Rationale for Objective: Breadth and depth of learning (Improve)

Evergreen continues to work to develop and implement strategies that will encourage more consistent achievement of breadth, depth, and multiple modes of inquiry (qualitative, quantitative and creative) among undergraduates. In the last transcript assessment, while 92 percent of transcripts evidenced depth of learning, only 74 percent of student transcripts demonstrated that students met the college’s expectation for breadth of learning. This issue was particularly pronounced for Bachelor of Arts earners (72 percent versus 86 percent for students earning a Bachelor of Science). Given Evergreen’s lack of distribution requirements and focus on a student’s responsibility for defining and articulating his or her own work, the college has to assure, as identified in Objective 1, rich access to broadly interdivisional coordinated study programs that make it more likely that students will encounter an array of disciplines and modes of inquiry in pursuing their self-defined interests. Particular attention toward increasing quantitative and creative modes of inquiry in the curriculum, and as articulated in the transcript, would help to address the related issue of breadth of study. The ongoing work of the Re-Modeling Teaching and Learning at Evergreen Disappearing Task Force seeks to implement a more deliberate faculty advising structure and a new iterative academic statement that will raise awareness among students of the importance of pursuing the breadth of a liberal arts education and multiple modes of inquiry in the context of their self-determined work. Transcript reviews will provide the evidence to assess Evergreen’s success in improving documented breadth and depth of learning.

Summary of Indicators for Core Theme 1, Objective 3 (PDF)

• Indicator 1: Learning outcome: Breadth
• Indicator 2: Learning outcome: Depth
• Indicator 3: Learning outcome: Multiple modes of inquiry

View key sources of data used to measure the indicators