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Basic Skills of General Education
The Middle States Commission on Higher Education, Frostburg
State University’s accrediting agency, includes the assessment of
general education in its eligibility requirements and accreditation standards:
"The institution’s curricula are designed
so that students acquire and demonstrate college-level proficiency in
general education and essential skills, including at least oral and
written communication, scientific and quantitative reasoning, critical
analysis and reasoning, and technological competency." - Characteristics
of Excellence. 2006. Middle States Commission on Higher Education
In addition, the Maryland Higher Education Commission
requires that Maryland post-secondary institutions report, on a three-year
cycle, their progress towards assuring that their students achieve the
basic proficiencies as identified by Middle States.
As part of FSU's Undergraduate Education Initiative (UEI),
the University has identified seven basic skills to be acquired as part
of FSU's general education program. Each of these proficiencies includes
established benchmarks and methods of measurement: FSU's Basic
Skills Overview summarizes assessment methods for each skill. The
links below to provide details on assessment as established by the UEI:
- Critical Thinking -
Reflective, self-directed thinking about questions, problems, and decisions
both inside and outside of the classroom.
- Information Literacy
- A set of abilities requiring individuals to recognize when information
is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively
the needed information.
- Oral Communication
- The process of people using verbal and nonverbal messages to generate
meanings within and across various contexts, cultures, channels, and
media.
- Quantitative Reasoning
- The ability to apply basic concepts and understand issues relating
to number or quantity.
- Scientific Reasoning
- The ability to logically solve problems through the application of
the scientific method.
- Technology Literacy
- The ability to apply knowledge to practical purposes through electronic
or digital products and systems.
- Written Communication
- Communication through strong, organized thesis formulation and support;
clear, concise, coherent language; and awareness of audience and purpose.
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