University Learning Outcomes
To best prepare students to excel in their careers and life, Excelsior University adopted the Degree Qualification Profile’s (DQP) five themes as the common University Learning Outcomes (ULOs) for our institution. The ULOs are aligned with general education courses, undergraduate degree major courses, and graduate degree major courses. This outcome alignment from the course level to the university level helps ensure consistency and embedded educational values from a competency and learning outcome perspective throughout all degree levels. In addition to the ULOs aligning and reflecting Excelsior University’s mission and values, the ULOs reflect transferable skills essential for long-term success in a changing world as a common foundation throughout our curricula. Students will encounter the ULOs by meeting the requirements for general education and their program of study.
Below are the five University Learning Outcomes (ULOs), which Excelsior University adopted from the Degree Qualification Profile’s (DQP). Each ULO has a brief, generic description and then differentiated detail of how students may demonstrate the ULO at multiple degree levels.
1. Specialized/Industry Knowledge (SI)
This category addresses what students in any specialization, major field of study, or career pathway should demonstrate with respect to that specialization.
| At the associate level, the student | At the bachelor’s level, the student | At the master’s level, the student |
|---|---|---|
| Describes the scope or professional standards of the field of study or industry, its core theories and practices, using field-related terminology, and offers a similar description of at least one related field. | Defines and explains the structure, styles, and practices of the field of study or industry using tools, technologies, methods, and specialized terms specific to the field. | Explains major theories, research methods and approaches to inquiry and schools of practice in the field of study or industry, interrogates the knowledge creation process and related sources, and illustrates both their applications and their relationships to allied fields of study or practice. |
| Applies tools, technologies, and methods common to the field of study or industry to answer questions or solve common problems. | Investigates a familiar but complex problem in the field of study or industry area by assembling, arranging, and reformulating ideas, concepts, designs and techniques. | Assesses the contributions of major figures and organizations in the field of study or industry, describes its major methodologies and practices and illustrates them through projects, papers, exhibits or performances. |
| Generates substantially error-free products, reconstructions, data, juried exhibits, or performances appropriate to the field of study or career pathway in alignment with industry recognized standards and practices. | Frames, clarifies, and evaluates a complex challenge that bridges the field of study and one other field or related employment experience(s), using theories, tools, methods, and scholarship from those fields and/or employment to produce independently or collaboratively an investigative, creative or practical work illuminating that challenge. | Articulates significant challenges involved in practicing within the field of study or industry, explains its leading edges, contested issues, and explores the current and historical limits of theory, knowledge, and practice. |
2. Broad and Integrative Knowledge (BI)
This category asks students to bring together learning from industry knowledge, experience, and/or different fields of study to discover and explore the implications of concepts and questions that bridge essential areas of learning/practice as well as integrate their knowledge to advance solutions in support of a humane, just, and democratic society.
| At the associate level, the student | At the bachelor’s level, the student | At the master’s level, the student |
|---|---|---|
| Describes how existing knowledge, practice, or professional or industry standards are advanced, tested and revised in each core field studied. | Describes and evaluates the ways in which at least two fields of study or professions define, address, and interpret the importance for society of a problem in science, the arts, society, human services, economic life or technology. Explains how the methods of inquiry or work in these fields or professions can address the challenge and proposes an approach to the problem that draws on these fields. | Articulates how the field of study/industry/profession has developed in relation to other domains of inquiry and practice, and critically examines the relation of the field of study/industry/profession to the advancement of a more humane, just, and democratic society. |
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Describes a key debate or problem relevant to each core field or profession studied, explains the significance of the debate or problem to the wider society and shows how concepts from the core field or profession can be used to address the selected debates or problems. Uses methods of core fields studied or professions, including the implications of using them to gather and evaluate evidence, in the execution of analytical, practical, or creative tasks. |
Produces an investigative, creative, or practical work that draws on specific theories, tools and methods from at least two core fields of study or professions. |
Designs and executes an applied, investigative, or creative work that draws on the perspectives and methods of other fields of study/industries/professions and assesses the resulting advantages and challenges of including these perspectives and methods. Articulates and defends the significance, shortcomings, and implications of the work in the primary field of study/industry/profession in terms of challenges and trends for diverse stakeholders in a social or global context. |
| Describes and evaluates the ways in which at least two fields of study define, address and interpret the importance for society of a problem in science, the arts, society, human services, economic life or technology. | Defines and frames a problem important to the major field of study or profession, justifies the significance and implications of the challenge or problem in a wider societal context, explains how methods from the primary field of study or profession and related fields of study or professions can be used to address the problem, and develops an approach that draws on both the major and core fields or professions in support of a humane, just, and democratic society. |
Describes a key debate or problem relevant to each core field or profession studied, explains the significance of the debate or problem to the wider society and shows how concepts from the core field or profession can be used to address the selected debates or problems.
Uses methods of core fields studied or professions, including the implications of using them to gather and evaluate evidence, in the execution of analytical, practical, or creative tasks.
Designs and executes an applied, investigative, or creative work that draws on the perspectives and methods of other fields of study/industries/professions and assesses the resulting advantages and challenges of including these perspectives and methods.
Articulates and defends the significance, shortcomings, and implications of the work in the primary field of study/industry/profession in terms of challenges and trends for diverse stakeholders in a social or global context.
3. Intellectual Skills (IS)
This category includes: analytic inquiry, use of information resources, engaging diverse perspectives, ethical reasoning, quantitative fluency, and communicative fluency.
| At the associate level, the student | At the bachelor’s level, the student | At the master’s level, the student |
|---|---|---|
| Identifies and frames a problem or question in selected areas of study and distinguishes among elements of ideas, concepts, theories or practical approaches to the problem or question. | Differentiates and evaluates theories and approaches to selected complex problems within a field of study/industry/profession and at least one other field. | Disaggregates, reformulates, and adapts emerging or contested ideas, techniques, or methods within the field of study/industry/profession. |
| At the associate level, the student | At the bachelor’s level, the student | At the master’s level, the student |
|---|---|---|
| Identifies, categorizes, evaluates, and cites multiple information resources so as to create projects, papers or performances in either a specialized field of study/industry/profession. | Locates, critically evaluates, incorporates, and properly cites multiple information sources in different media in projects, tasks, papers or performances. | Critically examines the evidence base of the fi-eld of study/industry/profession in relation to issues of equity, justice, and democracy. |
| Judges and sorts sources of information based on quality and credibility of information sources. | Generates information through independent or collaborative inquiry and uses that information to address a complex issue. | Provides evidence of contributing to, expanding, evaluating, questioning, or redfining the information base within the field of study/industry/profession. |
| At the associate level, the student | At the bachelor’s level, the student | At the master’s level, the student |
|---|---|---|
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Describes how knowledge from different cultural, racial, gender, ethnic perspectives might affect interpretations of problems, solutions, or practices in the field of study/industry/profession. Describes, explains, and evaluates the sources of their own perspective on selected issues in culture, society, politics, the arts, and/or the profession, and compare that perspective with the views of others in order to see the value inherent within alternative worldviews and knowledge creation. |
Constructs a written project, laboratory report, exhibit, performance, or community service experience expressing a different cultural, political, or technological vision and explains how this vision differs from their own realities. Frames a controversy or problem within the field of study/industry/profession in terms of at least two political, cultural, historical, or technological forces, explores and evaluates competing perspectives on the controversy or issue, and presents an analysis of the issue that demonstrates engagement with the competing views. |
Investigates through a project, paper, or performance a core issue in the field of study/industry/profession from the perspective of a different point in time or a different culture, language, political order or technological context and explains how this perspective yields results that depart from current norms, dominant cultural assumptions or technologies. |
| Explain the value inherent within alternative worldviews and conceptions of knowledge creation to advance the field of study/industry/profession. |
Describes how knowledge from different cultural, racial, gender, ethnic perspectives might affect interpretations of problems, solutions, or practices in the field of study/industry/profession.
Describes, explains, and evaluates the sources of their own perspective on selected issues in culture, society, politics, the arts, and/or the profession, and compare that perspective with the views of others in order to see the value inherent within alternative worldviews and knowledge creation.
Constructs a written project, laboratory report, exhibit, performance, or community service experience expressing a different cultural, political, or technological vision and explains how this vision differs from their own realities.
Frames a controversy or problem within the field of study/industry/profession in terms of at least two political, cultural, historical, or technological forces, explores and evaluates competing perspectives on the controversy or issue, and presents an analysis of the issue that demonstrates engagement with the competing views.
| At the associate level, the student | At the bachelor’s level, the student | At the master’s level, the student |
|---|---|---|
| Describes the ethical issues present in prominent problems, e.g., politics, economics, health care, technology, the profession or industry, or the arts and shows how different sociocultural ethical principles, professional standards or frameworks help to inform decision making with respect to such problems. |
Analyzes competing claims from a recent discovery, scientific contention or technical practice with respect to benefits and harms to those affected, particularly those disadvantaged by the action, articulates the ethical dilemmas inherent in the tension of benefits and harms, and either (a) arrives at a clearly expressed reconciliation of that tension that is informed by ethical principles or (b) explains why such a reconciliation cannot be accomplished. Identifies and elaborates key ethical issues present in at least one prominent social, cultural, or work-related problem, articulates the ways in which at least two differing ethical perspectives influence decision making concerning those problems, and develops and defends an approach to address the ethical issue productively. |
Articulates and challenges a tradition, assumption, or prevailing practice within the fi-eld of study by raising and examining relevant ethical perspectives through a project, paper or performance. Distinguishes human activities and judgments particularly subject to ethical reasoning from those less subject to ethical reasoning. |
Analyzes competing claims from a recent discovery, scientific contention or technical practice with respect to benefits and harms to those affected, particularly those disadvantaged by the action, articulates the ethical dilemmas inherent in the tension of benefits and harms, and either (a) arrives at a clearly expressed reconciliation of that tension that is informed by ethical principles or (b) explains why such a reconciliation cannot be accomplished.
Identifies and elaborates key ethical issues present in at least one prominent social, cultural, or work-related problem, articulates the ways in which at least two differing ethical perspectives influence decision making concerning those problems, and develops and defends an approach to address the ethical issue productively.
Articulates and challenges a tradition, assumption, or prevailing practice within the fi-eld of study by raising and examining relevant ethical perspectives through a project, paper or performance.
Distinguishes human activities and judgments particularly subject to ethical reasoning from those less subject to ethical reasoning.
| At the associate level, the student | At the bachelor’s level, the student | At the master’s level, the student |
|---|---|---|
| Presents accurate interpretations of quantitative information on career-related, political, economic, health-related, or technological topics. | Translates verbal problems into mathematical algorithms so as to construct valid arguments using the accepted symbolic system of mathematical reasoning and presents the resulting calculations, estimates, risk analyses or quantitative evaluations of public information and their implications for various effected parties through papers, projects or multimedia presentations. |
Uses logical, mathematical, or statistical methods appropriate to addressing a topic or issue in a primary field that is not for the most part quantitatively based. OR Articulates and undertakes multiple appropriate applications of quantitative methods, concepts, and theories in a field of study that is quantitatively based. |
| Creates and explains graphs or other visual depictions of trends, relationships or changes in status presented by data. | Constructs mathematical expressions where appropriate for issues initially described in non-quantitative terms, and how they are appropriately representing the same meaning. | Identifies, chooses, and defends the choice of a mathematical model appropriate to a problem in the social sciences or applied sciences. |
Uses logical, mathematical, or statistical methods appropriate to addressing a topic or issue in a primary field that is not for the most part quantitatively based.
OR
Articulates and undertakes multiple appropriate applications of quantitative methods, concepts, and theories in a field of study that is quantitatively based.
| At the associate level, the student | At the bachelor’s level, the student | At the master’s level, the student |
|---|---|---|
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Develops and presents clear, coherent, and substantially error-free writing for communication to general and specific audiences. Demonstrates effective interactive communication through discussion, i.e., by listening actively and responding constructively and/or presenting ideas for consideration to a general and specific audience. |
Constructs sustained, coherent arguments, narratives or explanations of issues, problems or technical issues and processes, in writing and at least one other medium, to general and specific audiences. Negotiates with one or more collaborators to advance an oral argument or articulate an approach to resolving a social, personal, or ethical dilemma. |
Creates sustained, coherent arguments or explanations summarizing their work or that of collaborators in two or more media or languages for both general and specialized audiences. |
Develops and presents clear, coherent, and substantially error-free writing for communication to general and specific audiences.
Demonstrates effective interactive communication through discussion, i.e., by listening actively and responding constructively and/or presenting ideas for consideration to a general and specific audience.
Constructs sustained, coherent arguments, narratives or explanations of issues, problems or technical issues and processes, in writing and at least one other medium, to general and specific audiences.
Negotiates with one or more collaborators to advance an oral argument or articulate an approach to resolving a social, personal, or ethical dilemma.
4. Applied and Collaborative Learning (AC)
This category emphasizes what students can do with what they know. Students are asked to demonstrate their learning by addressing unscripted problems in scholarly inquiry, at work and in other settings outside the classroom, individually and in teams.
| At the associate level, the student | At the bachelor’s level, the student | At the master’s level, the student |
|---|---|---|
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Applies principles of leadership to analyze at least one significant concept or method in the field of study/industry/profession. Applies principles of leadership to analyze at least one significant concept or method in the field of study/industry/profession. Locates, gathers and/or organizes evidence regarding an issue in a field-based venue beyond formal academic study and offers alternate approaches to addressing it. Demonstrates practical skills crucial to the application of expertise for task completion. Applies knowledge and skills to address community issues and support the principles of democracy in their profession and life. |
Prepares and presents a project, paper, exhibit, performance, or other demonstration linking knowledge or skills acquired in work, community or research activities with knowledge acquired in one or more fields of study or industry, explains how those elements are structured, and employs appropriate citations to demonstrate the relationship of the product to broader conversations in the field. Negotiates a strategy for group research or performance to recognize different group member’s strengths, documents the strategy so that others may understand it, implements the strategy, and communicates the results. Writes a design, review or illustrative application for an analysis or case study in a scientific, technical, economic, business, health, education, or communications context. Completes a substantial project that evaluates a significant question in the student’s field of study, including an analytic narrative of the effects of learning beyond the classroom and in diverse communities, on the research or practical skills employed in executing the project. |
Creates a project, paper, exhibit, performance, or other appropriate demonstration reflecting the integration of knowledge acquired in practicum, work, community or research activities with knowledge and skills gleaned from at least two fields of study/industry/profession. Articulates the ways in which the various sources of knowledge influenced the result. Designs and implements a project or performance in a setting that requires the application of advanced knowledge gained in the field of study/industry/profession to a practical challenge, articulates in writing or another medium the insights gained from this experience, and assesses effects on communities/groups, approaches taken, scholarly debates or standards for professional performance applicable to the challenge. |
Applies principles of leadership to analyze at least one significant concept or method in the field of study/industry/profession.
Applies principles of leadership to analyze at least one significant concept or method in the field of study/industry/profession.
Locates, gathers and/or organizes evidence regarding an issue in a field-based venue beyond formal academic study and offers alternate approaches to addressing it.
Demonstrates practical skills crucial to the application of expertise for task completion.
Applies knowledge and skills to address community issues and support the principles of democracy in their profession and life.
Prepares and presents a project, paper, exhibit, performance, or other demonstration linking knowledge or skills acquired in work, community or research activities with knowledge acquired in one or more fields of study or industry, explains how those elements are structured, and employs appropriate citations to demonstrate the relationship of the product to broader conversations in the field.
Negotiates a strategy for group research or performance to recognize different group member’s strengths, documents the strategy so that others may understand it, implements the strategy, and communicates the results.
Writes a design, review or illustrative application for an analysis or case study in a scientific, technical, economic, business, health, education, or communications context.
Completes a substantial project that evaluates a significant question in the student’s field of study, including an analytic narrative of the effects of learning beyond the classroom and in diverse communities, on the research or practical skills employed in executing the project.
Creates a project, paper, exhibit, performance, or other appropriate demonstration reflecting the integration of knowledge acquired in practicum, work, community or research activities with knowledge and skills gleaned from at least two fields of study/industry/profession. Articulates the ways in which the various sources of knowledge influenced the result.
Designs and implements a project or performance in a setting that requires the application of advanced knowledge gained in the field of study/industry/profession to a practical challenge, articulates in writing or another medium the insights gained from this experience, and assesses effects on communities/groups, approaches taken, scholarly debates or standards for professional performance applicable to the challenge.
5. Civic/Democratic and Global Learning (CG)
This category recognizes higher education’s responsibilities both to democracy and the global community. Students engage in integration of their knowledge and skills by addressing and responding to civic, social, environmental, economic, equity, inclusion, and social justice challenges at local, national, and global levels.
| At the associate level, the student | At the bachelor’s level, the student | At the master’s level, the student |
|---|---|---|
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Describes their own civic and cultural background, including its origins and development, assumptions, and predispositions. Describes diverse positions, historical and contemporary, on selected democratic values or practices, and presents his or her own position on a specific problem where one or more of these values or practices are involved. Provides evidence of participation in a community project through either a spoken or written reflective narrative that identifies the civic issues encountered and personal insights gained from this experience. Identifies an economic, environmental, or public health challenge spanning countries, continents or cultures, presents evidence for the challenge, and takes a position on it. |
Develops and justifies a position on a public issue and relates this position to alternate views held by the public, profession, or within the policy environment. Collaborates with others in developing and implementing an approach to a civic issue, evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the process including incorporation of difference, and, where applicable, describes the result in relation to those differences. Presents a deep understanding and appreciation of a different world view from their own, showing value in the different world view in order to more fully connect with the lived experience of other cultures and the ways in which knowledge is created and shared. |
Develops a formal proposal, real or hypothetical, to a governmental or non-governmental organization addressing a global challenge in the field of study/industry/profession that the student believes has not been adequately addressed. Engage in civil debate to reach a resolution that is reflective of the realities of the people effected. |
Describes their own civic and cultural background, including its origins and development, assumptions, and predispositions.
Describes diverse positions, historical and contemporary, on selected democratic values or practices, and presents his or her own position on a specific problem where one or more of these values or practices are involved.
Provides evidence of participation in a community project through either a spoken or written reflective narrative that identifies the civic issues encountered and personal insights gained from this experience.
Identifies an economic, environmental, or public health challenge spanning countries, continents or cultures, presents evidence for the challenge, and takes a position on it.
Develops and justifies a position on a public issue and relates this position to alternate views held by the public, profession, or within the policy environment.
Collaborates with others in developing and implementing an approach to a civic issue, evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the process including incorporation of difference, and, where applicable, describes the result in relation to those differences.
Presents a deep understanding and appreciation of a different world view from their own, showing value in the different world view in order to more fully connect with the lived experience of other cultures and the ways in which knowledge is created and shared.
Develops a formal proposal, real or hypothetical, to a governmental or non-governmental organization addressing a global challenge in the field of study/industry/profession that the student believes has not been adequately addressed.
Engage in civil debate to reach a resolution that is reflective of the realities of the people effected.
