Liberal Education and EOU's Promise

In 2007, the Oregon University System (OUS) applied to become a LEAP State through AAC&U (Liberal Education and America's Promise, a campus action and public campaign 2005-2015) to address undergraduate education and general education reform at each of the seven institutions within the system--including EOU.  By action of the Provosts' Council and approval of the Chancellor, followed by acceptance by AAC&U, OUS endorsed the LEAP principles and learning outcomes.

LEAP Essential Learning Outcomes

• Knowledge of Human Cultures and the Natural World (sciences, social sciences, mathematics, humanities, histories, languages, arts)
• Intellectual and Practical Skills (communication, inquiry, critical and creative thinking, qualtitative literacy, teamwork in diverse groups, problem solving)
• Personal and Social Responsibility (civic engagement, ethical reasoning, intercultural knowledge and action, lifelong learning)
• Integrative and Applied Learning (the capacity to adapt knowledge and skills to new settings)

By adopting the LEAP essential learning outcomes as an organizer for various educational assessment programs at EOU, a viable conceptual framework for assessment has taken shape. A visual schematic (Figure 1, p. 3) shows how learning opportunities and outcomes in EOU’s gateway and pathway programs, the General Education Core, the co-curriculum, and undergraduate degree programs align with the LEAP essential learning outcomes above and provide the compass points to guide students’ successful progress through and performance at the University. In essence, the LEAP essential learning outcomes provide 1) a catalyst for joining the various sectors of campus activity and 2) an opportunity for recognizing how the synergistic impacts of the curriculum and traditional co-curriculum result in an integrated university curriculum that may be assessed. LEAP helps EOU conceptualize a framework for making excellence inclusive of and accessible to all students through high impact practices—student leadership program, learning communities, first year experience seminars, civic engagement and service learning opportunities, university writing requirement, internships, study abroad, undergraduate research, and the capstone experience.

Contact Information:

Eastern Oregon University
One University Boulevard
Inlow 218
Email: switte@eou.edu
Tele: 541-962-3594