Institutional Assessment of General Education Outcomes

OCCC adheres to the General Education guidelines outlined by the Oklahoma State Regents
for Higher Education: "All institutions in the State System will require a general
education component in each undergraduate degree program. Faculty should provide the
oversight for general education and each institution should regularly assess the effectiveness
of its general education program. Institutions should clearly and publicly articulate
the purposes, content, and intended learning outcomes of the general education provided
to students" (OSRHE Policy for Academic Affairs, 3.15.6 A. General Education Framework).

The four areas that constitute the General Education Core at OCCC are assessed by
dividing them into five measurable outcomes:

• Human Heritage, Culture, and Institutions (from Human Heritage, Culture, Values, and
  Beliefs and Social, Political, and Economic Institutions)
• Writing (from Communication and Symbols)
• Public Speaking (from Communication and Symbols)
• Mathematical Methods (from Communication and Symbols)
• Critical Thinking (from Relationships in Nature and Science, but is applicable to
  all four of the core areas)

The assessment is accomplished by collecting artifacts from existing course assignments/tests
and evaluating them from the point of view of the particular General Education competency
(as opposed to specific course content). The evaluation is performed by faculty-based
committees, and the process does not impinge on student grades or privacy. The results
are reported to the Board of Regents each fall, as well as being posted on the college
website and reported across the institution.