UNIVERSITY WIDE LEARNING OUTCOMES: INPUT NEEDED
Basics of a learning outcome:
University-Wide Learning Outcomes (UWLOs) highlight what the University deems most important for their graduates to achieve. They serve as the unifying thread for general education, core curriculum courses, and co-curricular activities that touch every student at YSU. Ultimately, it is the ability to satisfy these learning outcomes that serve as a differentiator for students in the workforce and as productive citizens in their communities.
General education courses and academic programs will map their curriculum to these learning outcomes as well as to their respective program learning outcomes. UWLOs will serve as the basis for the general education transformation.
For more information on the importance of Student Learning Outcomes and how to develop them, please consult the
Academic Assessment Handbook.
What to submit:
Writing UWLO’s can be challenging and we hope to hear specific proposed UWLOs from each of you. However, if you feel writing formal outcomes is a daunting task, we are also excited to hear what general attributes or skills - regardless of the format in which you submit them- that have the potential to apply to the entire University as we consider UWLOs.
One way to help simplify the process is to use an opening such as “Upon successful completion of all required credit hours, YSU graduates will be able to…” and then focus on the actual essence of the outcome and the behavior that would serve as a differentiator for YSU graduates.
It is important to note that these learning outcomes should be a distinctive component of the educational experience that, in addition to experiences in the major, distinguishes a YSU graduate.
These UWLO’s are aimed primarily at Bachelors level programs. While these remain applicable to those seeking Associates or graduate degrees, they will typically be at a different level of mastery.
Example of a University Wide Learning Outcome (UWLO) from Muskingum University:
IMPACT - Muskies change communities
GOAL: Muskingum students become active community members who positively impact the world around them.
Where to submit:
Your suggestions can be submitted
here, either anonymously or with your name – your choice!
What happens next:
The development of UWLOs is a process involving campus-wide contributions. We are asking that submissions to this link, be completed by MAY 15, 2022.
The Academic Senate is in the process of establishing a University Learning Outcomes Task Force that will work on the project and eventually guide the LOs to a vote on the Senate floor. Additionally, suggestions made by the university community will be published on the Academic Program Transformation (APT) website.
Throughout April and May, APT be hosting at least one virtual and one in-person Town Hall to review the submissions and discuss UWLO ideas.
Over the summer months, the APT will synthesize the input from the university community regarding suggested UWLOs and compile options for consideration by the campus community during the Fall 2022 semester.
Early in the Fall, the APT Ad Hoc Committee will distribute to the campus community for feedback, the options developed by the Ad Hoc Committee; and given additional feedback, will finalize the option(s) to be considered by the Academic Senate by submitting an option or options to the Academic Senate Governance Committee.
It is anticipated that during October, Academic Senate will consider the option or options for endorsement. In addition, the Board of Trustees will be updated on the progress of this campus-wide collaborative process as this aligns with goals and strategies associated with the Plan for Strategic Actions to Take Charge of Our Future.
