During the Campus Conversations on Undergraduate Education in 2013-2014, participants discussed the desire for campus-level student learning outcomes. Learning outcomes are most valuable when they articulate what the faculty and campus believe an education should be and reflect the faculty’s commitment to the education of its students. Nearly three years of work went into creating the Illinois Student Learning Outcomes and vetting them widely across campus, culminating in them being endorsed by the Senate on May 1, 2017. See the report submitted to the Educational Policy Committee.
Campus-wide Student Learning Outcomes
As a preeminent public land-grant university, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign serves society and transforms lives, producing leaders who value excellence, innovation, inclusivity, stewardship, and accountability. Through a uniquely Illinois experience that takes place both inside and outside the classroom, our graduates are broadly educated yet have expertise in specific fields of study. They are intellectually curious, having the ability to think critically and imaginatively. They exhibit a consciousness of global connectedness and interdependencies, possess a critical appreciation of social and cultural communities, and participate knowledgeably and responsibly in civic life. Ultimately, our graduates understand how to employ knowledge to generate new ideas, discoveries, and solutions, and are adept in building and sustaining productive relationships in order to create positive change.
1: Intellectual Reasoning and Knowledge (IRK)
Definition: Illinois students will acquire broad and deep knowledge across academic disciplines and fields.
2: Creative Inquiry and Discovery (CID)
Definition: Illinois students will apply knowledge to promote inquiry, discover solutions, and generate new ideas and creative works.
3: Effective Leadership and Community Engagement (ELCE)
Definition: Illinois students will build and sustain productive relationships to respond to civic and social challenges at local, national, and global levels, creating positive change in their communities.
4: Social Awareness and Cultural Understanding (SACU)
Definition: Illinois students will develop a critical and reflective orientation toward such social and cultural differences as race, indigeneity, gender, class, sexuality, language, and disability.
5: Global Consciousness (GC)
Definition: Illinois students will discover how complex, interdependent global systems—natural, environmental, social, cultural, economic, and political—affect and are affected by the local identities and ethical choices of individuals and institutions.
*The Illinois Student Learning Outcomes Snapshots were compiled using data from the Chancellor’s Senior Survey, the National Survey of Student Engagement, and Program Learning Outcomes Assessment.