The general education curriculum at OU helps students attain the fundamental skills and broad base of knowledge that all college-educated adults must have, irrespective of their specific majors. As such, the general education program is at the heart of the mission of the University of Oklahoma (OU). The curriculum is designed to ensure that graduating Sooners have breadth and depth - the fundamental knowledge and skills they need to flourish as individuals and as citizens. To view details of the OU general education curriculum requirements, please visit OU's General Education Website.
The assessment of general education curriculum at the University of Oklahoma is an important measure of the university’s effectiveness in meeting the general education student learning outcomes (SLOs). The University has 6 overarching SLOs articulated in the next section in the following categories: (1) communication skills, (2) technology and information literacy, (3) critical analysis and scientific reasoning, (4) quantitative and numerical analysis, (5) community, culture, and diversity, and (6) arts and humanities. By assessing student work in the general education courses that address these SLOs, we can determine how well the General Education program works to meet OU’s mission. Additionally, our regional accrediting agency, the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), requires that all accredited institutions develop and implement assessment process for the general education program and use information from the process for continuous improvement (See HLC Core Components 3.B. and 4.B.)
