Essential Skills Acquisition

Definition:  Clearly and effectively exchange information, ideas, facts, and perspectives with persons inside and outside of an organization.

Student Learning Outcomes:

The student will be able to:

• Utilize effective active listening, written, oral, and nonverbal communication.
• Employ persuasion and influencing skills.
•  Make use of appropriate methods and mediums to communicate in the workplace.
• Examine information, ideas, facts, and perspectives critically and respectfully, especially with persons of varying perspectives.

Example Behaviors:

• Understand the importance of and demonstrate verbal, written, and non-verbal/body language abilities.
• Employ active listening, persuasion, and influencing skills.
• Communicate in a clear and organized manner so that others can effectively understand.
• Frame communication with respect to diversity of learning styles, varied individual communication abilities, and cultural differences.
• Ask appropriate questions for specific information from supervisors, specialists, and others.
• Promptly inform relevant others when needing guidance with assigned tasks.

Definition:  Identify and respond to needs based upon an understanding of situational context and logical analysis of relevant information.

Student Learning Outcomes:

The student will be able to:

• Analyze data and draw conclusions to make evidence-based decisions.
• Identify issues and use information and reasoning to make problem solving decisions.
• Analyze, evaluate, and create arguments and explanations.
• Apply information using appropriate technology.
• Summarize and interpret data with an awareness of personal bias that may impact outcomes.

Example Behaviors:

• Make decisions and solve problems using sound, inclusive reasoning and judgment.
• Gather and analyze information from a diverse set of sources and individuals to fully understand a problem.
• Proactively anticipate needs and prioritize action steps.
• Accurately summarize and interpret data with an awareness of personal biases that may impact outcomes.
• Effectively communicate actions and rationale, recognizing the diverse perspectives and lived experiences of stakeholders.
• Multi-task well in a fast-paced environment.

Definition:  Demonstrate the awareness, attitude, knowledge, and skills required to equitably engage and include people from different local and global cultures. Engage in anti-racist practices that actively challenge the systems, structures, and policies of racism.

Student Learning Outcomes:

The student will be able to:

• Employ openness and empathy for others’ cultural perspectives.
• Acknowledge one’s own cultural biases.
• Interact respectfully with those who are different from one’s self.
• Apply diversity as a source of creativity and innovation.
• Recognize viewpoints that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Example Behaviors:

• Solicit and use feedback from multiple cultural perspectives to make inclusive and equity-minded decisions.
• Actively contribute to inclusive and equitable practices that influence individual and systemic change.
• Advocate for inclusion, equitable practices, justice, and empowerment for historically marginalized communities.
• Seek global cross-cultural interactions and experiences that enhance one’s understanding of people from different demographic groups and that leads to personal growth.
• Keep an open mind to diverse ideas and new ways of thinking.
• Identify resources and eliminate barriers resulting from individual and systemic racism, inequities, and biases.
• Demonstrate flexibility by adapting to diverse environments.
• Address systems of privilege that limit opportunities for members of historically marginalized communities.

Definition: Recognize and capitalize on personal and team strengths to achieve organizational goals.

Student Learning Outcomes:

The student will be able to:

• Apply skills to guide and assist a group, organization, or community in meeting its goals.
• Demonstrate an ability to inspire, persuade, and motivate self and others within a shared vision.
• Utilize diverse resources and feedback from others to inform direction and decisions. 
• Apply skills to plan, initiate, manage, complete, and evaluate projects.

Example Behaviors:

• Inspire, persuade, and motivate self and others under a shared vision.
• Seek out and leverage diverse resources and feedback from others to inform direction.
• Use innovative thinking to go beyond traditional methods.
• Serve as a role model to others by approaching tasks with confidence and a positive attitude.
• Motivate and inspire others by encouraging them and by building mutual trust.
• Plan, initiate, manage, complete, and evaluate projects.

Definition:  Knowing work environments differ greatly, understand and demonstrate effective work habits, and act in the interest of the larger community and workplace.

Student Learning Outcomes:

The student will be able to:

• Demonstrate effective work habits such as working independently, identifying appropriate resources, taking initiative; goal setting; managing deadlines; self-assessing, and seeking help when needed.
• Demonstrate integrity and accountability to self, others, and the organization.
• Demonstrate the ability to adapt to changing work environments and scenarios.

Example Behavior:

• Act equitably with integrity and accountability to self, others, and the organization.
• Maintain a positive personal brand in alignment with organization and personal career values.
• Be present and prepared.
• Demonstrate dependability (e.g., report consistently for work or meetings).
• Prioritize and complete tasks to accomplish organizational goals.
• Consistently meet or exceed goals and expectations.
• Have an attention to detail, resulting in few if any errors in their work.
• Show a high level of dedication toward doing a good job.

Definition: Build and maintain collaborative relationships to work effectively toward common goals, while appreciating diverse viewpoints and shared responsibilities.

Student Learning Outcomes:

The student will be able to:

• Employ collaboration with others to achieve positive outcomes.
• Demonstrate the ability to manage conflict, interact with and respect diverse personalities, and meet ambiguity with resilience.
• Demonstrate accountability for individual and team responsibilities and deliverables.
• Develop strong, positive working relationships with supervisor and team members/coworkers.

Example Behavior:

• Listen carefully to others, taking time to understand and ask appropriate questions without interrupting.
• Effectively manage conflict, interact with and respect diverse personalities, and meet ambiguity with resilience.
• Be accountable for individual and team responsibilities and deliverables.
• Employ personal strengths, knowledge, and talents to complement those of others.
• Exercise the ability to compromise and be agile.
• Collaborate with others to achieve common goals.
• Build strong, positive working relationships with supervisor and team members/coworkers.

Definition:  Understand and leverage technologies ethically to enhance efficiencies, complete tasks, and accomplish goals.

Student Learning Outcomes:

The student will be able to:

• Utilize technology to improve efficiency and productivity of their work.
• Identify appropriate technology for completing specific tasks.
• Utilize technology to integrate information in support of relevant, effective, and timely decision-making.
• Utilize appropriate technology to achieve strategic goals.

Example Behavior:

• Navigate change and be open to learning new technologies.
• Use technology to improve efficiency and productivity of their work.
• Identify appropriate technology for completing specific tasks.
• Manage technology to integrate information to support relevant, effective, and timely decision-making.
• Quickly adapt to new or unfamiliar technologies.
• Manipulate information, construct ideas, and use technology to achieve strategic goals.