Pierce College - The Core Abilities

It is the goal of Pierce College to prepare students to live and work in a dynamically changing world by emphasizing whole-student development and hands-on learning. Through experiences both in and out of the classroom, you'll be given the opportunity to broaden your horizons and be challenged in ways that encourage the development of the abilities vital to succeeding in life. These core abilities, with examples, include:

Responsibility

The ability to examine and respond to the relationship between self, community, and environments.

If I am working in a veterinary clinic, I may know how to skillfully vaccinate animals, but if I ignore vaccination guidelines on a regular basis, I may be putting the animals, and the community, at risk.

RESPONSIBILITY

1. Recognizes Interconnectedness
2. Generates Choices
3. Considers Consequences
4. Implements a Course of Action
5. Accepts Consequences
6. Makes Necessary Adjustments

Effective Communication

The successful exchange of messages between a sender and a receiver.

If I am working in a community health clinic and I cannot clearly and thoughtfully explain to a patient why I am suggesting a particular treatment plan, the patient may 1) be confused about the procedures to follow or 2) not carry out the plan.

COMMUNICATION

1. Recognizes and uses a variety of methods to convey ideas and information
2. Receives messages openly, critically, and responsively
3. Considers purpose, content, audience, and situation in sending/receiving messages
4. Recognizes that communication is influenced by perspective (e.g. gender, culture, privilege, experience, etc.)

Multiculturalism

Multiple ways of knowing, being and thinking.

If I am working with a group of children and don't understand the different social needs of people from different cultural backgrounds or with special needs, I will not be able to help each child develop group skills and a good sense of self-esteem.

MULTICULTURALISM

1. Builds knowledge of diverse ideas, values, perspectives, and experiences
2. Engages others with civility, empathy, honesty, and responsibility
3. Examines one's own attitudes, values, assumptions and considers their impact
4. Challenges past, present, and future discrimination and privilege of individuals, societies, groups, and institutions

Information Competency

Recognition, access, acquisition, evaluation, organization, value, application, capability, persistence

If I am working for an international trade company and cannot locate, evaluate, organize and explain information from a variety of different sources, I will not be able to make thorough and accurate business decisions.

INFORMATION COMPETENCY

1. Values and engages in regular inquiry & seeks new information for life long learning
2. Applies a repertoire of creative & flexible information to take action, solve problems, navigate the unfamiliar
3. Evaluates appropriate sources in order to assess relevant information
4. Selectively uses most appropriate technological & organizational tools in order to access and manipulate information
5. Appraises information in order to evaluate quality, relevance, or perspective.
6. Synthesizes new information in order to create something new, acquire insight, transform values, or expand knowledge base.
7. Examines and uses ethical standards in order to use information appropriately and responsibly.

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

Question, reason, evaluate ideas; anticipate, create, innovate; investigate, integrate; develop meaninful conclusions

If I work for a pharmaceutical company as a chemist and cannot analyze the process or precisely document the results of an experiment, my work will be of no use.

CRITICAL, CREATIVE, AND REFLECTIVE THINKING

1. Creates, integrates, evaluates ideas across context, culture, and knowledge
2. Evaluates and creatively solves problems
3. Examines attitudes, values, and assumptions and assesses implications
4. Integrates experience, reason, & information to make meaningful judgments, conclusions, and/or products