Office of Institutional Assessment, Research and Planning

Students develop and practice core objectives in the context of 42 semester credit hours assigned to eight Foundational Component Areas (FCAs). Critical Thinking and Communication (Written, Oral, and Visual) are required for every FCA while other core objectives are assigned to applicable FCAs.

 

The table below maps out the core objectives to their associated FCA.

FCA	Communication: Written, Oral, and Visual	Critical Thinking	Empirical & Quantitative Skills	Personal Responsibility	Social Responsibility	Teamwork
American History	✔	✔		✔	✔
Communication	✔	✔		✔		✔
Creative Arts	✔	✔			✔	✔
Government/Political Science	✔	✔		✔	✔
Language, Philosophy, & Culture	✔	✔		✔	✔
Life & Physical Sciences	✔	✔	✔			✔
Mathematics	✔	✔	✔
Social & Behavioral Sciences	✔	✔	✔		✔
Component Area Option	✔	✔

✔ = Core objective should be explicitly covered and assessed in every course with this FCA designation.

The Texas Administrative Code's definitions of the core objectives are written below along with the links to the rubrics that OIARP uses to assess these objectives. 

•  Communication Skills are "to include effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas through written, oral, and visual communication." OIARP uses the Communication Rubric to assess this objective.
• Critical Thinking Skills are "to include creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information." OIARP uses the Critical Thinking Skills Rubric to assess this objective.
• Empirical & Quantitative Skills are "to include the manipulation and analysis of numerical data or observable facts resulting in informed conclusions." Empirical & Quantitative Skills is assessed with EQS Rubric.
• Personal Responsibility is "to include the ability to connect choices, actions and consequences to ethical decision-making. OIARP uses the Personal Responsibility Rubric to assess this objective. 
• Social Responsibility is "to include intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and global communities." OIARP uses the Social Responsibility Rubric to assess this objective.
• Teamwork is "to include the ability to consider different points of view and to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal."  OIARP uses the Teamwork Rubric to assess this objective.