General Education

General Education Outcomes 2021

A robust general education is founded on the knowledge, concepts, methods, and perspectives that students gain through the study of many academic disciplines. These disciplinary studies stimulate intellectual inquiry, global awareness, and cultural and artistic appreciation: they equip students to make informed judgments and remain engaged beyond the classroom. To that end, QCC promotes educational activities that allow students to demonstrate that they can:

Communicate effectively in various forms
Use analytical reasoning to identify issues or problems and evaluate evidence in order to make informed decisions
Reason quantitatively as required in various fields of interest and in everyday life
Apply information management and digital technology skills useful for academic research and lifelong learning
Apply scientific methods and reasoning to investigate issues/problems in the natural and social sciences in order to draw conclusions

To support these institutional general education outcomes, the academic departments—through their programs—may also assess the ability of students to:

Integrate knowledge and skills in the program of study
Make ethical judgments while recognizing multiple perspectives, as appropriate in the program of study
Work collaboratively to accomplish learning objectives

Approved by the Academic Senate on February 13, 2018.

General Education Outcomes 2017

At Queensborough Community College, the General Education learning outcomes are embedded in courses across the disciplines, both in the Common Core and in the Major for each academic program. In December, 2016, the Academic Senate approved a revision of the College's General Education Outcomes (previously revised in May 2007), effective fall 2017:

Communicate effectively through written and oral forms
Use analytical reasoning to identify issues or problems and evaluate evidence in order to make informed decisions.
Reason quantitatively as required in various fields of interest and in everyday life
Apply information management and digital technology skills useful for academic research and lifelong learning
Discipline-Specific Outcomes
A robust general education is founded on the knowledge, concepts, methods and perspectives that students gain through study of the social sciences and history, the natural sciences, the arts and the humanities. These disciplinary studies stimulate intellectual inquiry, global awareness, and cultural and artistic appreciation; they equip students to make informed judgments and engage with life beyond the classroom.
5A. Apply concepts and perspectives from history or the social sciences to examine the formation of ideas, human behavior, social institutions, or social processes and to make informed judgments
5B. Apply concepts and methods of the natural and physical sciences to examine natural phenomena and to make informed decisions.
5C. Apply aesthetic and intellectual criteria to examine or create works in the humanities and the arts and to make informed judgments.

Outcomes Supporting General Education

The outcomes below, which support students' General Education, are included in the program specific outcomes for each academic program:

Integrate knowledge and skills in the program of study
Make ethical judgments while recognizing multiple perspectives, as appropriate in the program of study.
Work collaboratively to accomplish learning objectives

General Education Objectives 2007

Educational Goals

Students graduating with an associate degree will:

for transfer programs: meet requirements for successful transfer into upper division of baccalaureate programs
for career programs: demonstrate mastery of discipline-specific knowledge, skills, and tools required for entry into or advancement in the job market in their field

Educational Objectives

To achieve these goals, students graduating with an associate degree will:

communicate effectively through reading, writing, listening and speaking
use analytical reasoning to identify issues or problems and evaluate evidence in order to make informed decisions
reason quantitatively and mathematically as required in their fields of interest and in everyday life
use information management and technology skills effectively for academic research and lifelong learning
integrate knowledge and skills in their program of study
differentiate and make informed decisions about issues based on multiple value systems
work collaboratively in diverse groups directed at accomplishing learning objectives
use historical or social sciences perspectives to examine formation of ideas, human behavior, social institutions, or social processes
employ concepts and methods of the natural and physical sciences to make informed judgments
apply aesthetic and intellectual criteria in the evaluation or creation of works in the humanities or the arts

Learning Outcomes

1. Communicate effectively through reading, writing, listening, and speaking

interpret texts critically
use writing to create and clarify meaning
write in varied rhetorical modes, poetic forms and voices
use writing and oral communication to connect prior knowledge to disciplinary discourse
apply principles of critical listening to evaluate information
speak clearly, accurately, and coherently in several modes of delivery

2. Use analytical reasoning to identify issues or problems and evaluate evidence in order to make informed decisions

distinguish the problem or question from a proposed solution or answer
differentiate between facts, assumptions, and conclusions in the formulation of a proposed solution or answer
evaluate the quality of evidence
describe and compare the way questions, issues, or problems are formulated within various fields of study

3. Reason quantitatively and mathematically as required in their fields of interest and in everyday life

identify problems that need a mathematical solution, and use computational methods in the mathematics applicable in everyday life
use the language, notation, and inductive and deductive methods of mathematics to formulate quantitative ideas and patterns
use mathematics appropriate to specific fields of study
estimate when doing mathematical calculations
employ technology to collect, process, and present mathematical information
describe mathematical, statistical and probabilistic models and methods, and identify how they are used to obtain knowledge
organize and interpret data and use the data to draw conclusions

4. Use information management and technology skills effectively for academic research and lifelong learning

determine the extent of information needed for a research question, problem or issue
access needed information effectively and efficiently
evaluate information and its sources critically and assimilate selected information
use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose
demonstrate an understanding of the economic, legal, social, and ethical issues surrounding the use of information and information technology
employ technology in research and fields of interest
identify the role of technology and its impact on the individual, society and the environment

5. Integrate knowledge and skills in their program of study

create coherent, documented essays, presentations, or solutions to problems based on gathering, analyzing, and comparing evidence from more than one perspective
demonstrate critical and creative thought by producing new arguments, art or solutions to complex problems
analyze and compare evidence to support/refute different points of view on a particular topic
complete sequential courses that use knowledge and skills from a previous course to master the higher level course
complete a culminating assignment in a capstone course

6. Differentiate and make informed decisions about issues based on multiple value systems

identify the key elements of issues and analyze them from the perspectives of multiple value systems
identify values and their origins in culture, religion, philosophy, political, social or economic theory
differentiate ethical and non-ethical elements in arguments and/or behavior
distinguish facts from values in issues
apply varying values or ethical principles and approaches to respond to questions, dilemmas, or problems and describe alternate outcomes

7. Work collaboratively in diverse groups directed at accomplishing learning objectives

work in groups to accomplish learning tasks and reach common goals
demonstrate interpersonal skills and accountability in working in diverse groups
design and complete a group project
write or make a presentation based on group work

8. Use historical or social sciences perspectives to examine formation of ideas, human behavior, social institutions, or social processes

use historical facts to provide context for understanding information
apply discipline-specific methods to retrieve information
apply discipline-specific methods to reconstruct the historical past
interpret information to analyze historical events
use social sciences concepts to analyze human behavior
discuss social institutions from a historical or social sciences perspective
identify social processes in everyday life

9. Employ concepts and methods of the natural and physical sciences to make informed judgments

describe fundamental concepts in a field of science
explain and demonstrate the process of scientific inquiry
discuss the role of science and its impact on the individual, society and the environment

10. Apply aesthetic and intellectual criteria in the evaluation or creation of works in the humanities or the arts

analyze and evaluate literary works
analyze and evaluate works of art
perform or create artistic works

General Education Assessment Reports

Access the General Education Assessment reports and archive