Office of the Provost

General Education Assessment

Illinois is committed to ensuring that its general education goes through a rigorous assessment and quality assurance process. In Spring 2019, Illinois began a process to build learning outcomes for each of the general education categories by convening the General Education Assembly for Learning Outcomes. The draft learning outcomes created during this process were made available on this website for campus comments. The comments were taken into consideration by both the General Education Board and the Council for Learning Outcomes Assessment. You can find the latest drafted learning outcomes by clicking through the categories below.

General Education Categories

• • • • • • • Composition Learning Outcomes
              • • Composition I

              • Advanced Composition
            • Cultural Studies Learning Outcomes
              • • Cultural Studies Overall

              • • Non-Western Cultures

              • • US Minority Cultures

              • Western/Comparative Cultures
            • Humanities and Arts Learning Outcomes
              • • Historical & Philosophical Perspectives

              • Literature & Arts
            • Natural Sciences Learning Outcomes
              • • Life Sciences

              • Physical Sciences
            • Quantitative Reasoning Learning Outcomes
              • • Quantitative Reasoning I

              • Quantitative Reasoning II
            • Social & Behavioral Sciences Learning Outcomes
              • • Behavioral Sciences

              • Social Sciences

            General Education Assembly on Learning Outcomes

            The General Education Assembly on Learning Outcomes brought together faculty, staff, graduate students, and undergraduate students to develop learning outcomes for each general education category. The objectives of this process are as follows:

            • Identify learning outcomes for each of the general education categories
            • Engage the campus in a discussion of the purpose and role of general education
            • Begin to create a Community of Practice around the Gen Ed Requirements by creating opportunities for faculty and staff involved with the individual requirements to get to know each other and build community
            • Create learning outcomes for each of the Gen Ed requirements that align with the campus student learning outcomes
            • Start the discussion for assessing student learning in these General Education requirements

            General Education Learning Outcomes Assessment

            The Council for Learning Outcomes Assessment (C-LOA) recommended a structure for assessing the Gen Ed Learning Outcomes. It also recommended a Gen Ed Assessment Committee to determine if the structure would work and the timeline for assessment reporting. The Gen Ed Assessment Committee began meeting in Spring 2022, and a pilot for the assessment work is underway.