Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

May be applied toward satisfying Associates Degrees at Portland Community College . Students should consult with a PCC academic advisor and/or other institutions regarding transfer and application of credit to other institutions.

• To meet whatever outcomes for this independent study course which are mutually agreed upon by the student and instructor.
• To be prepared for a successful transfer to and performance at a four-year college or university or other program as might be one's choice.
• To engage in lifelong learning that includes effective listening, observation, and reading thereby encouraging stimulating conversations in future settings like with a stranger at a bus stop.

At the beginning of the course, the instructor and the student will create a course of study which clearly includes the criteria for assigning course grades. The SACC assumes that the instructor will assess student learning by using some combination of formative assessment tools which may integrate the following types of tasks into the course to assess student achievement of course outcomes in a fair, comprehensive, and holistic manner:
 

• Exams comprised of essay and/or objective (like short answer) elements which require integration, application, and critical examination of course concepts, issues, and themes.
• Short analytical or application papers on specific concepts, issues, or themes.
• Term or research papers, using a variety of research strategies.
• Oral presentations resulting from group research, analysis, and critical evaluation.
• Participation in class discussions, role plays, case studies, workshops, and/or other activities.
• Response papers or journals reflecting on life experiences, events, and social/political phenomena.
• Service-learning tasks: involving service to community, reflection, and application of course criteria.

After completing this course, the student should have a basic understanding of whatever content the course has been designed to include:
 

• the design being mutually agreed upon by the instructor and student together at the beginning of the course.
• how one's own values and actions impact what is seen as right and wrong, good and bad, and the prospects for a future to unfold that is more to one's liking.

Competencies and Skills:
 

• Write and communicate orally in a clear, organized, and effective manner.
• Think critically about current public policy issues and analyze complex social and political realities.
• Use varied and effective research techniques and strategies.
• Integrate coursework with current events and trends.