In 2009 COD faculty approved a set of General Education Student Learning Outcomes which they later modified and reaffirmed in 2018 for students enrolled in all associate degree programs. General Education refers to a broad body of knowledge and skills common to all educated people, regardless of their profession. A strong general education curriculum includes courses in the arts; the humanities which include literature, history, philosophy and foreign languages; mathematics, natural sciences and the social sciences.
Critical Thinking
Graduates can effectively identify and challenge assumptions, develop and assess viability of solutions and provide a logically structured argument. They can make connections between subject areas and use interdisciplinary thinking to evaluate contemporary social issues.
Information Literacy
Graduates can explain the need for information, locate information effectively and efficiently, evaluate information and its sources critically, and use information effectively, ethically and legally to accomplish a specific purpose.
Communication
Expression and Exchange of Ideas
Graduates can formulate coherent, well-supported oral and written arguments that use language and rhetoric appropriate to the setting, purpose, and audience.
Physical & Life Sciences
Scientific Reasoning
Graduates can use generally accepted scientific means and procedures to analyze data, make inferences and advance logical conclusions.
Mathematics
Quantitative Reasoning
Graduates can interpret mathematical models and identify their limitations, employ strategies to model and find solutions to problems, and use terminology to represent and communicate mathematical information.
Humanities & Fine Arts
Cultural & Historical Comprehension
Graduates can demonstrate an understanding of and critically evaluate diverse events, values and ideas rooted in human experience and apply socially responsible and ethical reasoning to local and global concerns.
Social & Behavioral Sciences
Human Behavior & Societal Knowledge
Graduates can recognize how social, political, historical and economic institutions shape society and individual behavior. They can apply methods of inquiry used by social and behavioral scientists and identify causes and variations of social diversity.
(Approved by College of DuPage Faculty Senate, March 2018)