The Minnesota State Colleges & Universities Core Student Outcomes Study was conducted by the Office of the Chancellor’s Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) from January to June, 2007.

Nationwide, there has been much ongoing scholarly discussion about undergraduate education and its application. In 2006, the American Association of Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) published a report titled College Learning for the New Global Century that outlined broad curricular goals – “essential learning outcomes” – for all colleges. Additionally, employers and recent college graduates have been calling for an undergraduate college education that provides a balance of education and applicable skills. You can find more information about the national context for this study in the section, "About Student Core Outcomes."

The results of CTL's study are analyzed in a report that is downloadable below (March 2008 is the complete final version and replaces the earlier October 2007 version). Individual institutional responses are detailed in the "Responses from Institutions" section of this Web site.

The study has resulted in a systemwide "inventory" of institutional outcome goals--and in this Web site as a single place for sharing the important work our colleges and universities are doing in defining what students know, what they are able to do, and how they are different people, as a result of their education.