University of Utah
AC-2: Learning Outcomes

Office of Learning Outcomes Assessment Expected Learning Outcomes (ELO) for all Learning outcomes for all degree programs offered by the University of Utah, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels are collected by the Office of Learning Outcomes Assessment. The"additional documentation" (attached) shows which programs within the university have learning outcomes that include sustainability by college, department or program, the specific learning outcome, and whether it explicitly indicates sustainability or is related to it. Only programs with explicit sustainability learning outcomes are counted in the numbers reported above. URL: http://learningoutcomes.utah.edu/

SOURCES Data on graduation and degrees awarded from the University of Utah Office of Budget and Institutional Analysis, http://www.obia.utah.edu/ Office of Learning Outcomes Assessment, Expected Learning Outcomes for all degree programs offered at the University of Utah: http://learningoutcomes.utah.edu/ NOTES Essential Learning Outcomes As part of the University of Utah’s implementation of Utah Code R470, the University endorses a set of four Essential Learning Outcomes which describe what the university expects, in a broad sense, students to achieve through completing the general education program as well as the bachelor degree requirements. While the word "sustainability" does not appear in this document, the language of the learning outcomes supports engagement with “big” questions and social responsibility as follows: 2.4.1.2. Gain Knowledge of Human Cultures and the Physical and Natural Worlds: Courses requiring study in the sciences and mathematics, social sciences, humanities, histories, languages, and the arts, focused by engagement with “big” questions – both contemporary and enduring. 2.4.1.3. Develop Personal and Social Responsibility: Including community and civic knowledge and engagement—local and global, intercultural knowledge and competence, ethical reasoning and action, and foundations and skills for lifelong learning. These categories of General Education development must be demonstrated through involvement with diverse communities and real-world challenges. University of Utah Report to the Northwest Association of Colleges and Universities (2015) URL: http://accreditation.utah.edu/2015-year-7-report/UU-Accreditation-Report-2015.pdf The College of Architecture + Planning (CA+P) has made several changes to their curriculum as a result of previous accreditation visits as well as examination of learning outcomes...CA+P recognized their students were lacking in conceptual foundations of sustainability, a core learning outcome of the curriculum. They identified that the course related to sustainability – PHYS 2011 – did not have content that was sufficiently relevant to Architecture. To replace it they looked to the rest of the University and developed a list of courses with strong sustainability emphases to meet their needs. They also added ARCH 2611: Design of the Built Environment as one of the options for students to achieve this learning outcome. [p.102] University of Utah Report to the Northwest Association of Colleges and Universities (2015) The Environmental and Sustainability Studies Program developed four new courses to enhance the strength and integrity of the curriculum and make graduates more attractive to prospective employers. Also, these courses make sure that students learn all of the fundamental concepts embodied in the term, “sustainability.” Three of these courses are required core classes: Introduction to Environmental and Sustainability Science, Challenges to Global Sustainability, and the Senior Capstone. [p. 106] In response to students’ desire to have better training and marketability, the Department of Geography has added seven new emphases: Ecology & Biogeography; Geographic Information Science; Geomorphology & Hydrology; Global Development, Population, & Sustainability; Hazards, Resources, and Human Security; Remote Sensing of the Environment; Urban Systems, Location, & Resilience. [p. 106]