University Learning Goals (KMERI)

Otterbein graduates should be agile thinkers, effective communicators, flexible problem-solvers, and global-minded citizens. To that end, our graduates, through curricular and co-curricular experiences, will become:

Knowledgeable
Multi-Literate
Engaged
Responsible
Inquisitive

Otterbein University KMERI Learning Outcomes (PDF)

Knowledgeable

Otterbein undergraduate students will acquire a deep knowledge of, and appreciation for, their chosen major(s) as well as a solid grounding in a broad range of disciplines in the liberal arts and sciences.

Liberal Education and America’s Promise (AAC&U)

Knowledge of Human Cultures and the Physical and Natural World

  • Through study in the sciences and mathematics, social sciences, humanities, histories, languages, and the arts

Focused by engagement with big questions, both contemporary and enduring

What Employers Say (AAC&U)

“The majority of employers [59%] agree that having both field-specific knowledge and skills and a broad range of skills and knowledge is most important for recent college graduates to achieve long-term career success”

Otterbein graduate students will acquire advanced theoretical, empirical and practical knowledge in their field. They will demonstrate understanding of the established and evolving professional and/or academic standards of their discipline.

Multi-Literate

Otterbein undergraduate students will develop and demonstrate a range of intellectual and practical skills, including written and oral communication skills; research skills; quantitative, technological, visual, and information literacies.

Link to Liberal Education and America’s Promise (AAC&U)

Intellectual and Practical Skills, Including

  • Inquiry and analysis
  • Critical and creative thinking
  • Written and oral communication
  • Quantitative literacy
  • Information literacy
  • Teamwork and problem solving

Practiced extensively, across the curriculum, in the context of progressively more challenging problems, projects, and standards for performance

What Employers Say (AAC&U)

“80% of employers surveyed say more emphasis should be placed on written & oral communication skills; 72% say more emphasis should be placed on the location, organization and evaluation of information from multiple sources (information literacy); 81-82% say that more emphasis should be placed on research skills such as critical thinking analytical reasoning, and complex problem solving and analysis”

Otterbein graduate students will use evidence, including technology based databases and appropriate research methods to initiate and reformulate ideas, theories, and concepts. They will communicate reasoned judgments on issues in their field.

Engaged

Otterbein undergraduate students will become intellectually, aesthetically, and civically engaged. As intellectually engaged people, they will integrate, synthesize, critically reflect upon, and evaluate what they know. As aesthetically engaged people, they will value and practice the art of imagination and creative expression. As civically engaged people, they will be prepared to confront, act upon, and lead collaborative responses to increasingly complex challenges in diverse local, national, and global communities.

Link to Liberal Education and America’s Promise (AAC&U)
Integrative and Applied Learning, Including

  • Synthesis and advanced accomplishment across general and specialized studies

Demonstrated through the application of knowledge, skills, and responsibilities to new settings and complex problems

What Employers Say (AAC&U)
“86% of employers say students should gain experience working with others to solve important problems in their community; 95% of employers agree (57 percent strongly) that their company “puts a priority on hiring people with the intellectual and interpersonal skills that will help them contribute to innovation in the workplace.”

Otterbein graduate students will actively address local and global issues related to their primary field of study. They will complete creative projects reflecting a unique integration of knowledge, theory and practice.

Responsible

Otterbein undergraduate students will make choices that promote their own well-being and that of others. Encouraged to grapple with diverse value systems, they will move toward ethical commitments that reflect a sense of agency, honesty, and fairness.

Link to Liberal Education and America’s Promise (AAC&U)
Personal and Social Responsibility, Including

  • Civic knowledge and engagement—local and global
  • Intercultural knowledge and competence
  • Ethical reasoning and action
  • Foundations and skills for lifelong learning

Anchored through active involvement with diverse communities and real-world challenges

What Employers Say (AAC&U)
“91% of employers agree that all students should have experiences in college that teach them how to solve problems with people whose views are different from their own, including 57 percent who strongly agree with this statement; 87% say students should be taught about ethical issues and public debates important to their field”

Otterbein graduate students will demonstrate leadership in their field, upholding professional values and ethical standards. They will exemplify a commitment to honesty, fairness, diversity, and inclusion for the betterment of the profession or discipline.

Inquisitive

Otterbein undergraduate students will know how to learn. As confident life-long learners, they will be curious and eager to discover more about themselves and the natural, cultural, and social worlds.

Link to Liberal Education and America’s Promise (AAC&U)
Personal and Social Responsibility, Including

  • Civic knowledge and engagement—local and global
  • Intercultural knowledge and competence
  • Ethical reasoning and action
  • Foundations and skills for lifelong learning

Anchored through active involvement with diverse communities and real-world challenges

What Employers Say (AAC&U)
“94% of employers say that it is important that their employees “Demonstrate the capacity for professional development and continued new learning” (in fact, 61% say this is very important)”

Otterbein graduate students will demonstrate a quest for knowledge, a humility with which to respond to feedback from their peers and a receptivity to diverse perspectives and new ideas.

Smartest Way To Learn