Areas, Proficiencies, & Dimensions

"Working to make a difference in the civic life of our communities and developing the combination of knowledge, skills, values and motivation to make that difference. It means promoting the quality of life in a community, through both political and non-political processes." (Excerpted from Civic Responsibility and Higher Education, edited by Thomas Ehrlich, published by Oryx Press, 2000, Preface, page vi.) In addition, civic engagement encompasses actions wherein individuals participate in activities of personal and public concern that are both individually life enriching and socially beneficial to the community.

• Civic Engagement Dimensions: 1) diversity of communities and cultures, 2) analysis of knowledge, 3) civic identity and commitment, 4) civic communication, 5) civic action and reflection, 6) civic contexts/structures. See the LSU Adapted Civic Engagement Rubric for dimension explanations.

Reasoning about right and wrong human conduct. It requires students to be able to assess their own ethical values and the social context of problems, recognize ethical issues in a variety of settings, think about how different ethical perspectives might be applied to ethical dilemmas and consider the ramifications of alternative actions. Students’ ethical self-identity evolves as they practice ethical decision-making skills and learn how to describe and analyze positions on ethical issues.

• Ethical Reasoning Dimensions: 1) ethical self-awareness, 2) understanding different ethical perspectives/concepts, 3) ethical issue recognition, 4) application of ethical perspectives/concepts, 5) evaluation of different perspectives/concepts. See the LSU Adapted Ethical Reasoning Rubric for dimension explanations. 

Global Learning is a critical analysis of and an engagement with complex, interdependent global systems and legacies (such as natural, physical, social, cultural, economic, and political) and their implications for people’s lives and the earth’s sustainability. Through global learning, students should 1) become informed, open-minded, and responsible people who are attentive to diversity across the spectrum of differences, 2) seek to understand how their actions affect both local and global communities, and 3) address the world’s most pressing and enduring issues collaboratively and equitably.

• Global Learning Dimensions: 1) global self-awareness, 2) perspective taking, 3) cultural diversity, 4) personal and social responsibility, 5) understanding global systems, 6) applying knowledge to contemporary global contexts. See the LSU Adapted Global Learning Rubric for dimension explanations. 

Inquiry is a systematic process of exploring issues, objects or works through the collection and analysis of evidence that results in informed conclusions or judgments. Analysis is the process of breaking complex topics or issues into parts to gain a better understanding of them.

• Inquiry and Analysis Dimensions: 1) topic selection, 2) existing knowledge, research, and/or views, 3) design process, 4) analysis, 5) conclusions, 6) limitations and implications. See the LSU Adapted Inquiry and Analysis Rubric for dimension explanations. 

Intercultural Knowledge and Competence is "a set of cognitive, affective, and behavioral skills and characteristics that support effective and appropriate interaction in a variety of cultural contexts.” (Bennett, J. M. 2008. Transformative training: Designing programs for culture learning. In Contemporary leadership and intercultural competence: Understanding and utilizing cultural diversity to build successful organizations, ed. M. A. Moodian, 95-110. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.)

• Intercultural Knowledge and Competence Dimensions: 1) knowledge cultural self- awareness, 2) knowledge cultural worldview frameworks, 3) skills empathy, 4) skills verbal and nonverbal communication, 5) attitudes curiosity, 6) attitudes openness. See the LSU Adapted Intercultural Knowledge and Competence Rubric for dimension explanations. 

Oral Communication is a prepared, purposeful presentation designed to increase knowledge, to foster understanding, or to promote change in the listeners' attitudes, values, beliefs, or behaviors.

• Oral Communication Dimensions: 1) organization, 2) language, 3) delivery, 4) supporting material, 5) central message. See the LSU Adapted Oral Communication Rubric for dimension explanations. 

Problem Solving is the process of designing, evaluating and implementing a strategy to answer an open-ended question or achieve a desired goal.

• Problem Solving Dimensions: 1) define problem, 2) identify strategies, 3) propose solutions/hypotheses, 4) evaluate potential solutions, 5) implement solution, 6) evaluate outcomes. See the LSU Adapted Problem Solving Rubric for dimension explanations. 

Quantitative and Formal Reasoning is a "habit of mind" proficiency, focused on competence and comfort in working with numerical data and formal systems. It includes using mathematical skills and concepts, analytical reasoning, and problem-solving for application in higher-level mathematics and logic courses and in everyday work and life situations. Individuals with strong Quantitative Reasoning skills possess the ability to reason and solve quantitative problems from a wide array of authentic contexts and everyday life situations. They understand and can create sophisticated arguments supported by quantitative evidence and they can clearly communicate those arguments in a variety of formats (using words, tables, graphs, mathematical equations, etc., as appropriate). Individuals with strong Formal Reasoning skills possess the ability to reason in and about formal systems and structures (mathematical, logical, linguistic, and computational) using formal mathematical and logical methods. They understand and appreciate the universal applicability of these formal methods.

• Quantitative and Formal Reasoning Dimensions: 1) interpretation, 2) representation, 3) calculation, 4) application/analysis 5) assumptions, 6) communication. See the LSU Adapted Quantitative and Formal Reasoning Rubric for dimension explanations.

Written communication is the development and expression of ideas in writing. Written communication involves learning to work in many genres and styles. It can involve working with many different writing technologies, and mixing texts, data, and images. Written communication abilities develop through iterative experiences across the curriculum.

• Written Communication Dimensions: 1) context and purpose, 2) content development, 3) genre and conventions, 4) sources and evidence, 5) syntax and mechanics. See the LSU Adapted Written Communication Rubric for dimension explanations.