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Provost

Institutional Learning Outcomes

The University of Montana has developed a set of Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILOs) to define the essential knowledge and skills that all UM graduates 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 & Inclusive Community, and Applied & 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. 

Inquire and Analyze

  • Creative and Critical Thinking; Information Literacy; Quantitative Literacy

     

  • Mathematics; Literary and Artistic Studies; Historical Studies; Social Sciences; Natural Sciences (Gen Ed Groups II, V, VI, VII, XI)

Connect and Participate

  • Civic Engagement; Global Learning; Intercultural Knowledge and Competence

     

  • Modern and Classical Languages; Democracy and Citizenship; Cultural and International Diversity (Gen Ed Groups III, IX, X)

Communicate and Create

  • Problem Solving; Ethical Reasoning; Technology Literacy

     

  • English Writing Skills; Expressive Arts; Ethics and Human Values (Gen Ed Groups I, IV, VIII)

Share Your Feedback

We’re inviting the campus community to help refine the ILO framework before it is finalized and implemented.
Please take a few minutes to complete the survey below (open through the start of Spring Semester).

Your input will help determine whether the descriptions and alignments of the ILOs, particularly with General Education and the proposed , accurately reflect UM’s distinctive learning environment.

Why This Matters

Refining our ILOs is a key step in operationalizing them, which means:

  • Connecting them to the Academic Affairs Playbook and ongoing improvement efforts;

  • Embedding them into the assessment of learning and continuous improvement across programs; and

  • Demonstrating alignment with NWCCU accreditation standards for student learning and institutional effectiveness.