San Diego State University
AC-2: Learning Outcomes

San Diego State University's 7th Proposed Institutional Learning Outcomes reads "Demonstrate an understanding of diversity, equity, inclusion, and sustainability through local, global, and ethical perspectives".

Biology BS - 260 Graduates Degree Learning Outcome (DLO) DLO 6: Describe how interactions among organisms and their environment influence populations, communities, and ecosystem function DLO 13 for Emphasis in Biodiversity and Evolution (multicomponent): Describe a general timeline for the diversification of life on Earth  Explain the structural and reproductive features that distinguish major groups of life (e.g., Prokaryotes versus Eukaryotes; Plants vs. Animals vs. Fungi within the Eukaryotes)  Explain how mutation, migration, selection and genetic drift change allele frequencies within populations, and affect genetic divergence among populations  Explain how nonrandom mating and natural selection change genotype frequencies within populations  Explain the processes that lead to the diversification of lineages at the species level and above  Describe what a species is, and some of the complications surrounding species delimitation  Understand how phylogenetic relationships are reconstructed, and why an evolutionary perspective is important for all aspects of comparative biology  Provide an example of how evolutionary principles can be used to solve human- related problems DLO 15 for Emphasis in Ecology (Multicomponent): Describe models for population growth and how density-dependent processes act to regulate populations  Provide examples of how ecological processes affect community structure and biodiversity at a variety of scales  Describe ecosystems as existing of populations of organisms plus physical characteristics, nutrient cycles, energy flow and controls  Provide examples of anthropogenic factors affecting terrestrial, marine, and freshwater organisms, and potential solutions to problems created by human activities. Environmental Sciences BS - 27 Graduates This relatively new interdisciplinary degree is in the process of developing a robust set of DLOs that will build an understanding of sustainability from multiple perspectives. Microbiology BS - 18 Graduates DLO 4: 4: Explain the variety of ways that organisms interact with their environments and with each other. Sustainability BA - 39 Graduates Program Learning Goals (PLG) PLG 1:Interconnectedness of ecological, economic and social systems – To provide students with a broad knowledge and understanding of a) the interconnectedness of ecological, economic, and social systems; i) environmental issues as they relate to the local, regional, and global sociopolitical and decision-making contexts; ii) how the Earth’s systems-ocean, vegetation, soils, climate, water-and human activities interact. PLG 2: Sustainability practices, policies, and definitions – To provide students with a broad knowledge and understanding of sustainability (including context-specific indicators of progress); i) strategies, practices, and policies for sustainable societies based on the results of scientific research and respect for human cultures; ii) engage students in defining sustainability in its various uses, evaluate international debates about the meaning of this term, and the goals of sustainability movements. PLG 3: Strategies for administration and policy – To provide students with a broad knowledge and understanding of strategies for effective administration, planning, and policy-making, and collaborative decision-making and governance processes. PLG 4: Critical thinking, written and verbal communication, analytic and problem solving about sustainability – To develop critical thinking skills, written and verbal communication skills, analytic and problem-solving skills through an interdisciplinary approach to discussing environmental issues and sustainability. PLG 5: Ethics and moral dimensions of sustainability – To prepare students to a) develop and use ethical perspectives in which humans are seen as embedded in the fabric of an interconnected world; b) acquire the capacity to discern moral dimensions of environmental issues and the critical application of moral concepts and ethical theories to proposed policy solutions; c) develop a normative commitment to sustainability, that is, to the preservation of the health of the human-nature interface. DLO 1: Examine an issue or topic using sustainability as a lens DLO 2: Communicate the concept of sustainability both orally and in writing DLO 3: Demonstrate the ability to understand, evaluate and explain an environmental problem. DLO 4: Critically analyze a controversial environmental issue DLO 5: Clearly differentiate between scientific statements and value judgments DLO 6: Distinguish between sustainable and unsustainable human activities through comparison and taking into account how the earth’s systems and human systems interact DLO 7: Assess a sustainable solution in its social, economic, ethical, and environmental dimensions DLO 8: Describe the major physical and sociopolitical processes regulating management DLO 9: Formulate policy that could be applied to a regional or local environmental problem DLO 10: Describe how cultural histories guide interactions between humans and nature Urban Studies BA - 14 Graduates PLG 2: Urban interdependencies – Understand the interrelationships and interdependencies between people and urban environments, with the goal of creating livable, sustainable and just cities DLO 1: Data collection – Gather quantitative and qualitative data, including maps, planning documents, and other visual and textual representations, to organize information urban environments and their distinctive social, cultural, economic, political and spatial features. DLO 2: Description – Describe historical and present-day socio-economic and political processes that shape urbanization and urbanism DLO 3: Spatial patterns – Analyze the spatial organization and morphology of the built and social urban environment DLO 5: Human activities and environment – Explain how human activities alter cities and the urban environment, historically and at present times Geography BA/BS - 36 Graduates PLG 2: Understand the interrelationships and interdependencies between people and the environment, with the goal of creating sustainable futures. DLO 3: Analyze the spatial organization of people, places, and environments at a variety of scales DLO 4: Examine the characteristics, distribution, and mobility patterns of human populations on the earth’s surface DLO 5: Explain how human activities have altered the natural world, particularly in terms of resource use and ecosystem health DLO 6: Interpret the complex relationships between nature and culture/society, especially as these relate to social and environmental sustainability American Indian Studies BA - 4 Graduates PLG 20: Indigenous-led ecological sustainability efforts – Evaluate role of global contexts in indigenous-led ecological sustainability efforts DLO 2: Value Indigenous knowledges and Sustainability – Students will explore and learn the value of indigenous knowledges and modes of ecological and cultural sustainability. They will also be able to compare these American Indian epistemologies with conventional Euro American values toward ecology and culture. DLO 3: Enact preservation and promotion of cultural heritage – Students will learn skills necessary for preserving and promoting American Indian cultural heritages, languages, and other representations of culture. DLO 5: Support processes of decolonization – Students will comprehend the various notions of decolonization in the context of American (and global) Indigenous communities both as an academic theory and a matter of socio-political praxis. They will learn the ways in which American Indian communities seek to use indigenous systems of knowledge as guiding principles to organize their communities. Our classes will teach them the models to aid in this process by teaching the best practices and more practical modes of decolonization in contemporary Indian Country so that they can support American Indian communities in this process by being mindful of how they interact with American Indian communities and how to support and value Indigenous knowledge production. DLO 6: Comprehend global indigeneity – Students will comprehend the emergent global networks of indigenous communities worldwide particularly in the realm of indigenous rights and ecological sustainability, and the shared experiences of Settler Colonialism. International Security and Conflict Resolution BA - 75 Graduates DLO 11: Environment and Security Specialization – Identify major global policy developments in addressing environmental challenges (such as major treaties, global organizations); Describe a few substantive and technical themes at stake in particular global environmental concerns, like global warming DLO 12: Justice in the Global System – Classify a range of commonly accepted international human rights, identify major historical developments, summarize the issues and conflicting worldviews at play in one or more substantive areas of global justice (e.g., economic distribution, humanitarian intervention, etc.) Environmental Engineering - 33 Graduates Educational Outcomes (EO) EO 1: To provide graduates with the technical knowledge and skills required to practice environmental engineering EO 2 : To provide graduates with an understand of ethical, social, and professional issues face in environmental engineering

The information above is from our 2018 STARS report with the timeframe of 2016-2017 because it was difficult to contact academic units to obtain updated data.