Undergraduate General Education

What is an educated person, ready to meet the challenges of the 21st century?
What educational skills do you, as a Vandal, need the day after your graduation?  

We know that the skills in civic, ethical and collaborative engagement with diverse groups are critical for a well educated citizen.  In a recent survey* of employers, they revealed that colleges need to increase their focus on: 

• written and oral communication
• critical thinking and analytical reasoning
• the application of knowledge and skills in real-world settings
• complex problem-solving and analysis
• ethical decision-making
• teamwork skills
• innovation and creativity
• concepts and developments in science and technology

The University of Idaho's General Education Curriculum is at the heart of a broad-based, multi-year liberal educational experience.  These learning outcomes seek to address the question of what it is that entails 21st century educated person, and meet the needs of employers and the challenges of a rapidly changing and diverse world.  


^{*(from Raising the Bar: Employers’ Views on College Learning in the Wake of the Economic Downturn, a survey of employers for the American Association of Colleges and Universities, conducted from October 27 to November 17, 2009, by Hart Research Associates.)}