System General Education Requirements and Institutional Graduation Requirements

• SGR-System General Education Requirements
  • SGR #1-Written Communication
  • SGR #2-Oral Communication
  • SGR #3-Social Science
  • SGR #4-Humanities and Fine Arts
  • SGR #5-Mathematics
  • SGR #6-Natural Science
  • SGR #7-Information Literacy 
• IGR-Institutional Graduation Requirements
  • IGR #1-Additional First-Year Composition Course Requirement
  • IGR #2-Aesthetic Experience Requirement
• BOR Additional Requirements
  
  • G-Globalization/Global Issues Requirements
  • W-Writing Intensive Requirements

System General Education Requirements (SGR)

SGR #1

Written Communication (6 credit hours)

Students will write effectively and responsibly and will understand and interpret the written expression of others.

Student Learning Outcomes: As a result of taking courses meeting this goal, students will:

1. Write using standard American English, including correct punctuation, grammar, and sentence structure,
2. Write logically,
3. Write persuasively, with a variety of rhetorical strategies (e.g., expository, argumentative, descriptive), and
4. Incorporate formal research and documentation into their writing, including research obtained through modern, technology-based research tools.

Each course meeting this goal includes the following student learning outcomes:
Required: #1, #2, #3, and #4

SGR #2

Oral Communication (3 credit hours)

Students will communicate effectively and responsibly through listening and speaking.

Student Learning Outcomes: As a result of taking courses meeting this goal, students will:

1. Prepare and deliver speeches for a variety of audiences and settings,
2. Demonstrate speaking competencies including choice and use of topic, supporting materials, organizational pattern, language usage, presentational aids, and delivery,
   and
3. Demonstrate listening competencies by summarizing, analyzing, and paraphrasing ideas, perspectives and emotional content.

Each course meeting this goal includes the following student learning outcomes:
Required: #1, #2, and #3

SGR #3

Social Science (6 credit hours in 2 disciplines)

Students will understand the organization, potential, and diversity of the human community through study of the social sciences.

Student Learning Outcomes: As a result of taking courses meeting this goal, students will:

1. Identify and explain basic concepts, terminology, and theories of the selected social science disciplines from different spatial, temporal, cultural and/or institutional contexts,
2. Apply selected social science concepts and theories to contemporary issues, and
3. Identify and explain the social or aesthetic values of different cultures.

In addition, as a result of taking courses meeting this goal, students will be able to demonstrate a basic understanding of at least one of the following:

4. The origin and evolution of human institutions,
5. The allocation of human or natural resources within societies, and
6. The impact of diverse philosophical, ethical or religious views.

Each course meeting this goal includes the following student learning outcomes:
Required: #1, #2, and #3
At least one of the following: #4, #5, or #6

SGR #4

Humanities and Fine Arts (6 credit hours in 2 disciplines or a sequence of foreign languages courses)

Students will understand the diversity and complexity of the human experience through study of the arts and humanities.

Student Learning Outcomes: As a result of taking courses meeting this goal, students will:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of the diversity of values, beliefs, and ideas embodied in the human experience, and
2. Identify and explain basic concepts of the selected disciplines within the arts and humanities.

In addition, as a result of taking courses meeting this goal, students will be able to do at least one of the following:

3. Identify and explain the contributions of other cultures from the perspective of the selected disciplines within the arts and humanities,
4. Demonstrate creative and aesthetic understanding,
5. Explain and interpret formal and stylistic elements of the literary or fine arts, and
6. Demonstrate foundational competency in reading, writing, and speaking a non-English language.

Each course meeting this goal includes the following student learning outcomes:
Required: #1, #2
At least one of the following: #3, #4, #5, or #6

SGR #5

Mathematics (3 credit hours)

Students will understand and apply fundamental mathematical processes and reasoning.

Student Learning Outcomes: As a result of taking courses meeting this goal, students will:

1. Use mathematical symbols and mathematical structure to model and solve real world problems,
2. Demonstrate appropriate communication skills related to mathematical terms and concepts, and
3. Demonstrate the correct use of quantifiable measurements of real world situations.

Each course meeting this goal includes the following student learning outcomes:
Required: #1, #2, and #3

SGR #6

Natural Science (6 credit hours)

Students will understand the fundamental principles of the natural sciences and apply scientific methods of inquiry to investigate the natural world.

Student Learning Outcomes: As a result of taking courses meeting this goal, students will:

1. Demonstrate the scientific method in a laboratory experience,
2. Gather and critically evaluate data using the scientific method,
3. Identify and explain the basic concepts, terminology and theories of the selected natural sciences, and
4. Apply selected natural science concepts and theories to contemporary issues.

Each course meeting this goal includes the following student learning outcomes:
Required: #1, #2, #3, and #4

SGR #7

Information Literacy (0 credit hours)

Students will recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, organize, critically evaluate, and effectively use information from a variety of sources with intellectual integrity.

Student Learning Outcomes: Students will:

1. Determine the extent of information needed,
2. Access the needed information effectively and efficiently,
3. Evaluate information and its sources critically,
4. Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose, and
5. Use information in an ethical and legal manner.

Each course meeting this goal includes the following student learning outcomes:
Required: #1, #2, #3, #4, and #5

Institutional Graduation Requirements(IGR)

IGR #1

Additional First-Year Composition Course (0-3 credit hours*)

Institutional Graduation Requirement

Goal: Students will write effective and responsible critical prose and will understand and interpret the written literary and critical expression of others.

Student Learning Outcomes:

1. Students will write using standard, formal American English, including correct punctuation, grammar, and sentence structure,
2. Students will write well-reasoned, critical essays on topics in literature, demonstrating competence in critical reading of texts,
3. Students will write persuasively, employing appropriate evidence and a variety of rhetorical strategies so as to produce effective arguments, and
4. Students will incorporate into their writing formal research and documentation using MLA style, including research obtained through modern, technology-based research tools.

Each course meeting this goal meets the following required student learning outcomes:
Required: #1, #2, #3, and #4.

IGR #2

Aesthetic Experience (3 credit hours)

Institutional Graduation Requirement

Goal: Students will have a greater understanding of the fine arts as an expression of human imagination and creativity, and will understand the contribution of the arts to self-understanding and a more enriched life experience.

Student Learning Outcomes:

1. Students will be able to demonstrate creative and aesthetic understanding, and
2. Students will be able to explain and interpret formal and stylistic elements of the fine arts.

Each course meeting this goal meets the following required student learning outcomes:
Required: #1 and #2.

BOR Additional Requirements

Globalization/Global Issues Requirement [G]

Goal: Students will understand how global issues, developments, and ideas affect their lives and those of others.

Student Learning Outcomes:

1. Students will demonstrate awareness of multiple perspectives within the global community.
2. Students will investigate and analyze contemporary issues, phenomena, and ideas with global impact, considering their effect on the individuals, communities, and social or natural environments involved.

This goal and associated outcomes will be satisfied by designated courses among those meeting Goal 3 and Goal 4 of the System-wide General Education Requirements and by specified courses required for the majors and/or minors.

Any course used to satisfy this requirement must be taken from USD.

Writing Intensive Requirement [W]

Goal: Students will demonstrate advanced research-based critical writing skills.

Student Learning Outcomes:

1. Students will complete formal writing assignments that entail research drawing from sources that are documented using a recognized style such as APA, Chicago, MLA, a journal-specific style, etc.,
2. Students will be able to critique the validity and effectiveness of arguments presented by others in the field,
3. Students will use a planning/drafting/revising process that incorporates self-assessment and/or peer review and includes instructor feedback, and
4. Students will write using standard American English, including correct punctuation, grammar, and sentence structure.

Any course used to satisfy this requirement must be taken from USD.