Core Competency Assessment Timeline
Cal Poly cycles through five core competencies on an regular basis. Visit our Core Competency Assessment homepage for an overview of each area as well as to access reports of these efforts.
Here is the current plan, last updated February 2022.
For a printable version of this timeline, click here (PDF).
This timeline reflects university-based efforts to assess student artifacts related to these core competencies.
Phase 1: Research and Development — Organize learning communities to research and develop the core competency; create a common definition; identify artifact; sampling plan and assessment tool(s).
Phase 2: Evaluation and Communication — Artifact collection and analysis; collection and evaluation of artifacts from across campus representing lower-division courses in GE and senior-level work; communication.
Phase 3: Education and Improvement — Continued sharing of results and determination of appropriate curricular areas for improvement. Develop educational workshops to enhance learning of core competency.
| 2012-2013 | 2013-2014 | 2014-2015 | 2015-2016 | 2016-2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Critical Thinking (phase 1) |
Critical Thinking (phase 2) |
Critical Thinking (phase 3) |
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|
Written Communication (phase 1) |
Written Communication (phase 2) | Written Communication (phase 3) | ||
|
Quantitative Reasoning (phase 1) |
Quantitative Reasoning (phase 2) |
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|
Oral Communication (phase 1) |
Oral Communication (phase 2) |
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|
Information Literacy (phase 1) |
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| 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | 2020-2021 | 2021-2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Critical Thinking | ||||
| Written Communication | ||||
|
Quantitative Reasoning (phase 3) |
Quantitative Reasoning (phase 1) |
Quantitative Reasoning (phase 2) |
Quantitative Reasoning (phase 3) |
|
|
Oral Communication (phase 2) |
Oral Communication (phase 3) |
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|
Information Literacy (phase 1) |
Information Literacy (phase 2) |
Information Literacy (phase 3) |
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Cal Poly participated in the National Survey of Student Engagement in 2014 and 2017 and will participate again in 2022. The results from this indirect measurement have been included in our core competency analysis. Additionally, Cal Poly participated in the College Learning Assessment in 2014, 2017, and 2020; the results from this direct measurement have been used in our analysis of critical thinking, quantitative reasoning, and written communication competencies. In spring of 2020, Cal Poly administered a COVID-19 transition survey, which indirectly assessed each core competency. In spring of 2021, Cal Poly launched a DEI/Diversity Learning Objectives survey, which was the inaugural assessment of this sixth core competency.