Policy 3.04

Part 1: Purpose

Minneapolis College has adopted four Institutional Learning Outcomes as a means to enhance lifelong education by making it possible for students to communicate effectively, think critically, solve problems as well as develop and demonstrate effective life and professional skills, personal responsibility and community/global connections and social responsibility.

Students will develop the following Institutional Learning Outcomes through a combination of appropriate general education coursework and through direct instruction and reinforcing projects and experiences within their program coursework.

Part 2. Definitions

Institutional learning outcomes are the measurable knowledge, intellectual concepts and attitudes that serve as the foundation to success within all programs of study and throughout life. Institutional learning outcomes prepares students to meet the social, personal and career challenges they will face in the future.

Institutional Learning Outcome 1: Community/Global Connections and Social Responsibility

• Competencies
  • Exercises the rights and responsibilities of community membership:
    • Articulates intercultural experience from the perspective of other cultures in a supportive manner that recognizes the experiences of other cultures.
    • Reflects on the knowledge, contexts and attitudes needed for responsible community membership.
    • Proposes, suggests or implements methods for engaging in civic life, local and global, by leveraging the knowledge, skills, values and motivation needed to make a difference.
  • Addresses inequity and social, environmental and/or global issues:
    • Analyzes complex, interdependent global systems and legacies (natural, physical, social, cultural, economic, and political) and their material implications for people's lives and/or environmental sustainability.
    • Proposes, suggests or implements methods of addressing inequity and/or global problems while taking into consideration multiple perspectives.
    • Articulates an understanding of human values, artistic endeavors, political/social structures and environmental stewardship as stemming from specific historical and social contexts.
  • Recognizes and values human diversity and interacts effectively in a variety of cultural contexts:
    • Articulates awareness of own cultural rules and biases and an understanding of the values and experiences of members of other cultures.
    • Acts in a supportive manner that recognizes the feelings of members of other cultures (acts with empathy).
    • Asks complex questions about other cultures, seeks out and articulates answers that reflect multiple cultural perspectives.
    • Initiates and fosters effective interactions with culturally different others.
• Value Rubics
  • Civic Engagement
  • Global Learning
  • Intercultural knowledge and competence

Institutional Learning Outcome 2: Life and Professional Skills

• Competencies
  • Acts ethically and legally with respect for others and an understanding of the context:
    • Properly engages intercultural and ethical issues involved in a variety of settings; explores how different intercultural and ethical perspectives may impact ethical dilemmas; and considers the ramifications of alternative actions.
    • Practices ethical decision-making in interpersonal, professional and academic contexts.
    • Describes and analyzes positions on ethical issues and responds to objections.
  • Works collaboratively and responsibly:
    • Submits work that is thorough, comprehensive and advances the project.
    • Engages team members and supports team climate through positive communication, tone, body language, and conveys a positive attitude that expresses confidence in teammates.
    • Identifies and acknowledges power and exclusion and helps manage and navigate it.
    • Manages time and other resources efficiently, sets priorities, makes effective choices and accepts responsibility.
    • Leverages technology, equipment, tools and resources safely and efficiently.
  • Practices purposeful learning and living on an ongoing basis and applies expanded knowledge, skills and ability to everyday life:
    • Explores a topic in depth, yielding insight and/ or information and indicating an interest in the subject.
    • Completes required work and identifies opportunities to expand knowledge skills and abilities.
    • Makes references to previous learning, reflects and shows evidence of applying that knowledge and those skills to demonstrate growth over time.
    • Identifies and practices skills for ongoing emotional and physical health.
• Value Rubics
  • Ethical reasoning
  • Teamwork
  • Lifelong Learning

Institutional Learning Outcome 3: Information Fluency, Inquiry and Problem-posing and Problem-solving

• Competencies
  • Synthesizes existing ideas, images or knowledge into own thoughts or work in an effective and/or imaginative manner:
    • Integrates alternate, divergent or contradictory perspectives or ideas.
    • Applies a variety of rational, creative, emotional and technical approaches to question assumptions or practices.
    • Creates or proposes a novel idea, question, solution, format or product.
  • Explores issues, ideas, artifacts and events before accepting or formulating an opinion or conclusion:
    • Acknowledges and articulates different sides or multiple aspects involved in addressing an issue, solving a problem or creating a product.
    • Presents conclusions that are logically tied to information including methods for addressing opposing viewpoints.
    • Identifies key concepts and addresses them effectively in own work.
  • Identifies, locates and evaluates information for the problem at hand:
    • Evaluates information and its sources critically and uses information effectively ethically and legally.
    • Accesses information using a variety of strategies.
    • Chooses a variety of information sources appropriate to the scope and discipline of the question or problem.
    • Communicates, organizes and synthesizes information from sources.
  • Designs, evaluates and implements a strategy to answer an open-ended question or achieve a desired goal:
    • Identifies multiple approaches for solving the problem, some of which apply within a specific context.
    • Proposes one or more solutions /hypotheses that indicate comprehension of the problem, solutions/hypotheses that are sensitive to contextual factors.
    • Implements the solution in a manner that addresses multiple contextual factors of the problem.
• Value Rubics
  • Creative thinking
  • Critical thinking
  • Information literacy
  • Problem solving

Institutional Learning Outcome 4: Communication

• Competencies
  • Writes and speaks effectively:
    • Conveys a central message clearly and effectively.
    • Organizes thoughts and content to enhance audience comprehension.
    • Uses inclusive language that is effective and appropriate to context and comprehensible to audience.
    • Delivers information in an effective manner.
    • Incorporates examples, research, evidence and/or multiple media in a logical and effective manner.
  • Listens and reads effectively:
    • Comprehends vocabulary and context.
    • Evaluates and analyzes content.
    • Responds in a professional and appropriate manner.
    • Uses content to achieve own goals.
  • Makes communication choices appropriate for context, purpose and audience:
    • Selects appropriate mode, format, style and delivery.
    • Uses information accurately and responsibly.
    • Evaluates and interprets sources of information.
    • Synthesizes others' ideas/information into own thoughts.
    • Selects media, examples and evidence to enhance impact on audience.
    • Includes multiple perspectives.
• Value Rubics
  • Information literacy
  • Reading
  • Oral Communication
  • Written Communication

Owner(s) Title: Vice President of Academic Affairs

Date of Adoption: 7/1/1999

Date of Implementation (if different from adoption date): N/A

Date Last Amended: 5/12/2022

History and Subject of Revisions: 5/12/2022 (Limited Review, punctuation), 9/5/2019