Establishing Graduate Learning Outcomes for the UBCV Bachelor of Science

Efforts have been underway across the Faculty of Science to identify and articulate expected learning outcomes for courses and programs. This supper series session will initiate a similar conversation about what we expect students will take away from the BSc as a whole. Degree-level learning outcomes can: Inform students what they can expect to achieve from a program of study, so they can organize their time and efforts; communicate curriculum/program goals in a meaningful way to a broader community; help to determine the extent to which learning has been accomplished; and guide faculty members and administrators (within resource constraints), in part, to determine program(s) of study, course objectives, appropriate learning experiences, assessment, and program evaluation strategies. (Hubbal & Burt, 2007, p.1) Warren Code and Gillian Gerhard, Strategists for Teaching & Learning Initiatives in the Science Centre for Learning and Teaching, have gathered, analyzed and synthesized examples of BSc-level outcomes from Canada, the US, the UK, and Australia. At this month's seminar, we will share our findings and facilitate the collective development of a draft statement of anticipated BSc-level learning outcomes for the Faculty of Science. We will also discuss next steps and gauge the level of faculty interest in exploring the extent to which our students are achieving these broad outcomes.