General Education Requirements

The General Education Requirements (GER) serve as the core of the undergraduate curriculum. The program consists of a sequence of required courses in communications, the arts and humanities, the natural and physical sciences, mathematics, the behavioral and social sciences, health and information technology, designed to expose every undergraduate to the broad range of disciplines essential to the development of a liberally educated person. The General Education Requirements help students to develop the skills necessary for advanced study and for lifelong learning: to effectively communicate in oral and written formats; to acquire the ability to think analytically, critically, and creatively and to use the scientific method in problem solving; to proficiently use technology when conducting research; to obtain a deeper understanding of themselves, of others, and of our social and physical environment; to develop the capability to integrate their learning with past and present experiences; and to strengthen their potential for contributing to society. The Institutional Student Learning Outcomes (ISLOs) are intended to support, to inform, to provoke, to shape, and to model for students the dynamics of the eternal bond which exists between the right to an education and the responsibility to teach. Please keep reading for more information on ISLOs.

Institutional Student Learning Outcomes (ISLOs)

Coppin students' experiences and instruction over the next three to five years will be anchored within an academic framework of three universal Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs): Oral and Written Communication and Analytical Reasoning. These Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs), by definition, represent the university’s commitment to provide students with academic experiences that support their ability to write clear expository and persuasive prose; to use valid research-based arguments as support for their written or oral positions; to express their ideas in language that is both appropriate to the topic and for the target audience, and to write and speak proficiently for those various audiences. Moreover, students will be trained to apply applications of classical and/or current theories and principles from specific content areas; to use critical judgments from a combination of evidences and assumptions to reach viable conclusions; and to collect, analyze, and interpret data via computational literacy and scientific reasoning.

Oral Communication, Written Communication, and Analytical Reasoning also provide impetus for the Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) initiative as an appropriate and timely response to the importance and functionality of media as a mainstay of human experience. Though inclusive by nature Writing Across the Curriculum is purposed to recognize that while students' 21st century modes of communication are filtered through Facebook, MySpace, blogs, email and among other modes of communication the ability to convey a clear idea and to signal that the clear idea has been received and understood is irrevocably foundational to building lives and relationships. Indeed, it is through the ability to communicate and to respond to clear ideas that students will continue to find their 'voice' as significant communicators, and as undergraduates who have been transformed into life-long learners who learn to maintain their standing among local, national, and international communities.

The remaining Student Learning Outcomes: Informational Literacy, Social Awareness, Reflective Practice, and Responsive Citizenship are strategically infused in General Education Requirements and figure prominently across the spectrum of this core curriculum. Students will become proficient in the use of technology and its appropriate applicability and will learn, for example, to use multiple information sources such as online databases, videotapes, government documents, and journals in conducting research and/or in problem solving (e.g., electronic and print periodicals, chapters in books, government documents, archival material, and microfilm) through Informational Literacy. At the same time, students will learn thru Social Awareness: the importance of understanding self and to embrace their responsibilities as engaged citizens and informed leaders in service within the community; the importance of becoming aware of and understanding economic, political, and organizational systems, and the importance of gaining an appreciation of diverse cultural heritages and global societies. These Student Learning Outcomes, Information Literacy and Social Awareness along with Reflective Practice and Responsive Citizenship further characterize the collective learning experiences found in the General Education Requirements.

In sum, Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) are intended to support, to inform, to provoke, to shape, and to model for students the dynamics of the eternal bond which exists between the right to an education and the responsibility to teach.

General Education Program Assessment

The General Education (GE) curriculum at Coppin State University serves as the foundational academic experience through which all undergraduate students engage the University’s Institutional Student Learning Outcomes (ISLOs): Oral Communication, Written Communication, Analytical Reasoning, Information Literacy, Social Awareness, Reflective Practice, and Responsive Citizenship. General Education assessment is therefore intentionally integrated into the University’s broader institutional effectiveness framework and annual program assessment cycle. 

Oversight of the General Education assessment process is coordinated through the General Education Subcommittee, operating under the University Curriculum Standards and Policies Committee and in collaboration with the Office of Planning and Assessment. The Subcommittee ensures that all approved General Education courses are explicitly mapped to one or more ISLOs and that each course includes clearly articulated student learning outcomes aligned with the University’s institutional outcomes.

Assessment of General Education is conducted through a structured annual cycle that incorporates the following elements:

First, faculty teaching General Education courses identify signature assignments or embedded assessment measures that directly evaluate the designated ISLO(s). These assignments are evaluated using institutionally developed or standardized rubrics aligned to ISLO performance indicators. The rubrics provide common criteria and performance levels, enabling consistent evaluation across sections and disciplines.

Second, departments submit annual Program Assessment Reports documenting:

• the ISLO(s) assessed in General Education courses,
• the assessment measures utilized (direct and indirect),
• aggregated student performance results,
• analysis of findings, and
• action steps for improvement.

These reports are reviewed by department chairs, deans, and the Office of Planning and Assessment to ensure methodological soundness, appropriate data interpretation, and meaningful use of results.

Third, the General Education Subcommittee conducts periodic reviews of course alignment and assessment data to verify that:

• course-level outcomes remain properly mapped to ISLOs,
• rubrics are applied consistently,
• performance benchmarks are appropriate, and
• improvement actions are implemented and revisited.

This process reinforces Coppin’s “closing-the-loop” culture, ensuring that assessment findings inform curricular refinement, assignment redesign, pedagogical adjustments, and, when necessary, course recertification within the General Education framework. These processes support the creation of a culture of assessment and continuous quality improvement. 

In addition, General Education course proposals and renewals require documentation of ISLO alignment, assessment plans, and rubric use. This alignment review ensures coherence between course design, instructional delivery, and institutional learning priorities. Transfer pathways and course cross-listings are also examined to confirm that ISLO integrity is maintained across modalities and student populations.

Collectively, this structured assessment process ensures that General Education coursework is systematically evaluated using shared rubrics, that student learning evidence is aggregated and analyzed at the institutional level, and that results meaningfully contribute to continuous improvement. Through this model, the General Education curriculum functions not only as a curricular requirement but as a measurable and mission-aligned foundation for student achievement and institutional effectiveness.