Competencies

Read more about the Learning Outcomes for each area:

• First-Year Writing

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

  FYW must be taken in the first year, and prepares 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

  Students will:

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

  FYW 150 - First-Year Writing (or equivalent) 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. Must be taken in first year.

• Mathematical Reasoning

  Students will complete a math course at the appropriate level or complete a math competency exam.

  Student Learning Outcomes

  Students will demonstrate:

  1. Mathematical problem solving: Apply mathematical methods to solve problems including problems with applications to other disciplines.
  2. Mathematical reasoning, argumentation and proof: 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.
  3. Mathematical explanation: Clearly communicate mathematical reasoning and solutions to problems by using correct mathematical notation, terminology and symbolism.

  Example of a course that satisfies this area of inquiry

  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.

• Second Language Flag

  Students will demonstrate a minimum of third-semester competency in another language in addition to English. Some students will need to 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 by passing a competency exam.

  Student Learning Outcomes

  Students will:

  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.

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

  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)

  Students will:

  1. Produce ASL messages in face-to-face interactions using ASL vocabulary and grammatical structures, as well as 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 and grammatical structures, as well as 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 a variety of 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.

  ASL was recommended by the Core Curriculum Committee (CCC) on 12/19/19 to be included in the list of languages that could be used to fulfill the second language requirement at USD. See Appendix 1.

• Advanced Writing

  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

  Students will:

  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. Use credible sources to develop ideas and arguments that are effective within the area of study. (Sources and evidence)
  4. Cite sources accurately according to the conventions of the area of study. (Sources and evidence)
  5. 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.

• Oral Communication

  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

  Students will:

  1. Deliver a central message that is compelling and appropriate to the audience. (Central Message: precisely stated; imaginative language; appropriately repeated; memorable; strongly supported)
  2. Construct presentations with clear and consistent organizational patterns. (Organization: specific introduction and conclusion; sequenced material within the body of the speech; transitions; application of a variety of supporting materials: explanations, examples, illustrations, statistics, analogies, quotations from relevant authorities; established credibility and authority on the topic through appropriate reference to information or analysis that significantly supports the presentation)
  3. Demonstrate techniques of verbal and nonverbal delivery that evoke confidence from the speaker, make the presentation compelling, and fully engage the audience. (Delivery: volume; expressiveness; pauses; posture; gestures; sustained eye contact)

  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.

• Quantitative Reasoning

  Students will learn how to evaluate and interpret quantitative information.

  Student Learning Outcomes

  Students will demonstrate:

  1. Identification: 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).
  2. Calculation and Organization: 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).
  3. Interpretation: 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.
  4. Evaluate Assumptions and Recognize Limitations: Make and evaluate important assumptions in estimating, modeling, and analysis of quantitative data as well as recognizing their limitations.
  5. Justification: Communicate carefully qualified conclusions and express quantitative evidence to support arguments.

  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.