College of the Desert
PROGRAM OUTCOMES for Degrees, Certificates, & Services
I. GENERAL EDUCATION OUTCOMES
The promise of general education is that it provides an integrative and comprehensive program that is
broad and deep, introducing students to skills, knowledge, and patterns of learning that foster better
understanding of themselves and the world around them. The need for skills, the quest for knowledge, and
the curiosity of the human spirit is interdisciplinary in nature, as reflected by the areas of study that
comprise general education. General education at College of the Desert prepares students to live
productive lives with self-understanding, respect for others and skills critical to lifelong learning.
C1 -Natural Sciences
Natural Sciences lay the foundation for understanding living and non-living systems, introducing students to
the power of systematic questioning.
Students completing courses in this category will demonstrate an ability to:
1. Explain concepts and theories related to physical, chemical, and biological natural phenomena.
2. Apply the scientific process and its use and limitations in the solution of problems.
3. Draw a connection between natural sciences and their own lives.
4. Make critical judgments about the validity of scientific evidence and the applicability of scientific
theories.
5. Demonstrate knowledge of the use of technology in scientific investigation and human endeavors,
and the advantages and disadvantage of that technology.
6. Use college-level mathematical concepts and methods to understand, analyze, and explain issues in
quantitative terms.
C2 - Social and Behavioral Sciences
Social and Behavioral Sciences heighten students’ awareness of social, political, and economic
institutions and human behavior in contemporary, historical, and geographical contexts.
Students completing courses in this category will demonstrate an ability to:
1. Identify and analyze key concepts and theories about human and/or societal development.
2. Critique generalizations and popular opinion about human behavior and society, distinguishing
opinion and values from scientific observations and study.
3. Understand and think critically about different cultures (including topics such as race, gender, and
class) and their influence on human development or society.
4. Examine the biological, psychological, and sociological factors that influence the personalities and
behaviors of females and males from a multicultural perspective.
5. Develop individual responsibility, personal integrity, and respect for diverse people and culture.
C3 – Arts, Humanities, and Culture
The Arts, Humanities, and Culture areas allow students to appreciate and develop philosophical,
cultural, and literary perspective, encouraging independence, and aesthetic sensibility, adapt, respond,
and grow in the diverse, global, and rapidly changing environment of the 21st century.
Students completing courses in this category will demonstrate an ability to:
1. Communicate effectively in many different situations involving diverse people and
viewpoints.
2. Analyze the variety of forms of expression and how those are used to communicate social,
cultural, and personal ideas, feelings, and concepts;
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3. Show how and why the visual and performing arts are unique and how inherent meaning in
the arts transcends written and verbal communication;
4. Effectively communicate and express themselves and make themselves understood through
visual, auditory, tactile, and symbolic means.
5. Understand and appreciate diverse local, national, and world context.
6. Connect knowledge of self and society to larger cultural contexts.
7. Articulate the differences and similarities between and within cultures.
C4.a - Language and Rationality
Language and Rationality emphasize active participation in clear communication,
logical thought and quantitative reasoning.
Students completing courses in this category will demonstrate an ability to:
1. Communicate in many different situations, involving diverse people and viewpoints.
2. Listen and analyze the substance of others’ comments.
3. Summarize and analyze fiction and nonfiction.
4. Conduct research, synthesize and evaluate information, develop arguments and organize
evidence into oral and written presentations, using proper research methods and
documentation.
5. Recognize public presentation of oral and written work as a process subject to brainstorming,
organizing, drafting, and revising.
C4.B - Communication & Analytical Thinking
Communication and Analytical Thinking emphasize active participation in clear communication,
logical thought and quantitative reasoning.
Students completing courses in this category will demonstrate an ability to:
1. Raise questions and problems, formulating them clearly and precisely.
2. Gather, assess, and interpret relevant information.
3. Compare and contrast ideas from conclusions and solutions based on relevant criteria and
standards
4. Recognize and assess assumptions, implications, and practical consequences of alternative
systems of thought.
5. Express solutions to complex problems using language and logic.
6. Apply logical and critical thinking to solve problems; explain conclusions; and evaluate, support, or
critique the thinking of others.
C5 – Personal Growth and Development
Personal Growth and Development emphasizes the integration of mind and body , and enhancement of
unique gifts, capabilities, and skills.
Students completing courses in this category will demonstrate an ability to:
1. Value learning as a lifelong endeavor designed to enrich one’s life.
2. Exhibit habits of intellectual exploration, personal responsibility, and well being.
3. Interact with individuals and within groups with integrity and awareness of others' opinions,
feelings, and values.
4. Participate in teams to make decisions and seek consensus.
5. Recognize and value the human body as an integrated organism with systemic functions such as
movement, nutrition, growth, reproduction, and aging.
6. Make informed decisions with self-awareness in practical matters including college and career
choices.
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II.
CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION OUTCOMES
Students completing courses in this category will demonstrate an ability to:
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Fulfill the requirements for an entry- level position in their field.
Apply critical thinking skills to execute daily duties in their area of employment.
Apply critical thinking skills to research, evaluate, analyze, and synthesize information.
Display the skills and aptitude necessary to pass certification exams in their field.
Exhibit effective written, oral communication and interpersonal skills.
Transfer to a higher level learning institution.
III. BASIC SKILLS OUTCOMES
1. Critical Thinking
Students completing courses in this category will demonstrate an ability to:
1.1. Locate questions and problems as a result of conversation, reading, and lectures.
1.2. Assess relevant information and come to thought-out conclusions and solutions.
1.3. Value open-mindedness.
1.4. Communicate meaningfully with others.
2. Quantitative Reasoning
Students completing courses in this category will demonstrate an ability to:
2.1. Use and comprehend quantitative language in a variety of contexts including units
of measurement (e.g. milliseconds, calories), visual representations (e.g. graphs and
maps), and scales.
2.2. Show quantitative intuition: a subjective “feel” for numbers including the ability to
estimate, have a sense of scale, and appropriately use heuristics (rules-of-thumb).
2.3. Practice quantitative reasoning: when is quantitative reasoning appropriate and how
can it be applied to simple-life problems.
3. Reading and Writing Skills
Students completing courses in this category will demonstrate an ability to:
3.1. Demonstrate reading skills to multiple texts.
3.2. Read complex passages with understanding.
3.3. Type structured texts in a variety of written forms according to purpose and
audience.
3.4. Apply English conventions of grammar, mechanics, usage, punctuation, and format
according to course intensity.
3.5. Summarize written texts with ability to differentiate fact from opinion.
3.6. Illustrate self-expression and original thinking through writing.
3.7. Recognize writing as a process (brainstorming, organizing, drafting) and revise and
edit original work based on self-evaluation and peer review.
4. Problem Solving
Students completing courses in this category will demonstrate an ability to:
4.1. Use a variety of solution methods and techniques, for example, making a sketch,
systematic listing, using the solution of a simpler (but related) problem.
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4.2. Recognize the importance of checking a proposed solution to verify that it satisfies
the requirements of a problem.
4.3. Recognize that a solution may not be possible, given limits of time, money, or other
finite resources.
4.4. Restate (formulate) a problem mathematically.
4.5. Use background information in a subject to understand the nature of a problem and
transfer information to new problems accordingly.
4.6. Identify what isn’t known, but needs to be known in order to solve a problem
(depending on the problem domain, reading and/or mathematical skills are helpful).
5. Academic Behaviors
Students completing courses in this category will demonstrate an ability to:
5.1. Recognize Plagiarism in any shape or form and be mindful of its consequences.
5.2. Develop appreciation for higher education.
5.3. Practice proper classroom etiquette.
5.4. Show respect to others and environment.
6. Independent Study Skills
Students completing courses in this category will demonstrate an ability to:
6.1. Recognize that the responsibility for learning and growth is their own.
6.2. Show purposeful and self-directed learning.
6.3. Create goals and take an active role in defining these goals.
6.4. Develop on-task endurance.
6.5. Develop study skills (note taking, flash cards) and time management ability.
IV. STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES OUTCOMES
1. Personal Development and Responsibility
Students utilizing this program/service will demonstrate an ability to:
1.1. Display habits of intellectual exploration, personal responsibility, and physical well being.
1.2. Develop individual responsibility, personal integrity, and respect for diverse people and
cultures.
1.3. Value and accept people with different cultural and linguistic backgrounds and abilities.
1.4. Understand ethical issues to make sound judgments and decisions.
2. Self-Awareness, Self-Understanding, and Self-Advocacy
Students utilizing this program/service will demonstrate an ability to:
2.1 Evaluate their knowledge, skills, and abilities.
2.2 Display three components of an effective self-advocate:
2.2.1 self knowledge.
2.2.2 define their own needs.
2.2.3 the ability to get what they need.
2.3 Develop realistic goals.
2.4 Appreciate the value of feedback.
2.5 Adapt to challenging situations.
2.6 Recognize that knowledge is the key to self-advocacy.
2.7 Teach the people around them.
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3. Self-Sufficiency and Independent Learning
Students utilizing this program/service will demonstrate an ability to:
3.1 Identify and utilize services, programs, and resources to become life-long learners
including, but not limited to:
3.1.1 Study/Learning Labs
3.1.2 Supplemental Instruction
3.1.3 Computer-aided tutorials/instruction
3.1.4 Learning Communities
3.1.5 Student Development Courses
3.1.6 Tutorial Assistance
3.1.7 Counseling Services
3.1.8 Special Programs for Student Success
3.1.9 Admissions and Records
3.1.10 Business Services
3.1.11 Financial Aid
3.1.12 Scholarship information
3.1.13 Career/Transfer Center Resources
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