Competency Assessment Rubric 

 
The assessment of the individual student competency development is an 
important task for members of the Honors staff and council. In June, 
representatives of the Honors staff and faculty review students’ efolios and 
learning plans to assess their development process. Based on guidelines 
created throughout the academic year, the staff and faculty evaluate the 
work of the student within each competency to determine which level the 
student has reached in their development. To gauge student development, 
the following competency rubrics are used during the reviewing process as 
guidelines. Competencies are demonstrated at the level indicated by the
asterisks.
 
 
Leadership 
 
Upon graduation, honors students will have demonstrated the ability to 
utilize personal leadership values and guide groups toward a common goal. 
 
Theme Leadership Rubric
Competency
  Emerging Developing Mastering
Level One Level Two Level Three Level Four

  Students will identify Identifies personal Reflects upon Critiques leadership Uses personal
Values and utilize leadership leadership values personal models or style(s) within theories and
values as members of leadership group contexts values of
campus and strengths and leadership within
community weaknesses campus or
organizations community
organizations*

  Students will identify Identifies various Reflects upon roles Practices group member Articulates a
  roles within teams types of roles within within group and skills and abilities to general
Teams and utilize them group and team team settings work together toward a leadership
within campus or settings common goal philosophy to
community guide future
organizations. collaboration
within groups*

 
 
Key: Red = First‐Year, Yellow = Sophomore, Blue = Junior, Green = Senior 
 
 
26 
 
 Research 
 
Upon  graduation, honors  students  will  have demonstrated the  ability to 
exhibit  information literacy  skills, synthesize  and integrate  ideas,  produce  
original  research  or creative works, and  contribute  to knowledge. 
 
Theme Research Rubric
Competency
  Emerging Developing Mastering
Level One Level Two Level Three Level Four
  Students will Develops ability to Demonstrates Develops ability to Demonstrates
Information exhibit access information knowledge of the evaluate and ability to use
Literacy information effectively, ethical use of incorporate information
literacy skills efficiently, and information. selected effectively and
critically information into ethically to
knowledge base. accomplish a
specific research
goal*

  Student will Develops ability to Develops ability Exhibits ability to Demonstrates ability
Information exhibit the organize others’ to evaluate and draw upon multiple to reflect upon how
Synthesis ability to ideas synthesize diverse sources to present a the paper/project led
synthesize and perspectives on a coherent and to new knowledge
integrate ideas given topic integrated thesis and understanding
statement or about the research
hypothesis process.*

  Student will Identifies research Develops research Conducts primary Exhibits completed
Original produce question or question or research or engages research or creative
Research original or creative proposal creative proposal in creative practice work that extends
creative that extends that extends that extends the knowledge or
achievement knowledge or knowledge or knowledge or practice of their
practice of their practice of their practice of their disciplines*
disciplines disciplines disciplines

  Student will Identifies Prepares and Disseminates the Publishes the results
Dissemination contribute to appropriate venues submits an results of their of their research or
of Results knowledge for dissemination abstract or research or creative creative achievement
proposal for the achievement* through a peer-
appropriate venue reviewed venue

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

27 
 
 Global&Citizenship&
'
Upon'graduation,'honors'students'will'have'demonstrated'the'ability'to'lead'and'
serve'in'a'multicultural'world'through'increased'selfHawareness'of'one’s'own'
culture'and'its'relationship'to'others,'deepened'understanding'of'other'cultural'
perspectives,'attainment'of'second'language'proficiency,'and'demonstrated'
awareness'of'cultureHlanguage'connections'in'communication.'
'
& Level&1& Level&2& Level&3& Level&4&
Demonstrates' Shows'emerging' Recognizes'new' Perceives'one’s'personal'
emerging' awareness'of'the' perspectives'about' style,'prejudices,'projections,'
Self8awareness&

realization'of' varied'contexts'and' own'cultural'rules'and' and'habits'of'mind'that'both'

oneself'as'a' boundaries'of'one’s' biases'and'compares' shape'and'impede'our'own'
member'of'a' own'culture'and'its' and'contrasts'own' understanding;'shows'
culture.'' cultural'rules'and' culture'with'others'and' awareness'of'what'one'does'
biases.' their'cultures.'' not'understand'and'why'
' understanding'is'so'hard.'
'
Asks'simple'or' Asks'questions'about' Asks'deeper'questions' Asks'complex'questions'
surface' other'cultures'that' about'other'cultures' about'other'cultures,'seeks'
Knowledge&and&Understanding&

questions'about' result'in'increased' and'seeks'out'answers' out'and'articulates'answers'

other'cultures.'' understanding'of'the' to'these'questions.'' to'these'questions'that'
complexity'of' ' reflect'multiple'cultural'
Demonstrates' elements'important'to' perspectives.''
beginning' members'of'an/other' Begins'to'initiate'and'
understanding' culture/s'(e.g.,'history,' develop'interactions' Continuously'seeks'out'
of'other'cultures' values,'politics,'etc.)' with'culturally' opportunities'to'interact'
based'on'brief' through'increased,' different'others.'' with'culturally'different'
encounters'with' longer'interactions' others.'Suspends'judgment'
others'(e.g.,' with'others'(e.g.,'IELI' ' in'valuing'her/his'
culture'nights).'' tutoring).'' interactions'with'culturally'
different'others.''

Has'an'emerging' Through'practice'with' Through'increased' Articulates'a'complex'

level'of' a'second'language,' practice'with'a'second' understanding'of'cultural'
understanding' identifies'some' language,'recognizes' differences'in'verbal'and'
of'cultural' cultural'differences'in'and'participates'in' nonverbal'communication'
differences'in' verbal'and'nonverbal' cultural'differences'in' and'provides'a'thoughtful'
verbal'and' communication'and' verbal'and'nonverbal' account'of'what'learning'a'
Communication&

nonverbal' the'connection' communication'and' second'language'has'taught'

communication.'' between'language'and' draws'connections' one'about'culture,'the'world'
' culture.'' between'multiple' and'the'complexity'of'
' experiences'and'issues' relations'between'groups'of'
related'to'language'and' people.'
culture.''
'
Has'met'language'requirement'(course'work'or'demonstrated'proficiency)?''!'Yes'' '!'No'
&
Note:'Level'1'is'a'beginning'level'of'competence'(minimum'expected'level'for'firstHyear'
students);'Level'4'denotes'expected'performance'for'graduation'from'the'Honors'Program.''
'

Adapted'from'AAC&U'Intercultural'Value'Rubric'and'Wiggins'and'McTighe’s'“Six'Facets'of'Understanding”'
'