Student Core Competencies

The faculty of Valencia Community College have established four Core Competencies that describe the learning outcomes for a Valencia graduate. They are: THINK, VALUE, COMMUNICATE, ACT. These general competencies can be applied in many contexts and must be developed over a lifetime. They specify how learning can be expressed and assessed in practice. They enable students and faculty to set learning goals and assess learning within and across the many disciplines of human inquiry. Use the descriptions and examples of academic work for each to measure your own learning outcomes. Samples of the academic work are great additions to your Learning Portfolio. 

• Think
• Value
• Act
• Communicate

General Education Outcomes

In December 2007, the faculty at Valencia Community College developed General Education outcomes. The General Education Program at Valencia is an integral part of the A.A. Degree Program and is designed to contribute to the student's educational growth by providing a basic liberal arts education. A student who completes the General Education Program should have achieved the following outcomes:

Cultural and Historical Understanding: Demonstrate understanding of the diverse traditions of the world, and an individual's place in it.

Quantitative and Scientific Reasoning: Use processes, procedures, data, or evidence to solve problems and make effective decisions.

Communication Skills: Engage in effective interpersonal, oral, and written communication.

Ethical Responsibility: Demonstrate awareness of personal responsibility in one's civic, social, and academic life.

Information Literacy: Locate, evaluate, and effectively use information from diverse sources.

Critical and Creative Thinking: Effectively analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and apply information and ideas from diverse sources and disciplines.

Core Competencies Descriptions

Think:

think clearly, critically, and creatively, analyze, synthesize, integrate and evaluate in many domains of human inquiry

To think, what must you do?

1. analyze data, ideas, patterns, principles, perspectives

2. employ the facts, formulas, procedures of the discipline

3. integrate ideas and values from different disciplines

4. draw well-supported conclusions

5. revise conclusions consistent with new observations, interpretations, or reasons

How and where must you think?

• with curiosity and consistency

• individually and in groups

Samples of my work which demonstrate that I can:

• identify data, ideas, patterns, principles, perspectives

• use facts, formulas, procedures

• draw well-supported conclusions

• integrate ideas and values from different disciplines

• revise my conclusions in light of new observations, interpretations, or reasons

Value:

make reasoned judgments and responsible commitments

To value, what must you do?

1. recognize values as expressed in attitudes, choices, and commitments

2. distinguish among personal, ethical, aesthetic, cultural, and scientific values

3. employ values and standards of judgment from different disciplines

4. evaluate your own and others’ values from individual, cultural, and global perspectives articulate a considered and self-determined set of values

How and where must you value?

•  with empathy and fair-mindedness

•  individually and in groups

Samples of my work which demonstrate that I can:

• identify values expressed in feelings, attitudes, beliefs, choices, and commitments

• recognize my own and others’ values

• distinguish among personal, ethical, aesthetic, cultural, and scientific values

• employ values and standards of judgment from different disciplines

• evaluate my own and others’ values from global or universal perspectives

• commit to actions consistent with a considered and self-determined set of values
  

Act:

act purposefully, effectively, and responsibly

To act, what must you do?

1. apply disciplinary knowledge, skills, and values to educational and career goals

2. implement effective problem-solving, decision-making, and goal-setting strategies

3. act effectively and appropriately in various personal and professional settings

4. assess the effectiveness of personal behavior and choices

5. respond appropriately to changing circumstances

How and where must you act?

• with courage and perseverance

• individually and in groups

• in your personal, professional, and community life

Samples of my work which demonstrate that I can:

• act effectively and appropriately in different contexts and settings

• implement problem-solving and decision-making strategies

• manage my time and activities in daily life

• apply disciplinary knowledge, skills, values to my goals

• plan for and implement desirable change in response to circumstances

Communicate:

communicate with different audiences using varied means

To communicate, what must you do?

1. identify your own strengths and need for improvement as communicator

2. employ methods of communication appropriate to your audience and purpose

3. evaluate the effectiveness of your own and others’ communication

How and where must you communicate?

• by speaking, listening, reading and writing

• verbally, non-verbally, and visually

• with honesty and civility

• in different disciplines and settings

Samples of my work which demonstrate that I can:

• identify my own strengths and weaknesses as a communicator

• analyze audience to improve communication in various settings

• communicate in different contexts, settings, and disciplines

• evaluate effectiveness of my own and others communication