This page was updated on November 2, 2026.
The University of Montana has developed a set of Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILOs) to define the essential knowledge and skills that undergraduate students demonstrate across General Education, academic programs, and our curricular and co-curricular experiences. We spent the past year organizing the outcomes of all academic programs on campus, the general education preamble and outcomes, and a survey of student affairs leaders.
These ILOs describe what a UM education means for every learner and provide a shared foundation for assessing student learning across the university. They are built upon UM foundational values of Lifelong Learning, Wellness and Inclusive Community, and Applied and Experiential Learning.. They were developed collaboratively with the Assessment Advisory Committee (AAC), drawing on existing Program Learning Outcomes, General Education Outcomes, and AAC&U VALUE Rubrics, with broad input from across campus.
Undergraduate programs identify on their curriculum maps which ILOs a program supports. General Education Groups align with the ILOs, which links the General Education Program to institutional-level assessment. Results of program assessment inform the University's evidence of student learning for NWCCU. See Student Learning Assessment for the process, templates, and timeline.
Institutional Learning Outcomes
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Example: Ask meaningful questions and find, evaluate, and use information and evidence.
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Example: Examine ideas, data, and problems to reach well-supported conclusions.
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Example: Relate knowledge across disciplines, cultures, and contexts.
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Example: Engage in civic, professional, scholarly, and community life.
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Example: Express ideas effectively in writing, speech, and other media.
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Example: Produce original work and solutions through creative practice and sound technique.