The New Curriculum Part VI: The 16 Goals of A Yeshiva College Education

In late 2007, the entire faculty came together in Furst 501 to ask, “what are the goals of an undergraduate education?” The faculty-wide workshop was the first crucial step in determining the desired outcomes of the new curriculum. Instead on focusing on specific course requirements, the faculty was asked to envision what an ideal graduate of the college should look like. A year later, those initial deliberations were distilled into sixteen goals of a Yeshiva College education.

CURRICULAR OUTCOMES FOR YESHIVA COLLEGE

Approved March 4, 2008

1. Openness to new knowledge and ways of thinking
2. Knowledge of world cultures, including sensitivity to the diverse values, traditions, and languages that have molded them, as well as the ability to interact with members of those cultures
3. Historically informed knowledge of cultures, including those of the West and the U.S.
4. Fluency in the history, traditions and languages of the Jewish world, including the cultures of modern Orthodoxy, along with the ability to make connections between the morning and afternoon programs
5. Citizenship in multiple communities; a sense of belonging and responsibility to a cultural and intellectual world both within and beyond the University—including New York City
6. An intellectually critical point of view, and skills of critical inquiry and argument
7. Communication skills:  the ability to use writing, oral presentation, and a variety of media formats to convey one's own point of view
8.  The ability to identify, locate, interpret, evaluate, and use the information currently available in print and in the multiple media of the 21^st century world
9. Appreciation for scientific inquiry and problem-solving, and an awareness of the most compelling questions currently under discussion among scientists
10.  The ability to employ mathematical, quantitative and logical reasoning
11.  Knowledge and understanding of the complex behavior of individuals, groups, and societies
12.  Knowledge and understanding of important creations of the human imagination
13.  The ability to go beyond what's already been thought and said and done: to raise new questions, to explore complex problems, and to take constructive action
14.  The ability to make connections and integrate knowledge both within and across disciplines
15.  Developing expertise in the discourse and reasoning of particular disciplines
16. A lifetime love for learning and self-reflection and for the acquisition of tools for learning