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. Demonstrate their knowledge of all areas of their College of Business course of study as applied to business situations.
2. Apply current accounting theories, methodologies, and standards to practice/professional questions.
3. Interpret and present reliable and relevant information to financial statement users in a style and manner that facilitates decision making.
4. Recognize, define, and analyze accounting problems and identify key causes and solutions.
5. Understand organizational systems and cost management techniques used to provide information in company-wide strategic decisions.

Content/Discipline Knowledge and Skills (C/DKS) are assessed at the college and departmental levels through Accounting Content Exam (ACE) and papers, exams, and other projects in the following major required courses: GEB 4890 Business Strategy, ACG 3103, 3113, 3341, 3401, 4123, and 4632; BUL 3320; and TAX 4001. In addition, all majors take the two selective courses we offer: ACG 4501 and TAX 4011.

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.

While 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, and in the capstone course GEB 4890 Business Strategy, the ACG Department will use a specific assignment to assess this skill in BUL 3320 starting in fall 2011.

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.

While critical thinking 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, and in the capstone course GEB 4890 Business Strategy, the ACG Department will use a specific assignment to assess this skill in BUL 3320 starting in fall 2011.