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General Education is a shared program among six public universities ​in South Dakota. The curriculum is designed around six goals to ensure students graduate with core competencies and credit in written communication, oral communication, social science, arts and humanities, mathematics and natural sciences. Courses within the general education curriculum are proposed to and selected by the Academic Affairs Council. 

The goal of general education assessment is to determine how well and in what ways students are achieving learning outcomes affiliated with each goal. The assessment process is a three-year cycle in which two goals are measured each year. The process identifies student learning success, areas for improvement, and documentation of evidence-based changes; it also provides meaningful information and feedback for faculty who teach general education courses. 

General Education requirements, goals and student learning outcomes, and assessment cycles are detailed in SDBOR policies:

• SDSU General Education Subcommittee 
•  (lists approved courses)

The six goals, affiliated Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs), and courses are as follows.

Goal 1: Written Communication. Students will write effectively and responsibly and will understand and interpret the written expression of others. As a result of taking courses meeting this goal, students will: (a) Write using standard American English, including correct punctuation, grammar and sentence structure, (b )Write logically, (c) Write persuasively, with a variety of rhetorical strategies (e.g., expository, argumentative, descriptive) and (d) ncorporate formal research and documentation into their writing, including research obtained through modern, technology-based research tools.

Courses:

• ENGL 101 Composition I
• ENGL 201 Composition II
• ENGL 284 Introduction to Criticism
• ENGL 277 Technical Writing in Engineering
• ENGL 283 Introduction to Creative Writing

Goal 2: Oral Communication. Students will communicate effectively and responsibly through listening and speaking. As a result of taking courses meeting this goal, students will: (a) Demonstrate the ability to speak thoughtfully, clearly and effectively in a variety of contexts and (b) Demonstrate active listening skills in a variety of contexts.

Courses:

• CMST 101 Foundations of Communication
• CMST 215 Public Speaking
• CMST 222 Argumentation and Debate

Goal 3: Social Sciences. Students will understand the organization, potential and diversity of the human community through study of the social sciences. As a result of taking courses meeting this goal, students will: (a) Identify and explain basic concepts, terminology, theories and systems of inquiry of the selected social science disciplines, (b) Apply selected social science concepts and theories to contemporary or historical issues from different behavioral, cultural, institutional, temporal or spatial contexts and (c) Analyze the extent and impact of diversity among individuals, cultures or societies in contemporary or historical contexts using social science methods and concepts.

Courses:

• ABS/AFES 203 Global Food Systems
• ANTH 210 Cultural Anthropology
• CJUS 201 Intro to Criminal Justice
• CMST 201 Interpersonal Communication
• ECON 201 Principles of Microeconomics
• ECON 202 Principles of Macroeconomics
• GEOG 101 Intro to Geography
• GEOG 200 Intro to Human Geography
• GEOG 210 World Regional Geography
• GEOG 212 Geography of North America
• GEOG 219 Geography of South Dakota
• GLST 201 Intro to Global Studies
• HDFS 141 Individual and the Family
• HDFS/EPSY 210 Lifespan Development
• HIST 151 US History I
• HIST 152 US History II
• INED/AIS/NATV 211 South Dakota American Indian Culture and Education
• INFO/PHIL 102 Data Ethics
• POLS 100 American Government
• POLS 102 American Political Issues
• POLS 141 Governments of the World
• POLS 165 Political Ideologies
• POLS 210 State and Local Government
• POLS 253 Current World Issues
• PSYC 101 General Psychology
• REL 237 Religion in American Culture
• SOC 100 Intro to Sociology
• SOC 150 Social Problems
• SOC 240 Sociology of Rural American
• SOC 250 Courtship and Marriage
• SUST/GEOG 111 Sustainable Society
• WMST 247 Intro to Women, Gender and Sexuality

Goal 4: Arts and Humanities. Students will understand the diversity and complexity of the human experience through study of the arts and humanities. As a result of taking courses meeting this goal, students will: (a) Demonstrate knowledge of the diversity of values, beliefs, and ideas embodied in the human experience, and (b) Demonstrate basic understanding of concepts of the selected discipline within the arts and humanities. In addition, as a result of taking courses meeting this goal, students will be able to do at least one of the following: (1) Demonstrate ability to express creative, aesthetic, formal or stylistic elements of the disciplines, (2) Demonstrate foundational competency in reading, writing and speaking a non-English language, (3) Identify and explain cultural contributions from the perspective of the selected disciplines within the arts and humanities.

Courses: 

• ARAB 101 Intro Arabic I
• ARAB 102 Intro Arabic II
• ARCH 241 Construction History
• ART 111 Drawing I
• ART 112 Drawing II
• ART/DSGN 121 Design I 2D
• ART 123 Three Dimensional Design
• ARTH 100 Art Appreciation
• ARTH/HIST 211 History of World Art I
• ARTH/HIST 212 History of World Art II
• CHIN 101 Introductory Chinese I
• CHIN 102 Introductory Chinese II
• ENGL 210 Introduction to Literature
• ENGL 211 World Literature I
• ENGL 212 World Literature II
• ENGL 221 British Literature I
• ENGL 222 British Literature II
• ENGL 230 Literature for Younger Readers
• ENGL 240 Juvenile Literature
• ENGL 241 American Literature I
• ENGL 242 American Literature II
• ENGL/WMST 248 Women in Literature
• ENGL 249 Literature of Diverse Cultures
• ENGL 250 Science Fiction
• ENGL 256 Literature of the American West
• ENGL 268 Literature
• FREN 101 Introductory French I
• FREN 102 Introductory French II
• FREN 201 Intermediate French I
• FREN 202 Intermediate French II
• GER/GLAN 101 Introductory German I
• GER/GLAN 102 Introductory German II
• GER/GLAN 201 Intermediate German I
• GER/GLAN 202 Intermediate German II
• HIST 111 World Civilization I
• HIST 112 World Civilization II
• HIST 121 Western Civilization I
• HIST 122 Western Civilization II
• LAKL/AIS 101 Introductory Lakota I
• LAKL/AIS 102 Introductory Lakota II
• LAKL/AIS 201 Intermediate Lakota I
• LAKL/AIS 202 Intermediate Lakota II
• LATI 101 Introductory Latin
• LATI 102 Advanced Elementary Latin
• MCOM 151 Intro to Mass Communications
• MCOM 160 Intro to Film
• MFL 101 Intro to Foreign Lang and Culture I
• MFL 102 Intro to Foreign Lang and Culture II
• MFL 134 Foreign Cultures
• MUS 100 Music Appreciation
• MUS 130 Music Lit and History I
• MUS 131 Music Lit and History II
• MUS 201 History of Country Music
• MUS 203 Blues, Jazz and Rock
• PHIL/CLHU 100 Intro to Philosophy
• PHIL 200 Introduction to Logic
• PHIL 215 Intro to Social/Political Philosophy
• PHIL 220 Intro to Ethics
• REL 213 Intro to Religion
• REL 224 Old Testament
• REL 225 New Testament
• REL/AIS 238 Native American Religions
• REL 250 World Religions
• RUSS 101 Introductory Russian I
• RUSS 102 Introductory Russian II
• SPAN 101 Introductory Spanish I
• SPAN 102 Introductory Spanish II
• SPAN 201 Intermediate Spanish I
• SPAN 202 Intermediate Spanish II
• THEA 100 Introduction to Theatre
• THEA 131 Introduction to Acting

Goal 5: Mathematics. Students will understand and apply fundamental mathematical processes and reasoning. As a result of taking courses meeting this goal, students will: (a) Use mathematical symbols and mathematical structure to model and solve real world problems and (b) Demonstrate appropriate communication skills related to mathematical terms and concepts.

Courses:

• MATH 103/L Mathematical Reasoning
• MATH 114 College Algebra
• MATH 115 Precalculus
• MATH 120 Trigonometry
• MATH 121 Survey of Calculus
• MATH 123 Calculus
• MATH 125 Calculus II
• MATH 225 Calculus III
• MATH/STAT 281 Statistics

Goal 6: Natural Science. Students will understand the fundamental principles of the natural sciences and apply scientific methods of inquiry to investigate the natural world. As a result of taking courses meeting this goal, students will: (a) Explain the nature of science including how scientific explanations are formulated, tested and modified or validated, (b) Distinguish between scientific and non-scientific evidence and explanations and use scientific evidence to construct arguments related to contemporary issues, (c) Apply basic observational, quantitative, or technological methods to gather and analyze data and generate evidence-based conclusions in a laboratory setting and (d) Understand and apply foundational knowledge and discipline-specific concepts to address issues, solve problems or predict natural phenomena.

Courses:

• BIOL 101/L Biology Survey I and Lab
• BIOL 103/L Biology Survey II and Lab
• BIOL 151/L General Biology I and Lab
• BIOL 153/L General Biology II and Lab
• BIOL/BOT 201/L General Botany and Lab
• BIOL 235/L Intro to Biotechnology
• CHEM 106/L Chemistry Survey and Lab
• CHEM 108/L Organic and Biochemistry and Lab
• CHEM 112/L General Chemistry I and Lab
• CHEM 114/L General Chemistry II and Lab
• GEOG 131/L Physical Geography Weather/Climate
• GEOG 132/L Physical Geography Natural Landscapes
• MICR 231/L General Microbiology
• PHYS 101/L Survey of Physics/Lab
• PHYS 207/L Fundamentals of Physics I/Lab
• PHYS 209/L Fundamentals of Physics II/Lab
• PHYS 111/L Intro to Physics I and Lab
• PHYS 113/L Intro to Physics II and Lab
• PHYS 185/L Solar System Astronomy/Lab
• PHYS 187/L Stars, Galaxies and Cosmology/Lab
• PHYS 211/L University Physics I and Lab
• PHYS 213/L University Physics II and Lab
• PS 213/L Soils and Lab
• PS 243 Principles of Geology
• RANG 205/L Intro to Range Management

The general education goals are assessed on a three-year schedule with two goals measured each year. The assessment subcommittee also reviews the courses within the general education in the year prior to the assessment.

2024-2025 and 2027-2028
Course Review No. 2 and No. 4
Assessment No. 3 and No. 6

2025-2026 and 2028-2029
Course Review No. 1 and No. 5
Assessment No. 2 and No. 4

2026-2027 * 2030-2031
Course Review No. 3 and No. 6
Assessment No. 1 and No. 5

 * 1 is Written Communication), 2 is Oral Communication, 3 is Social Science, 4 is Arts and Humanities, 5 is Mathematics and 6 is Natural Science.

SDSU’s general education assessment plan incorporates multiple methods to assess student learning as related to the general education curriculum. These methods include: review of student artifacts from randomly selected general education courses/sections, items from the Senior Exit Survey, items from the National Survey of Student Engagement, and focus groups (optional). 

​1. â€‹Course Selection and Faculty Notification​​. Each Spring semester, the assistant vice president for institutional research and assessment selects a sample of approved courses within each of the two goals scheduled for assessment. The sample should reflect approximately 25% of approved courses within the requirement. The sample will include three course sections if there are four or more sections of the course (or all sections if there are three or fewer sections). In instances where there are a limited number of faculty members teaching all courses for a given goal, multiple sections by one faculty member may be selected for assessment. The Asst VP OIRA emails notifications to department heads and/or school directors and to faculty who are teaching the selected courses. 

2. Faculty Select Artifacts. Faculty include the appropriate General Education goal and affiliated SLOs in their syllabi and select evidence of student learning to collect throughout the academic year. Any course materials (i.e., papers, exams, daily work, speeches, artwork, lab notebooks, etc.) may be used as evidence of student learning if the materials align with the student learning outcomes. We encourage course embedded assignments; suggested evidence or artifacts include:

• Course papers (research papers, reflection papers, essays, journals, etc.)
• Items or questions within exams and quizzes
• Speeches, presentations, performances
• Artwork
• Lab notebooks
• Video/film projects
• Portfolios
• Capstone projects
• Observation

3. Faculty Assess Artifacts. Faculty assess the artifacts and are encouraged to use established rubrics to determine students’ proficiency of learning. When a rubric might not be appropriate, faculty determine the agreed-upon metric to report. Note: assessing artifacts differs from grading student work; please use artifacts and rubrics to assess student learning towards the goals of the general education curriculum. The following rubrics are available:

4. Faculty Complete the Gen Ed Assessment Form. After rating the student artifacts using the rubrics, faculty complete the Gen Ed Assessment Form (one form for each course selected for assessment) summarizing the assessment results. Each general education goal has a unique course section report form. Download, complete, and save the appropriate form:

5. Faculty Submit Materials. Faculty submit the following materials to the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment (email to Robyn Marschke, assistant vice president for institutional research and assessment) by the end of the semester in which they assessed artifacts. Faculty should also copy the department head or school director. These materials will be reviewed by the SDSU General Education Sub-Committee to ensure adherence to the policy.

• Course syllabus
• Gen Education Assessment Form(s)
• Two to three examples of the artifact/evidence 

The assistant vice president OIRA compiles results into an Annual Reports of General Education Assessment, which incorporates findings from the assessment process as well as findings from campus-wide surveys of students, such as the National Survey of Student Engagement or the Senior Exit / Graduating Student Survey. The report is reviewed by the general education subcommittee of the Academic Affairs Committee and is shared with the South Dakota Board of Regents Office as requested.