Institutional Learning Outcomes
For accurate, up-to-date learning outcomes for courses and programs, please check CurricUNET.The Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILOs) describe the knowledge, skills, abilities and attitudes that students should develop through any sustained experience with the college – whether courses, degree or certificate programs, pre-transfer general education pattern, or academic and support services.
- Independent Learning and Development - The ability of students to develop, evaluate, and pursue personal, academic, and/or career goals. Students will be able to:
- Demonstrate effective study strategies;
- Articulate realistic and achievable academic and/or career goals;
- Identify and make use of college and community resources (academic and student support services)
- Effectively express their needs, preferences, and rights with independence, assertiveness, and respect across various academic personal, and professional settings.
- Effective Communication - The ability of students to write, read, speak, and listen in order to communicate effectively. Students will be able to:
- Comprehend, interpret, and analyze written and oral information;
- Express ideas and provide supporting evidence effectively in writing and in speaking;
- Express ideas creatively through verbal and non-verbal media (e.g. music, art, dance, etc.)
- Communicate effectively in a group or team situation.
- Quantitative Reasoning - The ability of students to perform college-level quantitative analysis, using appropriate resources. Students will be able to:
- Solve a variety of problems that require quantitative mathematical reasoning;
- Use quantifiable information and mathematical critical analysis to make connections and draw conclusions;
- Articulate quantitative concepts in a variety of formats (using words, tables, graphs, mathematical equations, etc.).
- Critical Thinking - The ability of students to think creatively, analytically, and logically, in order to assess ideas, formulate arguments, develop multiple perspectives, draw conclusions, and solve problems. Students will be able to:
- Develop and evaluate arguments;
- Develop creative ways to solve problems;
- Apply diverse disciplinary approaches and perspectives;
- Employ the scientific method.
- Social Awareness and Diversity - The ability of students to recognize cultural traditions and to understand and appreciate the diversity of the human experience, past and present. Students will be able to:
- Identify the benefits of diversity and respect the range of diversity;
- Work effectively with others of diverse backgrounds;
- Recognize the importance and analyze the interconnectedness of global and local concerns, both past and present, including equity, democracy, annd social, environemental, and economic justice;
- Identify and analyze a diversity of artistic and cultural traditions.
- Ethical Responsibility/Community Engagement - The ability of students to make judgments with respect to individual conduct, based on systems of values. Students will be able to:
- Recognize ethical principles;
- Understand the impact our words and actions have on the community and the environment;
- Identify possible courses of action in response to ethical dilemmas and evaluate their consequences;
- Behave ethically and respectfully when working with students, instructors, and the campus community;
- Apply knowledge of diversity and multicultural competencies to promote inclusion, equity, and social justice in our communities.
- Information Literacy - The set of abilities needed by students to identify specific information needs, locate information that fits that need and context, integrate that information, and document the sources that contribute to that new understanding. Students will be able to:
- Make informed choices about the wide variety of information sources used in their college experiences, including traditional media like journals, newspapers, films, and television, and emerging, digital only formats such as podcasts, social media communications, and content generated with artificial intelligence;
- Critically review, discuss, and evaluate content and data for credibility, accuracy, and relevance;
- Proactively engage with diverse ideas, marginalized voices, and/or world views while recognizing that information sources can be influenced by authority, reinforced by existing power structures, and vary based on majors, areas of study, or disciplines;
- Have practical experiences using citation styles and standards, and have an awareness of U.S. copyright implications for academic or personal use.
Adopted by the College of San Mateo Institutional Planning Committee, May 6, 2026
