Many Universities and Colleges have established mission statements that should be used as a guidance for the staff and students. Some of the mission statements are to provide encouragement to the students while others are to provide simple words of encouragement. However, they all provide the students with the same thing, a sense of purpose as they work towards their academic goals. The University of Charleston (UC) also provides a mission statement that is used to help develop on all aspects of their life. The institution has also developed a six Liberal Learning Outcomes that are used to guide the students regarding critical values. The mission statement and the core values are can enable the student to be successful both in the classroom and in real life. The purpose of this essay is to analyze how the mission statement, the Liberal Learning Outcomes (LLO) and the Program Outcomes of the University of Charleston should guide me to be successful both in the classroom and in real life.
The Mission Statement
The mission statement of the University of Charleston has been stated as “to educate each student for a life of productive work, enlightened living, and community involvement” (“Our Mission – The UC Mission, defined”, 2019). The university identifies that the three different aspects have different meanings and focusing on the mission should realize the wholesome development of the student.
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Productive Work
The institution identifies that by work being ‘productive’ does not necessarily the acquisition material gain. Instead, the term productive is used to refer to the impact of the work by the graduate to the community and the world. One of the missions of UC is thus to enable the students to contribute to the society on the everyday lives. This is an import part of the mission as it shows that one should not simply focus on enriching themselves when working. The nature of the work that the student should have should be one that improves their world and those of the people around them. This instills to the students a sense of work ethic and they understand that work should be done with a purpose. Even though one should work towards obtaining a career, one should constantly focus on how their career can impact the world around them.
Enlightened Living
Enlightened living involves having the college graduate have a broad knowledge that can be applied so as to succeed in the modern society. The student should be able literate on different topics such as science, economics, and politics, aesthetics, and cultures. One should have a moral purpose, personal character and a sense of shared values and cultural values when applying the knowledge. Enlightened living should impact the student outside the classroom. It ensures that the student is able to apply their knowledge in a way that resonates with their life purpose.
Community Involvement
The students are required to take part in community activities. The mission identifies that the foundation of the community’s social structure rests on community involvement. Graduates should thus be ready to take on leadership initiatives and responsibilities so as to steer their communities, institutions, and organizations forward. Being involved in the community is a very important of one’s life. It is the basis of prosperity in the real world and it adds depth to life since one undertakes various actions that are bigger than themselves.
Critical Thinking LLO
UC also identifies six Critical Thinking Liberal Learning Outcomes (LLO) that include citizenship, communication, creativity, creativity, critical thinking, ethical practice, and inquiry (“University of Charleston – 2019 – 2020 Academic Catalog”, 2020). The opportunities to showcase the outcomes have been inherently embedded throughout the courses. For my course on Exercise Science, there have been different coursework completed that have met the Critical Thinking LLO for each of the levels.
Citizenship
This outcome identifies the rights and responsibilities that are associated with the social, political, and economic communities. One should show that they are an engaged and knowledgeable member of the society. The coursework that was used to realize this learning outcome was on history. The coursework accomplished the three different by levels by first providing basic knowledge of how various institutions in the modern society operate and the history of human civilization (Stearns, 2016). The second level of the LLO was accomplished through a topic on globalization where I was able to gain a global awareness. The course guided me towards being a responsible citizen as I registered as a voter so as to vote. The knowledge enabled me to participate in various debates that deal with the progress of the community and the country.
Communication
Communication is an integral part of the modern world and is key to success in every profession. Different communication skills were acquired throughout the coursework and through the assignments that were provided in the different lectures. The assignments involved having different writing activities and various presentations. Adequate research was conducted and this required extensive reading. Through practice, I was able to perform at the advanced level where I undertook adequate research, wrote well-articulated essays, and made quality presentations. With the course of Exercise Science, one has to interact with their clients and the different communication strategies by being a good listener and adequately using the verbal, nonverbal, and visual communication tools were taught.
Creativity
Creativity is an important concept as it enables one to come up with ideas and to find solutions to the different issues that could arise. It involves one being able to make connections among different ideas so as to advance the society (Perry-Smith & Mannucci, 2017). At the foundational level, creativity was acquired by being taught about the different creative technology in exercise science and the impact it has had in society. There were various scenarios provided at the mid-level where one had to show creativity such as in the design of a training program. At the advanced level, the creative ability was applied to create an effective training program that results in an improvement of the health and fitness levels of an individual.
Critical Thinking
Critical thinking involves a critical process of reflection, reasoning, and imagination to explore social constraints, beliefs, issues, and problem (Cottrell, 2017). At the foundational level, critical thinking was taught as important by being taught different case scenarios that showed the lack of creativity can lead to negative outcomes. At the mid-level knowledge regarding critical thinking was acquired through different lessons on problem solving skills. Critical thinking was then applied at the advanced level by being given hypothetical scenarios where one was required to apply the different problem solving skills. In exercise science, one may have to design training exercises that fit the needs of the client. One should therefore show a creative approach in the way they design the different training exercises.
Ethical Practice
Ethical practice was identified as the ability to treat others by showing fairness, justice honesty, altruism, and integrity. A specific coursework on ethics that involved health ethics was completed. The foundational level involved gaining knowledge about the ethical beliefs that guide healthcare practice. Different ethical scenarios were provided at the mid-level so as to identify whether there is an ethical conflict or not. The different ethical principles that were used to make decisions in healthcare involved autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice (Melby et al., 2016). I was able to apply these concepts at the advanced level by making ethical decisions that were based on the different principles.
Inquiry
Inquiry involves being able to apply different concepts and tools towards the creation, verification, and communication of new knowledge. The topic was learned in the coursework that dealt with inter-professional evidence-based practice. At the foundational level of science, one was expected to show understanding and competence in the application of different scientific laws in evidence-based practice (Babcock & Thonus, 2018). Evidence-based practice was an important part that guides quality healthcare practice. At the mid-level, different research articles were analyzed for their data and how they could be applied in different scientific principles. At the advanced level, I was able to create new knowledge on various topics such as physiology of exercise, psychological mindfulness and sports nutrition. I was able to use research that guided me through various projects in the coursework.
Program Outcomes (PO) of Choice at Each Level
The program outcomes that were required for the coursework were based on technology and analytics. In technology, the learning outcome is that one should demonstrate the ability to use technology so as to collect, analyze, evaluate, and to disseminate quantitative and qualitative data. This was related to the specific course outcomes in Exercise Science where students are expected to apply and examine different knowledge in the field of exercise science and other related fields. I was able to show the understanding of evidence-based practice and technology was applied by making use of various database such as PubMed and Google Scholar. The knowledge was applied in the analysis of various takes that can be used to realize a healthy lifestyle.
Another program outcome required throughout the coursework involved communication and analytics. Throughout the course, I was able to work with specialists in exercise science. Such a collaboration was successful since I was able to show communication and analytic skills. The program also required that one should have an internship that enabled the gaining of practical experience. The internship involves having an opportunity to work with clientele of different ages and different backgrounds. The demonstration of analytic skills was important to relate the intellectual knowledge to a practical solution of real life problems.
Impact of LLO and PO on My Life Plan
The LLOs were identified were critical to my future goals as it involves six values that should guide one towards ensuring that their education has an impact. The value of ethics guided my life plan by making me become observant about the ethical dimensions of my plan. I ensured that the plans were formulated in a way that would be beneficial for everyone. I also became aware of the importance of the skill of innovation through creativity, creative thinking and inquiry. This impacted my plan as one of the goals that I set was to be able to apply my knowledge through inquiry, critical thinking and creativity to become innovative. The concept of communication skills also impacted me as I strived to be able to put forth my thoughts better through writing and to collaborate well with my colleagues.
Refining Life Plan to Reflect the UC Mission Statement
The mission statement of UC provided me with the opportunity to reevaluate my life plan. I was able to learn how to have a productive work, to live an enlightened life, and be involved with the community. I used the different ideals that were acquired to evaluate and rewrite my life plan. The statement of productive work enabled me to focus on the impact that I can make to my community and the world at large. I now focus on making sure that my practice in Exercise Science would be used to benefit myself and also others to realize a better health and wellness.
The importance of community was also emphasized in the mission statement. I have found myself looking at my environment and the community from a different perspective. I enjoy meeting people every day and simply love to be part of the community. One of my main missions has been to make a difference and to provide help for the community around me. Instead of simply focusing on my needs in my life plan, I have focused on the needs of the community around me. One of the community needs that aligns with my practice in health science is that many people are suffering from obesity due to the lack of proper nutrition and the lack of exercising. One of the aims in my life plan is thus to ensure that there is an improvement in the health and wellness of the community around me through my practice in exercise science.
Conclusion
The mission statement, the liberal learning outcomes, and program outcomes of the University of Charleston were analyzed and found to be relevant in shaping my life plan and how I viewed success. The mission statement was based on making an impact to the world through productive work and being involved in the community. This changed the approach that I had towards my course as I wanted it to become impactful to the world and to actively participate in initiatives that would be beneficial for the community. The liberal learning outcomes enlightened me regarding the core values that should guide my practice. The mission, LLOs, and POs impacted my life plan to focus on the community, making an impact, and being innovative.
References
Babcock, R. D., & Thonus, T. (2018). Researching the writing center: Towards an evidence-based practice . Peter Lang International Academic Publishers.
Cottrell, S. (2017). Critical thinking skills: Effective analysis, argument and reflection . Macmillan International Higher Education.
Melby, M. K., Loh, L. C., Evert, J., Prater, C., Lin, H., & Khan, O. A. (2016). Beyond medical “missions” to impact-driven short-term experiences in global health (STEGHs): ethical principles to optimize community benefit and learner experience. Academic Medicine , 91 (5), 633-638.
“ Our Mission – The UC Mission, defined”. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.ucwv.edu/about/uc-at-a-glance/our-mission/
Perry-Smith, J. E., & Mannucci, P. V. (2017). From creativity to innovation: The social network drivers of the four phases of the idea journey. Academy of Management Review , 42 (1), 53-79.
Stearns, P. N. (2016). Globalization in world history . Routledge.
“ University of Charleston – 2019 – 2020 Academic Catalog”. (2020). Retrieved from http://www.ucwv.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Academic-Catalog-2019-2020.pdf
