Institutional Learning Outcomes

In Fall 2019, a representative group of staff, faculty, and students was established to develop Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILOs). These ILOs would be applicable to a Peru State College undergraduate experience, both through the curriculum and through co-curricular activities. They represent what the institution expects its students to know or be able to do upon graduation, achieved through all their experiences while at Peru State College. Originally, there were five institutional learning goals, but it had been nearly 20 years since they had been reviewed and updated. This group or taskforce, led by the Director of Assessment and Vice President of Academic Affairs, worked collaboratively to identify the most important knowledge, skills, and dispositions that students should expect to achieve through their experiences at Peru State College. The charge of the taskforce was to develop 5-6 learning themes, as well as 3-4 learning outcomes per theme.

ILO Taskforce Membership
  • Dr. Matt Hill, Associate Professor of Music, Director of Choral Activities, and chair of the Assessment Committee
  • Dr. Shana Walsh, Assistant Professor of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation
  • Dr. Jody Woodworth, Assistant Professor of Business
  • Dr. Kristi Nies, Assistant Professor of English
  • Adam Neveau, Director of Residence Life
  • Crystal Hutson, Director of Student Activities and Programs
  • Matthew Thielen, Dean of Student Life
  • Tammie Hart, Executive Director of Budget and Planning
  • Erin Rieschick, Director of Business Services
  • Joan Albury, Head Women’s Basketball Coach
  • Gavin Maas, Student Senator
  • Kayla Myers, Student Senator
ILO Development Process

The work of this group or taskforce consisted of three meetings. The first meeting involved training the members on the purpose of ILOs, how to write a learning outcome, and the sources of information that could be utilized in the development of the ILOs (i.e. the Degree Qualification Profile, CAS standards, AAC&U’s Essential Learning Outcomes, examples of ILOs from other institutions, survey results of Peru State College students, attributes employers were seeking in college graduates). The second meeting was structured as a workshop in which the taskforce worked collaboratively with each other to develop the learning outcomes. This workshop involved the following activities:

  • Developing Learning Themes
      • Individually, each member of the taskforce answered the following question: what knowledge and/or skills do students gain through the experiences or activities offered from your area?
      • The taskforce was then separated into groups of three to four to share their answers to the question and then identify 5-6 agreed-upon learning themes.
      • As a large group, a representative from each group shared their themes, which were recorded by the Director of Assessment.
      • The large group voted on the top five.
  • Developing Learning Outcomes for Each Theme
      • Once the top five themes were identified, the small groups worked to develop 2-3 learning outcomes.
      • As a large group, a representative from each group shared their 2-3 learning outcomes, which was recorded by the Director of Assessment.
      • The next step was to consolidate the learning outcomes as there were many similarities, which was done outside of the workshop.

The below document shows how the taskforce developed the ILOs and how they progressed:

Institutional Learning Outcome Group Development

The Director of Assessment and Vice President reviewed the learning outcomes developed in the workshop and edited and merged them together. As a result, each theme had 3-4 learning outcomes that captured what was written by the taskforce. The next step was to present the draft of the learning themes and outcomes to the different groups on campus and ask for feedback. The intention of these discussions was to ensure that the ILOs were representative of the campus community’s vision for what students should be learning through their Peru State College curricular and co-curricular experiences. These campus groups included the Assessment Committee, Faculty Senate,  Student Senate, President’s Council, and each academic school. In addition, the ILOs were published in the November edition of the Keep Calm and Assess On newsletter allowing for faculty and staff to provide any additional feedback. Based on the feedback from the campus community, the taskforce reconvened to revise the learning outcomes. The ILOs went through one last review by Faculty Senate and for final approval from Cabinet and Peru State College’s president.

Below are the finalized Institutional Learning Outcomes:

Discipline Mastery (Dispositions, Skills, Knowledge)

As a result of a Peru State College experience, students will be able to:

  • Apply knowledge and use the standards and practices of their major field of study in order to create new insights.
  • Demonstrate expertise in their professional area through a cumulative discipline-specific experience.
  • Reflect on their own learning process and outcomes to become lifelong learners.

Effective Communication

As a result of a Peru State College experience, students will be able to:

  • Express ideas through both professional and interpersonal communication to convey meaning and influence others.
  • Effectively use vocabulary, correct grammar, and artistic expression in both written and verbal communication through multiple media and modes of communication.
  • Demonstrate active listening when interacting with individuals, groups, and stakeholders.

Critical Literacies

As a result of a Peru State College experience, students will be able to:

  • Select, evaluate, and ethically use diverse and credible sources as they engage in critical problem-solving.
  • Develop strategies to manage personal affairs, time, wellness, and finances.
  • Effectively use technology to advance their personal and professional goals.
  • Analyze data and draw conclusions to make evidence-based decisions.

Interpersonal Relationships and Leadership

As a result of a Peru State College experience, students will be able to:

  • Engage and collaborate with others to achieve positive outcomes.
  • Establish healthy and mutually-beneficial relationships with others.
  • Develop leadership skills to guide and assist a group, organization, or community in meeting its goals.

Cultural Competency

As a result of a Peru State College experience, students will be able to:

  • Discover their own identity, beliefs, behaviors, values, and biases to better understand diversity in others.
  • Develop a mindset for inclusive environments that embraces differences in others.
  • Model respect by engaging in dignified and thoughtful conversations with diverse others.
  • Articulate the benefits and impacts of interactions with diverse populations and cultural experiences.