Mississippi State University is committed to providing students with the essential critical and creative thinking skills necessary to navigate the world throughout their lives. A strong general education program is founded on the ideals of learning as a life-long activity that engages curiosity and deep thinking in broad and complex areas of inquiry.
Task Force on General Education
The Task Force on General Education sought to create a curriculum that instills relevance and a holistic educational experience. Near the end of 2022, the final report of the Task Force provided a series of recommendations to improve the program.
Revised Learning Outcomes
The faculty of Mississippi State University revised the general education outcomes to ones that are more in-tune with the institution’s mission and vision. The following outcomes are listed along with a brief description of why these outcomes are relevant to today’s students:
| Learning Outcome | Relevant Purpose |
|---|---|
| develop and express their ideas in writing for given audiences in a particular rhetorical situation | Communicate to those outside of MSU about your experiences and what you have learned that qualify you for future career. |
| prepare and deliver purposeful presentations for given audiences in a particular rhetorical situation | |
| reason and solve quantitative problems from a wide array of authentic contexts and everyday life situations | Overcome challenges related to finite resources |
| interpret artistic expression and engage with a creative process | Generate and contribute new ideas to a given situation |
| examine the human condition in different cultures throughout history | Respect others, including those who come from different backgrounds and cultures |
| apply the scientific method and theories to empirical evidence to support scientific models of the universe | Seek objective facts and differentiate facts from values |
| engage in scientific inquiry of human behavior in the context of value systems, institutions, economic structures, social groups, and/or environments | Behave ethically and practice civic responsibility |
| evaluate issues, ideas, artifacts, and events through cross-disciplinary exploration before formulating an opinion or conclusion | Consider multiple perspectives before arriving at a conclusion |
| work cooperatively with others toward a common purpose through shared responsibility and mutual accountability | Collaborate with others as part of a team |