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Core Proficiency Skills
Effective Communication
Goal: Upon completion of their degree program, students will be able to effectively use the
English language, writing and speaking with clarity, coherence, and persuasiveness.
Rationale: Students should complete introductory communication requirements within their first
two years of undergraduate work. Basic college-level proficiency in writing is to be achieved by
successful completion of a 6-hour writing sequence, English 101 and English 102, and is to
continue to be developed by the required 3-hour writing-intensive course, as well as by the
integration of writing as a tool of inquiry throughout the major. Oral competency is to be
specified by each degree program from a list of approved courses (See Core Curriculum). Oral
communication skills should continue to be developed within the major.
Learning Objectives for Effective Communication in Writing
Students will be able to
Use the standard diction, grammar, and mechanics of American English
Apply fundamental strategies such as invention, drafting, revising, editing for their
writing projects
Adapt writing to specific purposes, contexts, and audiences
Employ conventions appropriate to academic and professional writing
Develop a controlling idea or thesis for the writing project
Develop effective organizational strategies
Arrange supporting details coherently
Employ a variety of sentence structure, using effective coordination and subordination
Construct logical and persuasive arguments
Locate, evaluate, and synthesize primary and secondary sources into presentations
without falling into plagiarism
Document sources in at least one standard style of documentation
Learning Objectives for Effective Communication through Speaking
Students will be able to
Apply basic principles of rhetorical communication, especially those related to analyzing
audience and purpose
Generate, evaluate, and organize material for effective oral presentation
Deliver effective oral presentations in a variety of communication settings, using standard
diction of American English
Speak clearly and project the voice sufficiently, employing appropriate verbal and
nonverbal strategies
Utilize visual aids effectively
Lead and participate effectively in group discussions
Apply active listening skills in interpersonal settings
Quantitative Reasoning and Mathematics
Goal: Upon completion of their degree program, students will be able to comprehend and to
use quantitative concepts and methods to interpret and to critically evaluate data and to
effectively problem-solve in a variety of contexts demanding quantitative literacy.
Rationale: Students gain their initial college-level competency in mathematics through
completion of Math 101 with a C or better or by credit in calculus. They are then required to take
a second mathematics course, according their skill level and major. This six-hour core
requirement provides the opportunity to use mathematics as an essential quantitative tool of
analysis, but, more importantly, to provide a foundation for the development of quantitative
reasoning. Because quantitative reasoning is an essential skill in all disciplines, all degree
programs should ensure that students continue to develop their quantitative literacy. Upon
graduation, students should be able to apply basic mathematical methods to solve real-world
problems.
Learning Objectives for Quantitative Reasoning and Mathematics
Students will be able to
Perform calculations with integers, fractions (rational numbers), decimals, ratios and
percents
Use arithmetic, algebraic, and/or geometric and statistical methods, to solve applied and
word problems
Demonstrate understanding of the terms and symbols used to generate, present, and
analyze data
Interpret and evaluate quantitative or symbolic models such as graphs, tables, units of
measurement, scales, distributions
Represent and communicate quantitative or symbolic information
Generate and apply conclusions based on pattern recognition
Computer Literacy
Goal: Upon completion of their degree program, students will be able to demonstrate
competence in computer literacy, including fundamental concepts of computing and fluency
in the use of contemporary computing and information technology.
Computing and informational technologies grow and change at a very rapid pace. Therefore, a
firm grounding in the foundational concepts of computing in information technology must be
achieved. These foundational concepts will be applied through the use of contemporary
hardware, software, and network infrastructure. At Nicholls, all students must achieve
competency in computer literacy to enable to them to access, to interpret, and to apply
information that facilitates learning and critical inquiry. Computer literacy is determined by each
department from the list of approved courses or through a competency exam, administered each
semester by the Department of Computer Science.
Learning Objectives for Computer Literacy
Students will be able to
Effectively organize, manage, and present data, using contemporary software applications
such as spreadsheets, word processing, databases, and electronic presentation software
Store and retrieve data from locally (e.g. from within the computer, a CD-ROM, or USB
drive) or remotely (e.g. via a network virtual drive, FTP service, or WebDAV service)
Understand the relationships of key components behind concepts such as hardware,
networks, data storage, operating systems, and software programs.
Breadth-of-Knowledge Areas
Fine Arts: The Aesthetic Experience
Goal: Upon completion of their degree program, students will have a deeper appreciation and
understanding of the creative process, the pleasures and challenges of artistic expression, and
the role and value of the fine arts in society and culture.
The Fine Arts requirement provides students with the opportunity to explore and to value
aesthetic creation and form as an essential means of conceiving and expressing the human
experience. This exploration can take the form of performance, application, or study in a three-
hour course in art or music. The specific learning objectives are further developed and broadened
through the opportunity to participate in or to attend cultural and artistic events on campus.
Learning Objectives for the Fine Arts Requirement
In at least one area of the fine arts, students will be able to
Depending upon the nature of the course, demonstrate an understanding of the history of
one art form or describe the historical, political, or social context out of which a notable
category of work arose
Recognize the techniques or forms used in at least one form of art
Articulate the difference between the aesthetic values of two historical periods, cultures,
or civilizations
Identify and evaluate the influence of artistic achievement in society and in their personal
lives
The Humanities: Cultural and Historical Understanding
Goal: Upon completion of their degree program, students will have a richer understanding of
the human condition through investigation, appreciation, and evaluation of the aesthetic,
historical, philosophical and literary dimensions of human experience.
Rationale: The general education humanities courses offer students a means for understanding
the human condition through the study, appreciation, and evaluation of the ways that intellectual
and aesthetic endeavors have shaped and continue to shape human culture and experience.
Because these dimensions are expressed through written texts and artifacts, students sharpen
their reading, interpretative and analytical skills as they develop a critical understanding of
cultures and traditions different from their own. Study in the humanities also encourages a
thoughtful examination into the nature of rational inquiry itself and into the values, ethics, and
the moral dimensions of private and public life. The Humanities requirement is fulfilled by a
three-hour history course (Western civilization or World) and three hours of sophomore-level
literature or philosophy.
Learning Objectives for the courses on the Humanities list
Students will be able to
Evaluate contemporary issues and/or historical problems within the discipline’s contexts.
Employ a wide range of methods for recording and explaining the human experience.
Demonstrate awareness of cultural practices and how being from a particular culture
affects experiences and values.
Learning Objectives for the Humanities history requirement
Demonstrate an understanding of the central events and institutions of world civilizations
Describe and analyze the historical, political, economic, and cultural impact of the West
on other areas of the world
Apply historical knowledge to evaluate contemporary issues or problems
Learning Objectives for the Literature Requirement
Students will be able to
Analyze and construct clear and well-supported interpretations of literary texts
Demonstrate a familiarity with central forms and genres of literature, as well as with
basic critical terminology and approaches used to analyze these forms and genres
Understand how literature reflects, interacts, and influences society, history, and culture
Demonstrate a familiarity with a range of influential works and authors from various time
periods and from Western and/or non-Western contexts
Recognize and describe, by example, how literature provides the opportunity for
intellectual and imaginative participation in various modes of human thought and values,
not necessarily their own, thereby offering the opportunity for growth in self-knowledge
and in reflection on their relationship to others and to the world around them.
Natural Sciences: Scientific Reasoning and Understanding
Goal: Upon completion of their degree program, students will be able to comprehend and to
apply the basic principles of science and methods of scientific inquiry.
Rationale: Through exposure to both the biological sciences and the physical sciences, students
will develop a greater understanding of how science is the process of understanding natural
phenomena. Students also need to be familiar with the vocabulary and methods of science so that
they can understand and value the importance of scientific inquiry in the world around them and
be better prepared to evaluate and to utilize new information and technologies. General education
science courses further develop students’ critical thinking skills by encouraging open-
mindedness and a reasoned understanding of the nature of evidence and the methods of acquiring
and testing it.
To fulfill general education requirements, students choose a six-hour sequence in the biological
or physical sciences and a three-hour course in the area other than that selected for the sequence
as specified by the degree program.
Learning Objectives for Scientific Reasoning and Understanding:
Students will be able to
Differentiate among facts, laws, theories, and hypotheses
Define major concepts, principles, and fundamental theories in at least one area of
science
Demonstrate an understanding of the basic terminology in at least one area of science
Formulate a hypothesis, given a simple problem or questions, and design a valid
experiment to test it
Make informed decisions on contemporary consumer or social issues demanding
scientific literacy
The Social and Behavioral Sciences: The Individual and Society
Goal: Upon completion of their degree program, students will have developed a deeper
understanding of the relation of self to world through investigation of the influence of social,
cultural, economic, and political institutions in shaping human thought, value, and behavior.
Rationale: The social and behavioral sciences are made up of the disciplines that use the
methods of scientific inquiry to understand human behavior and the interrelationship of human
experience and societal, political, and economic systems. Study in these fields enhances
students’ awareness of the interdependent nature of individuals and societies and thus better
equips them for thoughtful participation in a democratic society. Study here also encourages
greater sensitivity to differences among people. However diverse the specific disciplines are in
this category, they all investigate group differences–whether economic, ethnic, psychological–
and thus expose students to significant issues of cultural diversity. Finally, like all breadth-of-
knowledge areas, study in this category requires students to examine their pre-conceptions about
the world and to interpret and analyze logically. The Social and Behavioral Science Requirement
is fulfilled by six credit hours to be chosen from the following disciplines: Economics,
Geography, Government, Psychology, or Sociology. Three of the six hours must be at the
sophomore-level.
Learning Objectives for the Social and Behavioral Sciences Requirement:
In the context of at least one social science, students will be able to
Demonstrate an understanding of the major concepts and methods used by social or
behavioral scientists to investigate, to analyze, or to predict human or group behavior
Demonstrate an understanding of the major principles, models, and issues under
investigation by the social and behavioral sciences
Describe how the individual or groups of individuals are influenced by social, cultural, or
political institutions both in their own culture and in other cultures
Apply disciplinary knowledge from the social or behavioral sciences to contemporary
ethical or social dilemmas