Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) describe the knowledge, skills, abilities, competencies, attitudes, beliefs, opinions, or values students gain as a result of learning. SLOs are assessed across the college in all academic programs, student services, and administrative offices and the results are used to make program improvements and increase student achievement. Southwestern College faculty and staff are committed to communicating expectations for student learning and to supporting students in all aspects of their educational development.

All college SLOs are aligned to five Institutional Student Learning Outcome areas identified as critical for students to develop during their experiences in college courses and programs.

Institutional Student Learning Outcomes

Communication Skills (Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing) 

1. Listen and speak actively and critically to identify a person’s position and then analyze it to determine its quality.
2. Present ideas in a clear and organized way to others.
3. Analyze and evaluate text in writing.

Thinking and Reasoning (Creative Thinking, Critical Thinking, Quantitative Reasoning)

4. Formulate and share ideas, analyze the ideas of others, integrate them into their thinking.
5. Assess and analyze data and information as they investigate issues and solve problems.
6. Use quantitative reasoning to identify, analyze and solve quantitative problems.

Information Competency (Research and Technology)

7. Research topics by identifying, analyzing, and assessing the ideas from a variety of sources to conduct research.
8. Students will use print material and technology to identify research needs and develop and evaluate information effectively and responsibly.

Global Awareness and Ethics (Social, Cultural, and Civic Responsibility)

9. Collegially work with diverse groups of people.
10. Identify and examine the cultural values of different ethnic groups in a sensitive and respectful manner.
11. Analyze and evaluate the influence that science, mass media, politics, socio-economics, technology, lifestyle, art, environment, or history have on society.
12. Analyze and critique the ethical implications of decision-making on personal behavior, and on social, political, or economic institutions.
13. Evaluate and determine if a given set of economic, social, and environmental systems and practices are sustainable in the long term.

Aesthetic Sensitivity and Historical Literacy (History, Creativity, and Artistic and Perceptual Experiences)

14. Identify, examine, and critique the aesthetic, political, scientific, philosophical, and historical elements of human culture.
15. Demonstrate creative thinking and artistic sensitivity in creating works of art and effectively describe the artistic processes used.
16. Analyze and critique the philosophical, technical, historical, cultural, and aesthetic qualities of works of art.

SLOs by Academic Program can be found next to each program in this catalog and on the Southwestern College website. SLOs for each course can be found in course syllabi and in CurricUNET via a “search by course” at: www.curricunet.com/Southwestern/search/course/.