The Daily Bulletin Archive

At its April 14, 2017, meeting, the College Senate voted to recommend to the president changes in language to the Institutional Learning Outcomes. The Senate further recommended that these changes be implemented after the General Education curriculum, which is currently under review, is revised:

Buffalo State College Senate Academic Plan Committee Recommendation of ILOs
April 14, 2017

WHEREAS, the Buffalo State College Senate resolution of May 2013 calls for the adoption of "All College Learning Outcomes”; and

WHEREAS, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education Standards for Accreditation and Requirements of Affiliation, 13^th edition (2015), Standard V (PDF, 4.2 MB), requires “clearly-stated educational goals at the institution and degree/program levels that are interrelated with one another, with relevant educational experiences, and with the institution’s mission”; and

WHEREAS, extensive public discussion and deliberations within and among a wide range of campus constituencies throughout the 2015–2016 academic year produced the 2016–2021 Buffalo State College Strategic Plan; and

WHEREAS, the 2016–2021 Buffalo State College Strategic Plan declares Buffalo State College to be “SUNY’s Urban-Engaged Campus”; and

WHEREAS, 2016–2021 Buffalo State College Strategic Plan 1.1.1. commits the campus to “adopt all-college learning outcomes that respond to twenty-first-century trends, leverage existing strengths, and result in a distinctive framework for undergraduate education at Buffalo State,”

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Buffalo State College Senate adopt the following Buffalo State College Institutional Learning Outcomes:

Graduates of Buffalo State College will be known for their:

I. Cultural fluency^[i] - Graduates will be aware of how ideas are shaped by cultures and social norms and be able to engage with ideas different from or in conflict with their own; students will be aware of cultural, societal, and institutional factors influencing assumptions, prejudices, and privileges.

II. Urban engagement ^{[ii] -} Graduates, leveraging their experiences in Buffalo State’s distinctive urban setting, will understand how to interact meaningfully in their communities and possess the skills to be wise, productive, and responsible citizens.

III. Scholarship and creative activity ^{[iii] -} Graduates will possess the quantitative, conceptual, and creative skills to pose, frame, and analyze a range of questions, problems, and issues. They will produce complex and intellectually challenging work and demonstrate essential technological skills.

IV. Ethical reasoning ^[iv] - Graduates will deliberate ethical values and principles and apply them in ambiguous, complex, and controversial contexts. They will be conscientious persons, students, and professionals.

[i] Assessment model:
Miville-Guzman Universality-Diversity Scale (M-GUDS-S) (short form)

[ii] Assessment models:
Civic Engagement VALUE Rubric
Socially Responsible Leadership Scale (SRLS-R2)

[iii] Assessment models:
Quantitative Literacy VALUE Rubric
Information Literacy VALUE Rubric
See Northcote (2012) (PDF, 473 KB)
Inquiry and Analysis VALUE Rubric
Creative Thinking VALUE Rubric (PDF, 42 KB)
Problem Solving VALUE Rubric

[iv ] Assessment models:
Ethical Reasoning VALUE Rubric
Defining Issues Test 2 (DIT-2)

I hereby approve the recommended language changes to the Institutional Learning Outcomes as presented by the College Senate. I charge the provost with the responsibility of overseeing the implementation of these changes after revisions to the General Education curriculum have been put in place, thus providing the appropriate curriculum to address the changes and a mechanism to assess them.