Competencies

Intellectual Foundations

Critical Thinking & Information Management

Overview
Critical Thining
Information Management

Report to the College Senate

of the

Select Committee

on General Education

8 November 2002

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1. Overview

The SUNY Trustees require students demonstrate basic competency in Critical Thinking and Information Management. These have been infused throughout the Intellectual Foundations program, and especial in BSC 100, ENG 101/102, and BSC 300. It is anticipated that all majors will have learning outcomes inbothe these areas that exceed the basic competencies outlined by the SUNY Trustees.

2. Critical Thinking Learning Outcomes/Objectives

There are three "critical thinking" learning outcomes mandated by the SUNY Trustees.

a.

Students will locate, evaluate and synthesize information from a variety of sources.

b.

Students will identify, analyze and evaluate arguments as they occur in their own and others' work

c.

Students will develop well-reasoned arguments.

Critical thinking is explicitly addressed in the learning outcomes for BSC 100, all of the Cognate Foundations and in the upper-level integrative course (BSC 300). It is also infused throughout each and every major offered at Buffalo State. The Committee interpreted the SUNY requirement to be a minimum. Therefore, for the purposes of the SUNY Trustees' general education mandate, all critical thinking requirements are met through the Intellectual Foundations program. The critical thinking skills infused throughout majors involve higher order critical thinking than that required by the SUNY Trustees.

3. Information Management Learning Outcomes/Objectives

There are two "information management" learning outcomes mandated by the SUNY Trustees.

a.

Students will demonstrate the basic operations of personal computer use

b.

Students will understand and use basic research techniques

The key word in both is basic. Advanced research techniques are infused in every major offered at Buffalo State. Basic research is an extension of critical thinking and as such is addressed in BSC 100, ENG 101 and ENG 102, the Cognate Foundations and the upper-level integrative course. In the BSC 100 course proposal, the seventh learning outcome explicitly addresses both basic computer use and basic research techniques. The first learning outcome in the BSC 300 template also encompasses the use of basic research techniques. Additionally, a unified first year program will more systematically introduce students to the computing environment and library at Buffalo State. Our students also increasingly come to us with basic computer skills. Thus the SUNY Trustees' information management requirement is met entirely within the Intellectual Foundations Program.

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1. Overview
The SUNY Trustees require students demonstrate basic competency in Critical Thinking and Information Management. These have been infused throughout the Intellectual Foundations program, and especial in BSC 100, ENG 101/102, and BSC 300. It is anticipated that all majors will have learning outcomes inbothe these areas that exceed the basic competencies outlined by the SUNY Trustees.
2. Critical Thinking Learning Outcomes/Objectives
There are three "critical thinking" learning outcomes mandated by the SUNY Trustees.
a.	Students will locate, evaluate and synthesize information from a variety of sources.
b.	Students will identify, analyze and evaluate arguments as they occur in their own and others' work
c.	Students will develop well-reasoned arguments.
Critical thinking is explicitly addressed in the learning outcomes for BSC 100, all of the Cognate Foundations and in the upper-level integrative course (BSC 300). It is also infused throughout each and every major offered at Buffalo State. The Committee interpreted the SUNY requirement to be a minimum. Therefore, for the purposes of the SUNY Trustees' general education mandate, all critical thinking requirements are met through the Intellectual Foundations program. The critical thinking skills infused throughout majors involve higher order critical thinking than that required by the SUNY Trustees.
3. Information Management Learning Outcomes/Objectives
There are two "information management" learning outcomes mandated by the SUNY Trustees.
a.	Students will demonstrate the basic operations of personal computer use
b.	Students will understand and use basic research techniques
The key word in both is basic. Advanced research techniques are infused in every major offered at Buffalo State. Basic research is an extension of critical thinking and as such is addressed in BSC 100, ENG 101 and ENG 102, the Cognate Foundations and the upper-level integrative course. In the BSC 100 course proposal, the seventh learning outcome explicitly addresses both basic computer use and basic research techniques. The first learning outcome in the BSC 300 template also encompasses the use of basic research techniques. Additionally, a unified first year program will more systematically introduce students to the computing environment and library at Buffalo State. Our students also increasingly come to us with basic computer skills. Thus the SUNY Trustees' information management requirement is met entirely within the Intellectual Foundations Program.