Review the Ottawa University Learning Outcomes for Liberal Arts Studies (LAS) (see below), the descriptions
of the four Liberal Arts Breadth Areas, and the article by Cronon (see below) prior to beginning your writing.
Write a 3-4 page self-assessment that addresses your growth in the knowledge, skills, and values of the
Ottawa University learning outcomes for Liberal Arts Studies. Reflect on your understanding of a liberal arts
education and on your learning in each breadth area. Refer to specific courses and/or life experiences that
have contributed to your learning and growth in each area. Refer to the Guiding Questions in the Liberal Arts
Essays Resources area for assistance. Conclude your essay with a reflection regarding any steps you may
take going forward to continue your learning in these areas in the future.
Learning Outcomes in Liberal Arts Studies
To achieve the goals of the LAS program, students will be guided into a balanced program of LAS courses in
which assignments and activities will foster intellectual growth and competence. Students will demonstrate
academic achievement of the following LAS Learning Outcomes:
Intellectual Growth Outcomes
Knowledge
1. Breadth. The student will articulate and discuss the goals, purposes and methods used to understand the
world in scientific, aesthetic, cultural, historical, ethical, and religious ways.
2. Integration. The student will identify the similarities and differences among these ways of
knowing/experiencing the world and will explore the relationships among them.
Skills
1. Communication. The student will demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively in both oral
communication and written communication, including research writing.
2. Critical Thinking. The student will analyze complex issues and arguments (e.g., identify assumptions,
premises, and conclusions) in various intellectual contexts (scientific, technical, ethical, aesthetic, social,
global, etc.) and will evaluate the validity and soundness of such arguments.
3. Problem Solving. The student will gather relevant information and ideas and apply appropriate principles,
concepts, and theories to solve significant social and intellectual problems in diverse communities.
Values
1. Ethical Values. The student will recognize ethical dilemmas and identify the values that inform various
responses to such dilemmas. The student will also recognize and evaluate the differences in value judgments
based on culture, religion, and historical perspective.
2. Aesthetic Values. The student will recognize the nature of aesthetic judgments and the values that inform
them, and will evaluate the differences in such responses.
Personal Growth Outcomes
The student will articulate his/her current sense of personal identity in relation to such factors as work, faith,
values, community, and ideas, and will reflect on the development of this identity and his/her goals for further
growth.
Readings
Only Connect…” The Goals of a Liberal Education
The following article by William Cronon describes the meaning of a liberal arts education. As you read and
reflect on the article, consider how you have grown in the characteristics of a liberally educated person as he
describes them. http://www.williamcronon.net/writing/only_connect.html