Institutional Learning Goals


KU Notebook next to a laptop

KU Institutional Learning Goals

Focused on enriching the student learning experience, KU established six institutional learning goals during academic year 2020-2021. The learning goals are intended to create a framework for aligning assessment efforts that are already occurring across all campuses and are an externalization of the university’s values around student learning.


Upon completion of their academic programs at KU, students will demonstrate:

Apply cognitive skills and a broad array of knowledge to promote inquiry, discover solutions, and generate new ideas and creative works. 

Listen, question, and articulate thoughts and ideas clearly and effectively in a range of contexts using a variety of means and modalities.

Access, evaluate, and use qualitative and/or quantitative information to identify patterns, formulate and support interpretations.

Develop a critical and reflective awareness of social, global, and cultural differences (including ability, language, class, gender, sexuality, religion, nationality, ethnicity, indigeneity, and/or race) and their impacts on relationships.

Demonstrate integrity and act responsibility with the interest of the larger community, environment, discipline, or profession in mind.

Establish, grow, and sustain productive relationships to effectively address key issues facing local, national, or global communities and solve problems that advance society.


Institutional Learning Goals Assessment

Institutional Learning Goal (ILG) assessment is conducted annually through assessment work that takes place in all undergraduate and graduate degree programs, the KU Core 34, and co-curricular units. 

Academic and co-curricular programs self-identified alignment of their individual learning outcomes to the ILGs and report their contributions and student learning assessment findings related to that year's ILG.

Learning Outcomes to Institutional Learning Goals (ILGs) for Various Programs
ProgramsCreative Inquiry & DiscoveryEffective CommunicationAnalytical ReasoningSocial Awareness & Cultural DiversityEthical & Professional ResponsibilityLeadership & Collaboration
Undergraduate86.00%83.10%89.50%79.10%77.90%68.00%
UG Certificate91.3%69.6%73.9%43.5%39.1%43.5%
GR Certificate92.20%92.20%88.20%74.50%84.30%66.70%
Master's87.80%93.20%93.20%67.60%66.20%59.50%
Doctoral95.00%95.00%96.70%56.70%76.70%53.30%