinking | ||
| MATH 190 | Problem Solving | ||
| MATH 191 | Critical Thinking | ||
| MATH 192 | Critical Thinking | ||
| MATH 193 | Problem Solving | ||
| MUS 190 | Inquiry | Critical Thinking | |
| MUS 191 | Inquiry | Critical Thinking | |
| ND 190 | Awareness of Self | ||
|
PAR 190 |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
||
| PSC 190 | Awareness of Impact | ||
| PSY 190 | Critical Thinking | Means of Expression | |
| RTH 190 | Awareness of Self | Awareness of Impact | |
| SOC 195 | Awareness of Cultural Diversity | ||
| USI 190 | Inquiry | ||
| P1 - Social Sciences | |||
| ANTH 110 | Critical Thinking | ||
| ANTH 115 | Critical Thinking | ||
| ANTH 414 | Means of Expression | ||
| ANTH 432 | Critical Thinking | ||
|
ASI 250 |
Critical Thinking |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
Awareness of Impact |
| BA 133 | Awareness of Impact | ||
| BIOL 334 | Critical Thinking | ||
|
ECON 231 |
Inquiry |
Problem Solving |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
|
ECON 232 |
Critical Thinking |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
Awareness of Impact |
| ENVH 200 | Information Literacy | Critical Thinking | Awareness of Impact |
| FIN 210 | Critical Thinking | Problem Solving | |
| FIN 350 | Awareness of Self | ||
| HSCC 307 | Information Literacy | ||
| LAW 105 | Critical Thinking | ||
| LAW 406 | Critical Thinking | Means of Expression | |
| MKT 409 | Critical Thinking | Means of Expression | |
| PSC 101 | Critical Thinking | ||
| PSC 323 | Awareness of Impact | ||
| PSY 150 | Information Literacy | Critical Thinking | Problem Solving |
| PSY 320 | Information Literacy | Means of Expression | Awareness of Self |
| PSY 331 | Critical Thinking | Means of Expression | Awareness of Self |
|
RTH 300 |
Inquiry |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
|
|
SOC 103 |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
||
| SOC 235 | Critical Thinking | ||
| SOC 414 | Means of Expression | ||
| SOCW 251 | Critical Thinking | ||
| SOCW 354 | Critical Thinking | ||
|
SOCW402 |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
||
| P3 - History | |||
| HIST 107 | Critical Thinking | ||
| HIST 131 | Critical Thinking | ||
| HIST 132 | Critical Thinking | ||
| HIST 210 | Critical Thinking | ||
| HIST 211 | Critical Thinking | ||
| HIST 212 | Critical Thinking | ||
| HIST 213 | Critical Thinking | ||
| HIST 218 | Awareness of Cultural Diversity | ||
| HIST 220 | Means of Expression | ||
| HIST 221 | Means of Expression | ||
| HIST 222 | Means of Expression | ||
| HIST 233 | Critical Thinking | ||
| HIST 234 | Critical Thinking | ||
| HIST 235 | Critical Thinking | ||
| HIST 236 | Critical Thinking | Means of Expression | |
| HIST 237 | Means of Expression | ||
| HIST 238 | Critical Thinking | ||
| HIST 250 | Critical Thinking | ||
| HIST 303 | Critical Thinking | ||
| HIST 308 | Critical Thinking | ||
| HIST 311 | Critical Thinking | ||
| HIST 315 | Means of Expression | ||
| HIST 317 | Means of Expression | ||
| HIST 330 | Means of Expression | ||
| HIST 335 | Critical Thinking | ||
| HIST 337 | Critical Thinking | ||
|
HIST 341 |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
||
| HIST 351 | Means of Expression | ||
| MATH 301 | Critical Thinking | ||
| P4 - Humanities | |||
| CS 210 | Critical Thinking | Means of Expression | |
|
ECON 344 |
Problem Solving |
Means of Expression |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
| ENGL 203 | Critical Thinking | Awareness of Cultural Diversity | |
| ENGL 206 | Awareness of Impact | ||
| ENGL 207 | Critical Thinking | ||
| ENGL 208 | Awareness of Cultural Diversity | Critical Thinking | |
|
ENGL 209 |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
||
|
ENGL 210 |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
||
|
ENGL 290 |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
||
| ENGL 333 | Critical Thinking | ||
| ENGL 350 | Critical Thinking | ||
|
ENGL 351 |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
||
| ENGL 352 | Critical Thinking | ||
| ENGL 353 | Critical Thinking | ||
|
ENGL 367 |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
||
| ENGL 368 | Critical Thinking | ||
| ENGL 390 | Critical Thinking | ||
|
HIST 271 |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
||
|
HIST 281 |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
||
| LAW 201 | Critical Thinking | Means of Expression | |
|
LAW 306 |
Awareness of Self |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
|
| LAW 412 | Inquiry | ||
| PAR 101 | Awareness of Self | ||
| PAR 102 | Awareness of Self | ||
| PAR 121 | Awareness of Cultural Diversity | ||
| PAR 146 | Means of Expression | ||
| PAR 201 | Awareness of Self | ||
| PAR 250 | Means of Expression | ||
| PAR 304 | Means of Expression | ||
| PAR 306 | Means of Expression | ||
| PAR 307 | Means of Expression | ||
| PAR 309 | Means of Expression | ||
| PAR 310 | Means of Expression | Awareness of Cultural Diversity | |
| PAR 312 | Critical Thinking | Means of Expression | |
| PAR 313 | Means of Expression | ||
| PAR 315 | Critical Thinking | ||
| PAR 317 | Critical Thinking | Means of Expression | |
| PAR 319 | Critical Thinking | Awareness of Cultural Diversity | |
| PAR 320 | Means of Expression | ||
| PAR 330 | Awareness of Impact | ||
| PAR 332 | Critical Thinking | ||
| PAR 333 | Awareness of Impact | ||
| PAR 365 | Means of Expression | ||
| PAR 366 | Critical Thinking | ||
|
PRM 365 |
Awareness of Self |
||
| SM 340 | Critical Thinking | ||
| P5 - Fine and Performing Arts | |||
| ART 104 | Awareness of Cultural Diversity | ||
| ART 402 | Critical Thinking | Awareness of Cultural Diversity | |
|
DA 259 |
Awareness of Self |
|
|
|
FPA 101 |
Critical Thinking |
Awareness of Self |
|
|
FTP 340 |
Information Literacy |
Awareness of Impact |
|
| IDES 250 | Inquiry | Critical Thinking | Awareness of Self |
|
MUS 101 |
Critical Thinking |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
|
|
MUS 102 |
Critical Thinking |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
|
| MUS 300 | Inquiry | ||
|
MUS 302 |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
||
|
MUS 304 |
Critical Thinking |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
|
|
THEA 104 |
Critical Thinking |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
Awareness of Impact |
| THEA 310 | Critical Thinking | Means of Expression | Awareness of Self |
| P6 - World Cultures | |||
|
ANTH 120 |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
||
|
BA 304 |
Means of Expression |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
|
|
CHER 101 |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
||
|
CM 365 |
Means of Expression |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
|
|
COMM 415 |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
||
|
EDCI 305 |
Awareness of Self |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
|
|
ENGL 131 |
Means of Expression |
||
|
ENGL 363 |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
||
|
ENGL 366 |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
||
|
ENGR 365 |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
||
|
ENVH 210 |
Information Literacy |
Critical Thinking |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
|
FREN 101 |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
||
|
FREN 102 |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
||
|
GEOG 103 |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
||
|
GEOG 140 |
Awareness of Impact |
||
|
GEOG 440 |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
||
|
GER 101 |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
||
|
GER 102 |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
||
|
GER 110 |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
||
|
HSCC 205 |
Awareness of Self |
|
|
|
HSCC 420 |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
||
|
HT 238 |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
Critical Thinking | |
|
JPN 101 |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
|
|
|
JPN 102 |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
|
|
|
LATX 220 |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
||
|
MKT 407 |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
||
|
MUS 303 |
Critical Thinking |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
|
|
ND 310 |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
||
|
PAR 145 |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
||
|
PAR 251 |
Information Literacy |
||
|
PAR 260 |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
||
| PAR 323 | Awareness of Self | ||
| PAR 342 | Critical Thinking | ||
| PAR 353 | Means of Expression | ||
| PAR 354 | Awareness of Self | ||
| PAR 356 |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
||
|
PAR 357 |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
||
|
PAR 367 |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
||
| PSC 169 | Awareness of Impact | ||
| PRM 322 | Awareness of Cultural Diversity | ||
|
SM 350 |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
||
|
SOC 160 |
Means of Expression |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
|
| SPAN 101 | Awareness of Cultural Diversity | ||
|
SPAN 102 |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
||
|
SPAN 301 |
Awareness of Cultural Diversity |
|
|