Consistent with its mission and guiding principles, Florida Gulf Coast University is committed to academic excellence and continuous quality improvement, as supported by a sound teaching-learning process. Within this process, students and instructors share responsibility for learning that is a movement from the simple to the complex, the concrete to the abstract, and the dependent to the independent. The Academic Learning Compact (ALC) initiative supports the teaching-learning process by clearly identifying expected core student learning outcomes in the areas of content/discipline knowledge and skills, communication skills, and critical thinking skills; aligning curricula with expectations; and using assessment to guide continuous improvement.

Graduates will be able to:

1. Synthesize the technical skills necessary to produce completed work in the student's chosen media or discipline.
2. Plan, develop, and execute a coherent project that conveys a personal expression appropriate to their area of study.
3. Analyze and evaluate the history of their chosen media or discipline.

Content/discipline knowledge and skills are assessed at the college and departmental levels through a senior project.  Each Art major must complete a senior project in which s/he successfully plans, creates, and executes a body of work that is conceptually strong and technically proficient.  The results of this project are presented in a campus exhibition open to the university community and general public.  The evaluation instrument was developed by the Art program faculty, and is administered by the project supervisor (ART 4955 Senior Project). 

Graduates will be able to:

1. Employ the conventions of standard written English.
2. Select a topic, and develop it for a specific audience and purpose, with respect for diverse perspectives.
3. Select, organize, and relate ideas and information with coherence, clarity, and unity.

Communication skills are assessed as part of the General Education Program through papers, exams, and projects completed in ENC 1101 Composition I, ENC 1102 Composition II, and HUM 2510 Understanding the Visual and Performing Arts

Graduates will be able to: 

1. Select and organize information.
2. Identify assumptions and underlying relationships. 
3. Synthesize information, and draw reasoned inferences. 
4. Formulate an appropriate problem solving strategy. 
5. Evaluate the feasibility of the strategy.

Critical thinking skills are assessed as part of the General Education Program through papers, exams, and projects completed ENC 1101 Composition I, ENC 1102 Composition II, and HUM 2510 Understanding the Visual and Performing Arts.