CLAS Skills Areas Proposal Guidelines

Proposals

Faculty proposing courses for a CLAS Skill Area should review the expectations discussed on 12/9 and outlined below.

General Skill Area Requirements

Skill Area (SA) courses must:

  • Support intentional skill development in the designated domain
  • Make the Skill Area central to the course, not peripheral
  • Clearly reflect the Skill Area focus in the course catalog description

In addition, courses must meet at least 2 of the 3 learning objectives for the proposed Skill Area. Skill Area Review Process (Beginning 2026)

Future Skill Area proposals will be reviewed in real time and should include:

  • A brief informal presentation (by the CLAS representative or a guest)
  • A syllabus that clearly demonstrates:
    • Alignment with at least two learning objectives.
    • Explicit evidence of student skill development
  • (Optional) A cover sheet providing a concise justification for committee review

Skill Area Learning Objectives

Communication and Dialogue

Courses explore human interaction to enhance students’ communicative abilities. Students must achieve two or more of the following:

  • Apply theories and concepts of human interaction to analyze verbal and nonverbal communication
  • Create messages appropriate to the audience, purpose, context, and modality
  • Interpret others’ messages across audience, purpose, context, and modality
  • Develop strategies to positively influence interpersonal, civic, and/or professional discourse

Note: Writing-intensive courses do not automatically satisfy this requirement. These guidelines differ from the University’s Writing Competency standards.

Information, Digital, and Media Literacy (IDML)

Courses address the rhetorical and intercultural dimensions of media. Students must achieve two or more of the following:

  • Identify relevant information across digital or analog platforms
  • Analyze media for purpose, accuracy, bias, and audience
  • Evaluate design elements to understand how messages are constructed
  • Explain how information ecosystems function within the discipline and influence scholarship or practice

Leadership and Ethics

Courses examine ethics, leadership, and decision-making across contexts. Students must achieve two or more of the following:

  • Apply inclusive reasoning and judgment to evaluate issues and make decisions
  • Address practical ethical issues affecting individuals, communities, or organizations
  • Collaborate with others to propose solutions to complex problems
  • Approach challenges in ways that promote collaboration and inspire others

Management of Skill Areas

Oversight of Skill Area course review prioritizes clarity, efficiency, and fidelity to the intent of the requirements. All CLAS units may propose courses for any Skill Area, provided the criteria are meaningfully met. The CLAS C&C encourages:

  • Collaboration across units
  • Thoughtful course design
  • Ongoing dialogue about aligning existing courses with Skill Area objectives