Nov 13, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

Rockhurst University Learning Themes


Through our mission of learning, leadership, and service in the Jesuit tradition, Rockhurst University cultivates a learning and living environment that encourages cura personalis, care and development of the whole person, through reflection and discernment. Within that environment, Rockhurst creates an integrative experience for students to develop skills, competencies, and values in these seven areas:

  • Leadership: The commitment to develop the gifts and talents of self and others to make a positive difference in the world.
  • Communication: The ability to communicate effectively in a variety of contexts and with awareness of purpose and audience.
  • International and Cultural Understanding: The appreciation of cultural differences and commonalities, and the ability to interact with sensitivity and alertness as citizens of the world.
  • Critical and Creative Thinking: The ability to search for knowledge, investigate questions, and apply information in a systematic, discerning, and innovative manner.
  • Ethics and Social Justice: The commitment to create a more just world and to live with integrity, humility, tolerance, and empathy.
  • Academic Knowledge: The capacity to assimilate and apply a broad range of skills, knowledge, and abilities to a chosen field of study.
  • Self Formation: The discovery and cultivation of spiritual, physical, social, and emotional well-being.

College/School Learning Goals Aligned with University Learning Themes

Although the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Business, Influence and Information Analysis, and Saint Luke’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences use different terms, they have, respectively, aligned their learning goals, learning outcomes, and core values with the University Learning Themes.

College of Arts & Sciences Learning Goals

In keeping with the Jesuit Tradition and Mission of education of Rockhurst University, by graduation, College of Arts & Sciences students will demonstrate knowledge of key concepts and ways of knowing in the humanities (the term humanities includes both philosophy and theology & religious studies as is typical throughout higher education within the U.S.), social and behavioral sciences, natural and physical sciences, and mathematics that they can apply to the personal, communal, and global issues of our times. College of Arts & Sciences students will demonstrate the intellectual skills and capacities needed for creative and just engagement in an ever-changing global community. College of Arts & Sciences students will also demonstrate an informed concern for—and determination to create—a just and better world, and they will synthesize their core and major studies to connect them to new settings and problems.

Learning Goals:

  • Demonstrate competence in a chosen field of study, integrate various disciplinary perspectives, and apply that academic knowledge. (Academic Knowledge)
  • Exhibit collaborative leadership skills and teamwork. (Leadership)
  • Demonstrate effective written and oral communication. (Communication)
  • Demonstrate awareness of global interconnectedness that reflects an appreciation of humanity’s diversity and commonality, and an understanding of cultures other than one’s own. (International and Cultural Understanding)
  • Engage ideas and issues thoughtfully, critically, creatively, and compassionately. (Critical and Creative Thinking)
  • Exhibit ethical grounding in both word and action, and act as agents of positive social change. (Ethics and Social Justice)
  • Demonstrate self-awareness of personal values, beliefs, gifts, challenges, and connectedness to others, along with the responsibilities these qualities bring. (Self Formation)

College of Business and Technology Learning Outcomes

  • Leadership—demonstrate the pursuit of personal excellence while helping others develop to their full potential;
  • Ethical Behavior and Corporate Social Responsibility—analyze ethical and corporate social responsibility issues in context and implement appropriate action(s);
  • Business Skills and Knowledge—explain, integrate and apply foundational business knowledge and skills to effectively lead and manage organizations;
  • International/Global—demonstrate the achievement of a global perspective that views business activity within a complex and changing world context;
  • Information Analysis and Application—identify, access, analyze and synthesize appropriate business information;
  • Communication—communicate effectively, and create an environment where effective communication can occur.

Saint Luke’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences Core Values

Saint Luke’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences offers a variety of baccalaureate and post-baccalaureate degrees. Participation in these degree programs prepares students to continue to develop knowledge and skills, foster inquiry and serve others in accordance with the Rockhurst University Mission and in their chosen profession.

Graduates from Saint Luke’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences are well prepared to lead lives as vibrant men and women who are committed to lifelong education, professional leadership and community service in the Jesuit tradition.

Core Values

  • Promoting analytical skills and critical thinking (academic knowledge; critical and creative thinking)
  • Facilitating leadership skill development (leadership; self formation)
  • Advocating for social justice (social justice; self formation)
  • Promoting life-long learning (self formation)
  • Forging partnerships within the community (communication)
  • Developing cultural competence (international and cultural understanding; self formation)
  • Developing ethical perspectives (ethical justice; self formation)

Each department and program has, in turn, aligned its learning goals with its respective college’s or school’s learning goals, as well as with the University Learning Themes. In this way, students can be assured that every course in the Core Curriculum, every major, every program aims to help them to develop skills, competencies, and values in keeping with the mission of Rockhurst University and its core values.

Assessment

To measure just how well Rockhurst is achieving its aims, we assess our courses, Core Curriculum, majors, and programs. In this way, we can continuously enhance our offerings, striving for magis in all that we do.