Foundations Guidelines and Practices
May 2012
PART II: POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
OUTCOMES AND ASSESSMENT
PART ONE: OUTCOMES
All Foundations courses share common outcomes and practices. These outcomes are assessed
both during the creation process of new courses and as a part of ongoing review of current
courses. In addition, they should be assessed in surveys administered to the students at the time
of matriculation and again at graduation.
Having a defined set of academic and learning outcomes is vital for every academic institution.
They guide our efforts in providing the best educational opportunity possible. They also are a
vital tool in measuring our progress and success in providing that education. As they are
measured they provide evidence to outside agencies that outcomes have been identified and
focus is given to achieving those outcomes. All Foundations courses define and assess outcomes
at five levels: 1) Institutional; 2) Academic; 3) Foundations; 4) Area (Eternal Truths, Academic
Fundamentals, Science, Cultural Awareness, and Connections); and 5) Course.
Outcomes are defined in a hierarchy; outcomes at the institutional level define its purpose and
mission. Academic outcomes support the institutional objectives. Foundations, Area, and
Course Objectives each, in turn, support academic goals. This concept is illustrated in the
graphic below:
Hierarchy of Outcomes
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BYU-Idaho Institutional Outcomes
Intended outcomes for BYU-Idaho students are defined in the university’s mission statement:
 Build testimonies of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and encourage living its
principles
 Provide a quality education for students of diverse interests and abilities
 Prepare students for lifelong learning, for employment, and for their roles as citizens and
parents
 Maintain a wholesome academic, cultural, social, and spiritual environment
Student Development Outcomes
To Know – Learning Deeply and Broadly
 Learn how to learn.
 Learn deeply and broadly in Foundations.
 Cultivate focused learning in a major.
 Seek opportunities to apply and expand your learning.
 Elevate your learning from remembering information to understanding principles; apply
your understanding by acting for righteous purposes in real-world settings.
To Do – Developing Core Academic Skills
 Practice reading to extract and make meaning from written language.
 Improve your ability to express ideas in appropriate styles of speech
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and writing.
 Sharpen your ability to use quantitative skills to analyze arguments and
 make decisions.
 Train yourself to act in ways that contribute to team success.
 Learn to create, locate, and evaluate information.
 Think critically, make wise decisions, and solve problems creatively.
To Become – Becoming a Disciple-Leader
 Seek faith in and a testimony of Jesus Christ and His restored gospel.
 Cultivate personal peace through obedience and honor.
 Develop the capacity to influence others for good.
 Heighten your learning and teaching skills.
 Refine your power to innovate and improve.
 As your learning and skills increase your capacity as a disciple-leader, act in faith to
apply for righteous purposes the lessons you learn at BYU-Idaho.
Foundations Outcomes
Student outcomes for the Foundations program are as follows:
 Each student will engage in a variety of theories, perspectives and viewpoints relevant to
the subject matter.
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Each student will encounter, absorb, process, formulate, use, share and lead others
through skills and information central to the course of study, thereby experiencing
multiple levels of engagement.
Each student will apply foundational principles of learning and develop key academic
skills in communication (both oral and written), analytical/problem solving,
teamwork/interpersonal, quantitative reasoning, and technology.
Each student will connect with a field of study, and develop the passions and practices of
lifelong learning.
Faculty outcomes for the Foundations program are as follows:
 Faculty will study and implement the principles and processes of the BYU-Idaho
Learning Model.
 Faculty will have the opportunity of working with colleagues across disciplines, colleges,
and departments.
 Faculty will create significant learning and teaching experiences by working in teaching
teams and participating in a culture of classroom observation.
 Faculty will have significant opportunities for personal and professional development as
a result of the cross-disciplinary nature of Foundations.
All Foundations courses share the following common practices:
 In contrast to more traditional survey courses, BYU-Idaho’s Foundations courses will
provide a more focused approach, allowing students to investigate and engage deeper into
detailed aspects of the subject matter.
 All courses are cross disciplinary.
 All courses are designed to fully implement the BYU-Idaho Learning Model.
 All courses are taught by teams who collaborate in the development and delivery of
course material.
 All sections of a course share a common syllabus, outcomes, and assessment measures.
 Teaching teams meet often to discuss curriculum and teaching techniques.
Area Outcomes
Students take courses from five Foundations Areas: Eternal Truths; Academic Fundamentals;
Science; Cultural Awareness; and Connections, the capstone course. Following are outcomes for
each Area:
Eternal Truths
 Students’ testimonies will deepen and strengthen as they learn to rely on the
scriptures as the primary source of gospel instruction.
 Acting, rather than being acted upon, students will apply gospel principles in their
lives, “at all times, and in all places.”
 Students will demonstrate greater personal integrity and obedience, living moral
and ethical lives as disciples of Jesus Christ.
Academic Fundamentals
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Students will develop the vital skills of critical reading, thinking, and analysis,
and verbal and written communications, through fundamental and advanced
course work.
 Students will develop mathematical competency and understanding of collegiatelevel expressions and equations, demonstrating the ability to apply mathematical
concepts and logic.
Science
 Students will understand science in both general and specific contexts, learning to
appreciate, understand, and evaluate a variety of scientific points of view.
 Students will learn methods of studying and comprehending the scientific aspects
of current events and their consequences.
 Building on introductory instruction, students will develop in-depth knowledge of
challenging contemporary scientific issues.
Cultural Awareness
 Students will develop an understanding of the history and founding principles of
the American experience, including constitutional, economic, and political issues.
 Students will demonstrate an awareness, understanding, and appreciation of world
civilizations and their religion, art, literature, music, culture, and perspectives.
 Students will deepen their understanding of the human condition and develop
greater empathy for their fellowman.
 Students will study current events, developing a comprehension of their
significance in the context of history and humanity.
Connections
 In this capstone experience, students will further develop the skills of critical
thinking and problem solving.
 Students will learn how to develop personal positions and make judgments on
challenging moral and ethical issues, giving expression to those positions in both
verbal and written form.
Individual Foundations courses should have common outcomes, syllabi, and assessment
practices. They also should fulfill Area, Foundations, Academic, and Institutional outcomes.
Some courses will be taken by all BYU–Idaho students, while others will be chosen according to
personal preference and interest. Some courses are designed to be permanent fixtures of the
academic program at BYU-Idaho. Others will be offered for three to five years and then phased
out as other topics courses are developed. Courses in the latter category include Humanities,
Science, and International Foundations. See the BYU-Idaho course catalog for more information
about specific courses.
Course Outcomes
Courses that have multiple options to fill a single requirement, such as Humanities, International,
and 200-level Science Foundations) have common course-level outcomes.
Science
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Students will demonstrate knowledge of subject-specific scientific principles.
Students will be able to understand and evaluate a variety of scientific points of
view from both the physical and life sciences.
 Students will be able to test scientific hypotheses by collecting, analyzing, and
interpreting data.
 Students will be able to scrutinize current science news and discoveries through
the application of critical scientific thinking.
FDCA 101
 Students will be able to describe a variety of styles, forms, and genres in the arts
and letters, placing various artworks in cultural and historical context.
 Students will attend live performances, shows, and readings.
 Students will use basic cognitive tools to make value assessments about quality in
the arts.
 Students will cultivate and train the affective side of their nature, study works
with deep emotional and intellectual content, and have detailed, intimate
experiences with a few major works.
 Students will explore intellectually the ideas expressed in an artwork, and
articulate an affective reaction to it in informed cognitive terms.
 Students will engage in the creative process or interpretive performance.
 Students will make connections—with other art works, with Gospel principles,
with life events, and with other intellectual endeavors.
FDCA 20X
 Students will increase their awareness of time, place, people, and culture,
especially outside Western civilization.
 Students will personalize the current lives of individuals in a place or places
defined by the course.
 Students will analyze institutional, cultural, and personal bias.
 Students will demonstrate the ability to contextualize current problems (i.e.
political, historical, cultural).
 Students will read complex texts, write informed and well-constructed prose, and
think critically about complex topics.
 Students will formulate and defend conclusions and opinions orally and in
writing.
 Students will explain how the course has changed their thinking.
 Students will deepen their ability to reflect on their learning and practice and
demonstrate progress towards gaining greater competence as a learner.