ABOUT DUAP

Where We're Headed

DUAP's activities and efforts are designed to further NC State's ultimate goal of creating what we call the 21st Century Renaissance Learner — graduates who are able to recognize, articulate and solve problems in a multitude of contexts and feel compelled to pass that knowledge and its uses on for the benefit of others. We want NC State graduates to be known throughout the world as technologically literate in their disciplines, capable of conducting research in an ethical manner, skilled in communicating to both technical and non-technical audiences via written and oral means and capable of applying their knowledge in regional, national and international arenas.

In order to attain this goal, we intend to remain responsive, flexible and proactive when to comes to our direct student services as well as the services we offer to colleges and academic programs.

For example, as we continue to refine our services to students, we will be emphasizing activities that help NC State undergraduates develop:

• A capacity for inquiry and a desire to discover how the world works as well as an appreciation for the discovery process.
• Versatility with appropriate technology relevant to each student's discipline.
• Moral and ethical judgment, as well as the ability to abide by codes of integrity and to encourage similar conduct by others.
• Information skills that include the analytical, listening, and communicative capacities to manage information, i.e., exercise sophisticated judgment in evaluating the validity of mass data available through today's technology; then present, debate, defend and refine arguments based on sound reasoning and a respect for alternate viewpoints.
• Quantitative and qualitative research skills, accompanied by the ability to formulate and articulate original conclusions and theories based on this research.
• Perspective, defined as an understanding of the complexities and values of diversity, democracy, and good citizenship, followed by a desire to take action to promote prosperity, harmony, and dignity in the immediate and global communities.

In order to provide students with a mastery of the above abilities, DUAP intends to perfect our curriculum or course planning and assessment services as well. We will continue to work with other units at NC State to ensure that each college's curriculum includes an appropriate focus on technology, research, communication and geographic contexts, all within its disciplinary boundaries. This may include helping colleges and departments incorporate or expand requirements for portfolios, capstone courses or experiences — such as Study Abroad or student-exchange undertakings — plus internships/cooperative education work, work-study projects, independent study, extensive research projects, final service-learning or research projects and other appropriate means of fostering student self-sufficiency as determined by the faculty of the colleges and departments we serve.