D1: Social Sciences

As a collective of faculty from various social science disciplines, we believe that social science is a broad set of disciplines, as well as fields of study, such as global, gender, peace, and religious studies. As such, we propose the following five Outcomes with the intention of being inclusive and accommodating to all the disciplines and fields of study within the social sciences. The following five outcomes are distinctive in their foci but complementary to each other. Moreover, we are cognizant of the need to design outcomes that develop the knowledge and skills at the freshmen and sophomore levels, in order to prepare students for higher-order learning and analysis at the junior and senior levels in their respective major courses.

Under that overarching framework and understanding, Outcome #1 intends to build the basic foundational blocks of concepts/language/principles of a particular social science discipline or field of study. Outcome #2 intends to situate a discipline within a broader range of social science disciplines or fields of study. In other words, this outcome intends for students to be able to describe the similarities and differences of disciplines within the social sciences or fields of study. Outcome #3 focuses on contexts and intends for students to understand how a real-life social issue manifests in diverse social contexts. Outcome #4 focuses on global competency which transcends geographical/spatial concepts, and explores the meanings of concepts/principles in different global contexts, as well as the global impacts of social issues. Outcome #5 focuses on methodology and intends for students to understand that social science disciplines or fields of study can use a range of social scientific methods of inquiry to understand human behavior.

1. Basic Principles: Students identify and define major vocabulary, concepts, value systems, assumptions, theoretical perspectives, and ethical issues in a field of study or a discipline in the social sciences.
2. Inter-Disciplinarity:  Students demonstrate an understanding of how a field of study or a discipline is similar to and different from other social sciences.
3. Contexts: Students demonstrate an understanding of one or more social issues across historical, cultural, geographical, economic, political or institutional dimensions.
4. Global Competency: Students demonstrate awareness that one or more social issues or concepts vary across global contexts or that a social issue has global impacts.
5. Methodology: Students demonstrate an understanding of how a field of study or discipline applies a range of social scientific methods of inquiry to understand human behavior within established ethical and/or professional frameworks.