Competencies Area

Students will complete a first-year writing (FYW 150) course focusing on composition and mechanics.

FYW must be taken in the first year, preparing students for writing in subsequent Core and major courses. FYW stretches beyond a single discipline so that students will study multiple discourses and gain practice in multiple kinds of writing.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. (a) Write in ways appropriate to the audiences and occasions of each assignment; (b) Write effectively in or about multiple discourses by distinguishing among and responding to rhetorical contexts. (Contexts and purposes)
2. Apply relevant and compelling content based on a strong understanding of assigned subjects in order to write effectively across multiple types of discourse. (Content)
3. (a) Use credible sources to develop effective ideas and arguments within assigned disciplines and discourses; (b) Cite sources accurately according to conventions of the topic and discipline. (Sources and evidence)
4. Write clearly and fluently, with few errors in syntax and grammar (Mechanics)

Course Description

FYW 150 - First-Year Writing (or equivalent)

This course fulfills the Core Curriculum requirement for lower-division written communication. Develops skills in reading and critical analysis of multiple discourses. Develops writing within multiple discourses, and the transfer of those writing skills to multiple disciplines and occasions. Students practice the entire process of writing, from initial conception, through drafts, to revision and editing. Students are encouraged to use the Writing Center, staffed by trained peer-tutors.

Students will complete a math course at the appropriate level.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Apply mathematical methods to solve problems including problems with applications to other disciplines. (Mathematical problem solving)
2. Demonstrate mathematical reasoning by being able to a) create chains of mathematical arguments, including using definitions and theorems appropriately, and b) assess chains of mathematical arguments. (Mathematical reasoning, argumentation and proof)
3. Clearly communicate mathematical reasoning and solutions to problems by using correct mathematical notation, terminology and symbolism. (Mathematical explanation)

Example Course Description:

MATH 110 - Investigations in Mathematics

Mathematics is much more than calculation; it is an imaginative and creative endeavor that studies all sorts of patterns and structures, many of which are beautiful, intriguing, and applicable to the real world. This course will explore some surprising and rewarding mathematical ideas in areas that could include games, fractals, ciphers, elections, finance, risk measurement, the nature of infinity, or others. Along the way, students may confront issues that challenge their intuition, gain sharper analytical reasoning skills, and experience mathematical questions that have remained unsolved for hundreds of years.

Students will demonstrate a minimum of third-semester competency in another language in addition to English. Some students must take preparatory courses before registering for the third semester. Students may also satisfy this requirement by taking a course beyond the third-semester level in any language other than English or passing a competency exam.

Flagged courses for Second Language Competency include ARAB 201, CHIN 201, FREN 201, GERM 201, ITAL 201, JAPN 201, LATN 201, SPAN 201

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Produce language interactively both orally and in writing in different social situations.
2. Present information to an audience of listeners using basic vocabulary and grammatical structures.
3. Write short texts about familiar topics using the vocabulary, grammatical structures, and social conventions.
4. Understand and recognize the main idea in conversations and oral messages in accordance with the cultural settings in which they take place.
5. Understand the main idea in a variety of written texts.

Example Course Description:

SPAN 201 - Third Semester Spanish

Prerequisites: SPAN 102 or SPAN 103 or Passing the appropriate departmental placement test within the previous year Completes the introduction of the basic structures of the language, with continuing emphasis on communicative proficiency. At this level students are encouraged to participate in community service-learning and/or cultural activities within the Spanish-speaking community.

Student Learning Outcomes for American Sign Language (ASL)

1. Produce ASL messages in face-to-face interactions using ASL vocabulary, grammatical structures, and the social conventions of the Deaf and hard-of-hearing communities.
2. Present information about familiar topics to a live audience (or create short ASL video texts) using ASL vocabulary, grammatical structures, and the social conventions of the Deaf and hard-of-hearing communities.
3. Understand and recognize the main idea in ASL conversation and face-to-face ASL messages in accordance with the social and cultural conventions of the Deaf and hard-of-hearing communities.
4. Understand and recognize the main idea in various live ASL presentations or signed video texts about familiar topics.

Since ASL is not taught at USD, students wanting to fulfill their Core CSLA requirement using ASL competency may do so in one of two ways:

1. Transfer of Credit: Present documentation (i.e., a course syllabus and transcript) that shows that they completed a class that covered the ASL student learning outcomes 1 through 4.
2. Demonstration of Competency by completing an approved external exam: Present documentation that they have completed an external exam approved by USD’s Department of Languages, Cultures, and Literatures.

Students will complete writing requirements within a core or major/minor course. Courses are writing intensive and writing instructive, focusing on teaching writing as a process. This includes pre-writing, multiple drafts, feedback, revision and editing.

Advanced Writing builds on first-year writing (FYW), providing further instruction in the same four basic outcome areas. Most students will work more specifically within an academic discipline, equipping them to succeed in their majors.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Write with the mastery of a student advanced in an area of study by distinguishing and responding to audiences, occasions, and discursive contexts. (Contexts and purposes)
2. Apply relevant and compelling content, based on mastery of assigned subjects, in order to write effectively within the area of study. (Content)
3. (a) Use credible sources to develop ideas and arguments that are effective within the area of study; (b) Cite sources accurately according to the conventions of the area of study. (Sources and evidence)
4. Write clearly and fluently in formats relevant to the area of study, with few errors in syntax and grammar. (Mechanics)

Example of Flagged Course:

SOCI 310 - U.S. Society

An introduction to U.S. society within historical and social perspectives. Transitions and transformations in U.S. culture and values are considered in a social context. Topics explored include industrialization, capitalism, social stratification, and the interplay of freedom, democracy, individualism, and volunteerism with the U.S.'s social structure, political institutions, and cultural framework.

Students will take a course in the core or in the major/minor that will include an oral communication component. Students will learn how to prepare and verbally deliver appropriate messages to a specific audience.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Deliver a central message that is compelling and appropriate to the audience. (Central Message)
2. Construct presentations with clear and consistent organizational patterns. (Organization)
3. Demonstrate techniques of verbal and nonverbal delivery that evoke confidence from the speaker, make the presentation compelling, and fully engage the audience. (Delivery)

Example of Flagged Course:

COMM 203 - Public Speaking

An introduction to several forms of public communication. Emphasis is placed on the development and practice of public speaking about salient political, cultural, and social issues. Students are taught an audience-sensitive approach to the invention, arrangement, and delivery of public messages. Fulfills a Core Curriculum requirement in the social sciences.

Students will learn how to evaluate and interpret quantitative information.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Recognize and select quantitative information that is relevant to the argument (e.g., extract necessary data from larger datasets that may also contain nonrelevant information). (Identification)
2. Perform any necessary calculations (e.g., converting units, standardizing rates, applying formulas, solving equations), and put data into comparable forms (e.g., graphs, diagrams, tables, words). (Calculation and Organization)
3. Interpret and explain data in mathematical forms, such as analyzing trends in graphs and making reasonable predictions about what the data suggest about future events. (Interpretation)
4. Make and evaluate important assumptions in estimating, modeling, and analysis of quantitative data as well as recognizing their limitations. (Evaluate Assumptions and Recognize Limitations)
5. Communicate carefully qualified conclusions and express quantitative evidence to support arguments. (Justification)

Example of Flagged Course:

EOSC 110 - Introduction to Geosciences

Lecture and field investigations of geographic and geological processes. The objective of this course is to give students a comprehensive overview of the earth and its component systems. The emphasis of this course is the interactions among the atmosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere. Three hours of lecture and one laboratory per week and some field experience, which may include an overnight trip. Every semester.

Students will take a course in the core or in the major/minor that explicitly teaches critical thinking.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Develop and support a credible thesis/hypothesis and conclusion using techniques of analysis in a manner appropriate to the relevant discipline(s) of the course.

Example of Flagged Course:

HIST 312- Roman Civilization

This course explores the emergence and development of Roman civilization from the foundation of the city of Rome in the eighth century BCE to the crisis of the third century CE, with an emphasis on society and culture in the late republic and early empire. Students use the works of ancient Roman poets, historians, and thinkers together with art and archaeology to investigate Roman culture and society, as well as the origin and development of republican government, imperialism, technological innovations, and imperialism and resistance on Rome's borders, and the use of art as political propaganda.

Students will take a course in the core or in the major/minor that explicitly teaches information literacy.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Students use search strategies to identify and access credible and relevant sources of information and use that knowledge for a particular purpose. (Explore)
2. Students critically evaluate various sources of information by asking strategic questions about origins, context, and suitability for use. (Evaluate)
3. Students use sources of information effectively and ethically. (Apply)

Example of Flagged Course:

POLS 331 - Informed Citizenship

What does it mean to be a thoughtful, well-informed citizen of a democracy? What distinguishes a mere news consumer from a truly informed citizen? How can thinking like a political scientist give us essential tools for engaging with media and politics? How much quantitative literacy do non-expert citizens need to critically analyze politics in a data-driven world? To address these vital questions, we will explore historical and contemporary texts, cases, and controversies to learn how the tools of political science analysis, and of liberal arts education generally, might help develop strategies for critical thinking and information literacy in the 21st century.