EMPTY FIELD
Calvin’s educational framework names university-wide goals that ground the university’s curricular and co-curricular activities. It attempts to answer the question, “What are the enduring characteristics or qualities of thinking, doing, and being that mark a Calvin graduate?” The educational framework, derived from the university mission, articulates a frame that ensures integrated, coherent, holistic programs and practices in which students learn and develop.
* The mission of Calvin University is to equip students to think deeply, act justly, and live wholeheartedly as Christ’s agents of renewal in the world.
— Calvin University Mission Statement
The Educational Framework is a “no-frills,” functional document. It does not duplicate or expand on the primary documents of the university (Expanded Statement of Mission, An Engagement with God’s World, From Every Nation, Calvin University’s Statement on Sustainability), which beautifully articulate the university’s foundational commitments to liberal arts education, a Reformed tradition, and matters of racial justice, reconciliation, and cross-cultural engagement. Rather, the educational framework emerges from the university’s foundational documents and commitments. These provide coherence and meaning to the educational framework.
The all-university goals identified for a Calvin graduate will direct conversations about how these goals will be developed, implemented, and assessed—through the core, at department and program levels, and in the co-curriculum. The specific work of outcome development and alignment, however, is best left to the community, over time.
All-University Goals
Learning
Deep • Broad • Engaged
Calvin students learn that
Faith
Informed • Courageous • Lived
Calvin students learn that
Citizenship
Local • Global • Christlike
Calvin students learn that
Vocation
Responsive • Discerning • Dynamic
Calvin students learn that
Outcomes
What will others see that tells them a Calvin University graduate has achieved these four goals? What specific knowledge, skills, and habits of mind or heart will graduates demonstrate to show attainment of a goal?
Answering these questions is the work of faculty and staff in academic departments and co-curricular programs around the university. A chemistry student will demonstrate mastery in a different way than a philosophy major. An athlete will demonstrate mastery in a different way than a musician.
A few examples follow. These are only illustrative and not intended to be comprehensive, recognizing that departments and programs will identify their own outcomes.
Graduates will, for example, be able to
Graduates will, for example, be able to
Graduates will, for example, be able to
Graduates will, for example, be able to
Graduates will, for example, be able to
Graduates will, for example, be able to
Graduates will, for example, be able to
Graduates will, for example, be able to
Means to ends
How does Calvin University help students achieve these outcomes? Just as the outcomes to reach all-university goals are operationalized in different ways, the means by which these outcomes can be achieved are different. Again, the task for departments and programs is to think about the ways in which particular program and major outcomes can be realized. A few examples follow. These are illustrative and not comprehensive, recognizing that departments and programs will identify and constantly develop effective means to achieve outcomes.
Learning: Calvin students can
Faith: Calvin students can
Citizenship: Calvin students can
Vocation: Calvin students can
Assessment
Gathering systematic evidence of students’ knowledge, skills, and learning experiences is intended to support what is working well, bolster what needs to be improved, and end what is no longer effective or relevant. We intend that assessment:
Each year, one of the four all-university goals will be assessed. A university-wide plan will be developed that annually engages a cross-divisional group of students, staff, and faculty in assessing one of the four goals. In addition to gathering cross-divisional data, outcome data on a particular goal will be collected for the core, major, and co-curriculum from the respective departments and programs.
This university-wide assessment of goals is not intended to replace department or program assessment plans that aim at more precise evidence of learning.