General Education Curriculum: Student Learning Goals

1 Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
a. Demonstrate critical thinking and analysis
b. Identify, study, and solve problems
c. Achieve computational skills and an ability to understand and interpret numerical data
d. Work cooperatively as a member of a team

2 Communication
a. Express concepts and ideas clearly, creatively, and effectively in oral and written forms
b. Understand and interpret written, oral, visual, and aural forms of communication
c. Demonstrate interpersonal communication skills consistent with effective academic discourse

3 Information Fluency
a. Navigate different information formats and media technologies to find pertinent information
b. Evaluate sources of information critically to conduct responsible research
c. Become an active, informed, and creative user of established and emerging technologies

4 Global Perspective
a. Recognize the interdependence of peoples and nations, and understand the forces that connect and divide them
b. Understand the benefits of diversity of perspectives, abilities, and cultures
c. Understand the relationship between language and culture, and communicate effectively and respectfully across cultural boundaries
d. Relate the person to community and the local to the global

5 Social Responsibility
a. Engage ethical problems thoughtfully and actively, and contribute to the work of peace and social justice
b. Understand conflict resolution processes
c. Practice stewardship of self and the environment, and understand the principles of wellness and sustainability
d. Develop the traits of good citizenship, and gain knowledge and skills necessary for civic engagement

6 Personal Growth
a. Develop intellectual curiosity and a desire for lifelong learning
b. Strive for a life lived in balance
c. Cultivate leadership skills
d. Nurture the capacity for creative and artistic expression

7 Breadth of Knowledge and Integrative Learning
a. Use knowledge, theories, and methods from the arts, humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences to raise and address questions germane to those areas of study
b. Recognize relationships among different disciplinary approaches to the study of human cultures and the natural world
c. Integrate learning from different disciplines to illuminate intersecting topics of investigation
d. Explore connections between classroom knowledge and real-world experiences

8 Catholic and Benedictine Traditions
a. Understand the Catholic intellectual tradition:  its philosophy, theology, practice, history, and engagement with questions of our time
b. Understand the Rule of St. Benedict and the contributions of Benedictine monasticism to history, culture, spirituality, and education
c. Show knowledge of how different religions and philosophies view the human person, spirituality, and the divine