Regents Report

South Dakota Higher Education: Good Investment. Great Future.NO. 53, 10/04/96

General or liberal arts core courses cover the "basics" that undergraduates must complete as part of their degree requirements at South Dakota's public universities. General education requirements are designed to prepare graduates for successful personal, educational, and professional careers. This base consists of courses in mathematics, composition, social science, natural science, and humanities that build skills such as "critical thinking"; or being able to create new ideas by weaving together a diverse set of thoughts to identify the right problems to solve and the right solutions to pursue. These skills have obvious appeal to employers who want employees who can develop and implement ideas. The basics learned through general education also develop students' proficiency in oral and written communication. In the workplace the ability to communicate is essential for effective teamwork and interaction with the non-specialist or lay person. These skills are not only essential for new hires, but also are the bedrock of a successful academic career. The Board of Regents emphasizes general education requirements to ensure that university students are adequately prepared to successfully complete their discipline studies, be leaders in the community, and compete in the job market.

The South Dakota Board of Regents requires 27 credit hours of primary core general education courses in all baccalaureate programs at South Dakota's public universities. In addition, each university designates 15 credit hours of general education-which totals 42 credit hours of general education. Each undergraduate student must complete 30 credits of general education by the end of the sophomore year. The typical course is 3 credit hours and most undergraduate degrees consist of 128 credit hours. The Board's general education requirements are listed below.

Subject Area	Required Credit Hours	Examples of Courses:
Composition	6	English composition
Mathematics	3	calculus, statistics
Natural Science	6	biology, chemistry
Social Science	6	political science, economics
Humanities	6	history, foreign language

Students graduate with a broad base of academic experience on which to draw when inevitably they are faced with communicating with people and working on problems outside their discipline. This base helps students to think through problems in a logical manner utilizing a wide range of knowledge

A study by the Collegiate Employment Research Institute at Michigan State University surveyed several hundred national employers and found that good oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills were among the most important characteristics of successful new hires. Employers have demonstrated their desire for employees with critical thinking and communication skills-skills that students can learn through general education integrated with their specific disciplines.

Composition courses develop written communication skills.
Mathematics courses develop analytical skills.
Natural Sciences (laboratories) develop analytical and teamwork skills.
Social Science courses develop interpersonal and oral communication skills.
Humanities courses enhance world understanding to develop interpersonal and communication skills.

Surveys of employers show that when making hiring decisions businesses routinely stress skills that are emphasized in the general education curriculum. This helps to explain the results of an employer survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

Most Desired Skills Identified by Employers
(on a scale of 1 to 5; 5="extremely important")
Skill:	Score:
Oral Communication Skills	4.7
Interpersonal Skills	4.6
Teamwork Skills	4.5
Analytical Skills	4.4
Flexibility	4.3
Written Communication Skills	4.2
Leadership	4.2
Proficiency in Field of Study	4.2
Computer Skills	4.1

In South Dakota, employers also are identifying verbal and written communication skills as critical needs for new hires. Career placement offices at South Dakota's public universities continually receive feedback from company recruiters who want their prospective employees to be effective communicators of ideas able to work well with others of diverse backgrounds.

General education serves an important role in helping to prepare graduates for the challenges that they will face in future professional careers. It provides students with the necessary skills to develop and communicate complex ideas, solve problems, collaborate with people of different backgrounds and experiences, and be effective leaders. Employers recognize this and seek out prospective employees who possess these skills. Such skills originate in the sound base of the general education requirements designed by the Board of Regents which recognizes that our graduates must be competitive and well prepared for the future.