Office of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

Institutional Learning Outcomes

The General Education Requirements: Goals and Outcomes

The General Education Requirements are designed to meet the following six goals and their respective learning outcomes:

1. Critical Thinking:

A UH Hilo graduate should be able to -

  • Critique and interpret evidence (primary sources)
  • Identify relevant arguments
  • Analyze alternative assumptions
  • Identify ethical problems and dilemmas
  • Evaluate the validity of ethical arguments
  • Critically reflect on value assumptions

2. Information Literacy:

A UH Hilo graduate should be able to -

  • Identify appropriate information required to address particular problems or issues
  • Access relevant information using appropriate resources
  • Evaluate different forms of data and sources
  • Analyze the economic, legal, and socio-political and other issues surrounding the use of information
  • Use computer technology to conduct research and find information

3. Communication:

A UH Hilo graduate should be able to -

  • Articulate and pursue a line of reasoning using oral and written forms
  • Present ideas or results in a manner appropriate for college-level discourse (i.e. structure, tone, syntax, and grammar) in written form
  • Present ideas or results using collegiate-level conventions (i.e. documentation, genres, and forms of presentation)
  • Identify his/her audience and adapt accordingly

4. Scientific and Quantitative Reasoning:

A UH Hilo graduate should be able to -

  • Use systematic, empirical approaches to address questions as part of the scientific process
  • Differentiate scientific and non-scientific methods of inquiry
  • Conduct planned investigations including recording and analyzing data and reaching reasoned conclusions
  • Solve problems using mathematical methods and relevant technology
  • Represent theoretical models and data using graphs and tables

5. Human Interaction and Cultural Diversity:

A UH Hilo graduate should be able to -

  • Analyze multiple perspectives and articulate how perspectives based on world views differ from his/her own
  • Differentiate key values, assumptions, and beliefs among cultures
  • Explain how and why different racial, ethnic, religious, regional and gendered backgrounds shape experience
  • Explain or predict individual and collective human behavior

6. Collaborative Skills and Civic Participation:

A UH Hilo graduate should be able to -

  • Formulate a rational project that contributes to the environmental, economic, social, or intellectual betterment of the local community or global forum
  • Articulate how his/her activity contributes to increased awareness of local or global issues on campus
  • Define what aspects of his/her group projects with peers contribute to the intellectual development of all involved.