Institute for Student Learning Assessment

Measuring general education program diversity outcome using a multi-tiered approach

The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) core component 2.C states “The institution understands the relationship between its mission and the diversity of society” and component 3.B.4 states “The education offered by the institution recognizes the human and cultural diversity of the world in which students live and work”. Colby Community College (CCC), located in Colby, KS, uses a multi-tiered assessment approach to address these core components. This type of approach was adopted and then modified from Neosho Community College. CCC has identified nine general education courses in the 2015-2016 academic catalog from the social and behavioral sciences and humanities that assess course outcomes on cultural diversity. The course assessment data from these nine courses is compiled and reviewed as part of CCC’s general education program. Specifically, CCC’s general education program outcome six which states “Students will evaluate their own intercultural sensitivity and global awareness”. The past 4 years of data on the general education program outcome indicates that students enrolled in the nine courses are meeting the educational goals for student learning on cultural diversity. From 2010, 58% of CCC’s graduates has taken and passed at least one of the nine courses identified and 35% has taken and passed at least two of the nine courses. The next step is to develop strategies to increase the number of graduates that take and pass courses addressing cultural diversity.