ENGLISH LEARNING OUTCOMES

As they proceed through the English degree program, students in all four tracks (creative writing, language arts education and literature) will:

  1. Demonstrate an understanding of the writing process by employing strategies of inquiry, research (with appropriate citation), drafting, peer review, revision and editing in the development of thesis-driven writing projects.
  2. Evaluate and respond to variations in audience, purpose, form and/or genre connected with written, oral, visual and/or digital communication.
  3. Explore interactions among the diverse social and cultural contexts in which we study, teach and/or create texts.
  4. Understand and apply diverse critical and theoretical approaches to the careful examination of texts.
  5. Use discipline-specific technologies and presentation strategies for the public discussion and dissemination of research and writing.

Additionally, students with the creative writing track will:

  1. Demonstrate proficiency in at least one creative genre (poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, screenwriting and/or playwriting) at a publication or production level.
  2. Employ common techniques, strategies, and processes for peer workshopping and editing of creative work.
  3. Demonstrate an ability to situate one's own creative choices within a relevant aesthetic history and tradition.
  4. Develop a professional understanding of submission, publication and production practices in creative writing.

Additionally, students with the language arts education (LAE) track will:

  1. Situate specific texts/theories/genres within the history and development of English literature.
  2. Contextualize specific language practices within the history and structure of the English language.
  3. Evaluate and employ a variety of instructional methods.
  4. Practice effective teaching techniques for classroom management.
  5. Practice reflective teaching methods.

Additionally, students with the literature track will:

  1. Situate specific texts/theories/genres within the history and development of English literature.
  2. Contextualize specific language practices within the history and structure of the English language.

HISTORY LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students in the history major will:

  1. Demonstrate the skills of a historian by conducting meaningful research using primary and secondary sources, including archival and database sources and other innovative sources, such as material culture, photos, film, television, etc. 
  2. Demonstrate ability to competently craft written history using professional research methods. 
  3. Demonstrate ability to effectively present historical research to an extra-departmental audience.

PHILOSOPHY LEARNING OUTCOMES

 

At the successful completion of the program, Philosophy majors will be able to:

SLO 1. Critically analyze arguments via:

  1. Symbolic logic.
  2. Inductive logic.
  3. Recognizing, constructing, and evaluating arguments in the context of examining philosophical issues.

SLO 2. Articulate the knowledge of the main branches of philosophy and western ancient philosophy. These include:

  1. Metaphysics/Epistemology
  2. Ethics/Politics
  3. Western Ancient philosophy

SLO 3. Defend their own philosophical views in some area of philosophy by clarifying, developing and formulating arguments to support their own philosophical views.

RELIGION LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students in the religion major will:

  1. Demonstrate their heightened religious literacy by means of demonstrating their knowledge in Eastern and Western religious traditions in their diversity.
  2. Demonstrate their heightened religious literacy by means of demonstrating a comprehension of history, beliefs, and practices of a religious tradition of the students’ choosing.
  3. Critically reflect on human religious life as evidenced by the ability to describe how the study of religion contributes to broader cultural discussions.

SOCIAL STUDIES LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students in the social studies major will:

  1. Demonstrate competency in the content areas of the Social Studies – History, Political Science, Geography, Economics, Psychology, and Sociology.
  2. Demonstrate acquisition of the National Council for the Social Studies 10 Themes for teaching the social studies.
  3. Complete the requirements for entry into the Center for Teacher Education.
  4. Demonstrate successful application of the National Council for the Social Studies 10 Themes for teaching the social studies.
  5. Demonstrate competency in acquiring the skills of the historian. Those include the demonstrated ability to conduct research, and to craft that research into written work that answers significant historical questions.
  6. Demonstrate ability to effectively present historical research to an extra-departmental audience.

SPANISH LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon completion of a major in Spanish, students will: 
 

1. Be able to illustrate their ability to speak Spanish in a way understandable to native speakers in everyday situations.

2. Be able to conceptually identify the main ideas of spoken Spanish in a standard dialect in everyday situations.

3. Be able to interpret and read Spanish texts with almost complete comprehension, in everyday situations as well as a variety of literary texts.

4. Be able to demonstrate their ability to write narratives, descriptions, and routine social correspondence in Spanish with a minimum of errors.  

5. Be able to discuss general knowledge of Spanish and Hispanic cultural traditions and express informed attitudes toward cultural differences.

 

YOUTH MINISTRY LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students in the youth ministry major will:

  1. Demonstrate their heightened religious literacy by means of demonstrating their knowledge in Eastern and Western religious traditions in their diversity.
  2. Demonstrate their heightened religious literacy by means of demonstrating a comprehension of history, beliefs, and practices of a religious tradition of the students' choosing.
  3. Critically reflect on human religious life as evidenced by the ability to explain their own religious convictions in relation to religious diversity.
  4. Demonstrate knowledge and skills related to the practice of youth ministry in an internship setting.