Liberal Arts Core Competencies
The University of Virginia’s College at Wise provides a comprehensive liberal arts education designed to cultivate responsible citizens and effective leaders. The curriculum combines a broad-based liberal arts core with specialized major requirements to develop essential competencies in communication, analytical thinking, and critical reasoning. This approach aims to impart learned perspectives, enhance cultural awareness, develop key skills, and inspire lifelong learning. The core prepares students to engage meaningfully with society, understand interconnections between various disciplines and the world around them, and participate actively as informed citizens and leaders.
Written Communication: equips students with the ability to develop and express ideas effectively in writing with appropriate purpose, organization, language, support, and development for the discipline. A variety of styles, genres, and disciplines are included in the competency. The foundation of the liberal arts core is the ability to communicate effectively in writing.
Students will:
- Compose well-structured written works with a clear unifying principle, demonstrating effective organization at both the essay and paragraph levels.
- Construct grammatically correct and stylistically varied sentences, employing effective word choice and appropriate diction for the given context.
- Integrate primary and secondary sources into their writing, accurately citing all referenced materials according to the appropriate citation style.
Critical Thinking: equips students with the ability to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information from various sources. It involves subjecting one’s own and others’ ideas, arguments, and evidence to logical scrutiny to make informed decisions and solve complex problems. Students learn to assess the validity of evidence, identify logical fallacies, and challenge preconceived notions while considering multiple perspectives. By honing these skills, they become proficient in constructing well-reasoned arguments and applying logical reasoning to real-world situations.
Student will:
- Objectively examine ideas, arguments, and assumptions, assessing the validity and reliability of evidence to form well-reasoned conclusions.
- Identify logical fallacies and biases in reasoning, demonstrating the ability to construct and articulate well-reasoned arguments clearly.
- Apply logical reasoning to solve complex problems, effectively using critical thinking skills in real-world situations.
Quantitative Reasoning: equips students with the ability to analyze, manipulate, and interpret numerical data to answer meaningful questions. This competency equips students to identify and address quantitative issues by selecting appropriate mathematical methods and performing accurate calculations. Students will learn to translate real-world situations into mathematical language, determine relevant information, and devise effective problem-solving strategies.
Students will:
- Interpret and analyze information presented in various mathematical forms, including functions, equations, graphs, diagrams, tables, numbers, word, and geometric figures.
- Demonstrate the ability to select and apply appropriate mathematical procedures and methods to solve problems, performing calculations accurately and proficiently.
- Use appropriate mathematical language to communicate ideas and solutions precisely.
Scientific Reasoning: equips students with the understanding of the scientific method and the development of scientific literacy skills: students will demonstrate the scientific reasoning skills necessary to evaluate data common to mainstream publications. Through hypothesis-driven experimental work in the physical sciences, students will develop experience applying empirical evidence to gain understanding of natural phenomena and their place within the natural world.
Students will:
- Formulate testable hypotheses to explain scientific questions and analyze quantitative and/or qualitative data to objectively evaluate these hypotheses.
- Demonstrate proficiency in applying conceptual and analytical tools to understand physical and/or living systems, including those encountered in laboratory or field settings.
- Communicate scientific results, conclusions, and the basis for scientific understanding using discipline-appropriate modes of discourse.
Civic Engagement: equips students with the knowledge, skills, values, attitudes, and behaviors necessary to actively participate in and contribute to their communities. It involves understanding and appreciating the importance of civic responsibilities and the impact of individual actions on the broader social and communal context. This competency encourages students to reflect on their roles as citizens and develop a commitment to promoting the common good through informed and thoughtful engagement in social and civic activities.
Students will:
- Articulate the importance of civic engagement and its impact on the community.
- Analyze the historical origins and evaluate the contemporary practices of civic institutions and activities
- Demonstrate knowledge of key values and events that demonstrate civic engagement.
Global Communication: encourages an international perspective that contributes to developing an understanding of the interrelationships within the global society. Students develop fundamental conversational skills in a foreign language and meaningfully engage with non-English speaking cultures so that they are equipped with the communicative and intercultural competency necessary to be engaged, global citizens. In the process, students also gain knowledge of the structure of their own language, awareness of their own cultural values, and appreciation of differences.
Students will:
- Demonstrate basic oral and written communication skills in another language, expressing personal information, preferences, activities, and needs through simple conversational-style sentences.
- Comprehend key details and information from both spoken and written sources conveying basic information in another language.
- Demonstrate knowledge and appreciation of global cultures’ value systems, enhancing their cross-cultural communication competence.
Integrative Learning: equips students with the ability to connect and synthesize knowledge, skills, and experiences acquired through a variety of academic and experiential learning activities into a unified and meaningful framework. This process is facilitated through digital technologies, such as the use of an e-portfolio (Wise Journey Toolkit) on an iPad, allowing students to document, reflect on, and demonstrate their learning journey. Integrative learning encourages students to draw connections across different disciplines and co-curricular activities, fostering a comprehensive understanding that can be applied to complex and novel situations both within and beyond the academic environment.
Students will:
- Demonstrate the ability to identify and articulate connections between diverse academic subjects and real-world experiences, applying integrated knowledge to solve complex problems.
- Communicate a cohesive narrative of their educational and experiential accomplishments, utilizing digital tools to document and reflect on their learning journey.
- Demonstrate enhanced critical thinking and self-awareness, demonstrating a commitment to lifelong learning and the application of integrated knowledge to professional and civic challenges.
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