University of Mount Union
AC-2: Learning Outcomes

The mission of the University of Mount Union is to prepare students for fulfilling lives, meaningful work, and responsible citizenship. The Office of Academic Affairs: works to foster collaboration, communication, and personal interaction between and among students, faculty, administrative staff, and the office itself to accomplish the University's educational mission and goals. The office oversees, coordinates, and facilitates the many academic programs and processes that have been established to help students: -Obtain a broad base of knowledge in the humanities, arts, and sciences and awareness of discipline-specific methods of inquiry; -Think critically and communicate effectively; -Gain the knowledge and skills in a specific discipline requisite for satisfying careers and/or graduate work and professional studies; -Foster an understanding of the various cultures and of the interdependence of the global community; -Form moral and religious values that encourage them to address complex societal problems that affect the individual, community, and world; -Understand the United States as a pluralistic society characterized by changing social, political, and economic relationships The College of Applied and Social Sciences: brings together a network of scholars, practitioners, and teachers committed to the transformational work of application of scholarship to improve social welfare, communities, and the people who are served by them. Students in the college collaborate to develop case studies, engage in fieldwork, learn both how to apply expert knowledge, teach, and communicate evidence. Working with stakeholders, students identify and solve problems, master technology, reform managerial structures and organizational systems, and drive social change in the various fields of study. The College of Applied and Social Sciences seeks to foster an intellectual culture with interest in communities around the globe; maintain the highest standards of professional practice, including national accreditation and/or state board approval for programs where appropriate; and promote collaborative interdisciplinary and community partnerships for reciprocal impact. The College of Arts and Humanities: is dedicated to the ideals of a liberal arts education and serves as the intellectual core of the University, offering intellectual and artistic programs that engage students and faculty and the community in collaboration, dialogue, and discovery. These programs help preserve, illuminate, and nourish the arts and humanities for the campus and for the wider community. Faculty and students in the College of Arts and Humanities study the cultures of the world, past and present, in all their rich variety. Through teaching and research that investigates human experience, thought, expression, and creativity, the college aims to educate global citizens who assess received opinion, make independent judgments, and value the transforming power of the imagination. The College of Natural and Health Sciences builds on Mount Union’s recognized strengths in the natural and health sciences by bringing together new and established programs. The college simultaneously reflects commitment to the University’s mission of preparing students for fulfilling lives, meaningful work, and responsible citizenship with an ambition to develop an array of signature programs for the communities we serve, enabling Mount Union to do its part to address critical shortages of healthcare and science professionals in Northeast Ohio and beyond. The sciences afford the opportunity for exploration and discovery in the pursuit of new knowledge, understanding systems in the physical and natural world, and bettering the human condition. The Huston-Brumbaugh Nature Center is housed within the college.

Sustainability Focused Programs: 1) Environmental Science: The curriculum is designed to emphasize the interdisciplinary nature of environmental science while building a solid foundation in the natural sciences to prepare students for a successful career or future graduate studies. The program allows students flexibility in choosing courses so they can customize their studies to meet their own educational goals. LEARNING OUTCOMES: a) Graduates will demonstrate the ability to gather and analyze information and data that include biological, chemical, physical, and sociological aspects of environmental conditions and processes. b) Graduates will be able to make appropriate use of scientific information and data including assessing reliability, interpreting results, and drawing reasonable conclusions. c) Graduates will demonstrate the ability to apply scientific findings to current environmental issues and concerns. d) Graduates will be able to evaluate environmental issues in terms of the needs of society. e) Graduates will demonstrate their ability to communicate effectively in written and oral form using scientific style. f) Graduates will be able to identify and explain the principles of responsible conduct within the scientific community. g) Graduates will demonstrate skills and aptitudes appropriate for securing employment or acceptance to graduate programs in environmental science or related fields. 2) Sustainability: The minor in sustainability is designed to provide students with an understanding of and ability to utilize sustainability as a lens for systems thinking in any discipline. Sustainability is a balance of dependent systems to provide for the continued function and equilibrium of the planet’s natural systems with those of society. Sustainability focuses on our economic, environmental, and social systems to 'sustain' the planet for future generations. Sustainability perspectives and practices are emerging as essential tools to have in today’s ever-changing world. This minor will serve as a compliment to any major and provide skills that can be directly applied to students’ professional and personal practices in the future. Mount Union undergraduate students in this minor will learn the ethical, practical, and innovative approaches used to balance the need for human consumption and development with environmental, economic, and social equity. LEARNING OUTCOMES: a) Demonstrate a deep understanding of sustainability and explain how concepts of sustainability are connected to issues of social justice, the environment, and the economy from the local to global level. b) Identify existing conditions of: a) environmental degradation, b) economic failure, and c) social inequity; and provide explanations for their causes and interdependencies, as well as formulate probable solutions. c) Exhibit critical thinking skills and a holistic systems approach to evaluate policies, practices, and belief systems on the local and global levels for their environmental, economic, and social sustainability. d) Apply the skills and knowledge to communicate how individual and collective actions affect the sustainability of interrelated systems locally and globally. e) Link knowledge with action to transform their own lives and promote sustainability as a leader in their workplaces and communities. 3) Peacebuilding and Social Justice: The peacebuilding and social justice program at the University of Mount Union is an interdisciplinary program grounded in the humanities and drawing from the social sciences and other academic realms. Students engage, analyze, and work to resolve messy, overlapping, and complex interpersonal, community, and international conflicts, consider and implement creative, nonviolent, and sustainable solutions drawing upon the expertise and perspectives multiple academic perspectives. They will leverage their interdisciplinary training and disciplinary expertise to prevent conflict and to act as makers and sustainers of peace and justice at home and abroad, in their homes, workplaces, and communities. The minor provides an excellent complement to nearly any academic major and with the program’s commitment to theoretical understanding, practical skills-building, and engagement with diversity so as to prepare students for graduate work and/or careers in law, education, counseling, business, the not-for-profit world, social service and many other fields. 4) Public Service: The minor in public service at the University of Mount Union allows students to explore the relations between social service and public service, as well as gain experience in leadership, communication, non-profit organizations and government service. Sustainability learning outcomes also found in course requirements listed under: Biology, Leadership, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Sociology, Psychology, Economics, and Political Science

SUS 100: Introduction to Sustainability (required for Sustainability Minor) LEARNING OUTCOMES 1.Understand the origins of sustainability in human societies. 2.Become acquainted with and define the key features of the wicked sustainability problems societies around the world are facing. 3.Adopt a systems perspective to analyze these wicked sustainability problems. 4.Examine the role of sustainability indicators in this problem-solving process. 5.Think in systematic ways about possible future pathways of sustainability problems and solutions. 6.Examine the critical ingredients for transitions toward sustainable systems. SUS 400: Sustainability Seminar (required for Sustainability Minor) LEARNING OUTCOMES 1)Connect the core concepts and themes of sustainability to one’s specific field of interest to build the skills necessary to become an effective change agent. 2)Increase understanding of real-world applications of current sustainability principles. 3)Examine challenges and examples of integrated, creative strategies used at local, national, and global levels. 4)Collaborate with an interdisciplinary group to apply systems thinking and problem solving to an identified sustainability issue, challenge, and/or need. 5)Formulate a plan of action to address the identified sustainability issue, challenge, and/or need.

Based on information contained within the 2020-2021 Catalog and Program information found on the UMU website.