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Drawer Trigger

Student Achievement

Vanguard University of Southern California is committed to ensuring student achievement and to facilitate an academic environment in which students:

a) attain academic degrees at rates comparable or exceeding the rates of students from similar backgrounds and of similar levels of preparation at peer institutions, and

b) Vanguard degrees signify academic accomplishment commensurate with national and international criteria for skills and knowledge expected from the degree level.

Vanguard University is committed facilitating success of its diverse student body. Vanguard currently has a designation of a Hispanic Serving institution. Information about our student body diversity: Enrollment by ethnicity 2020

Student Achievement Highlight: International History Olympiad 2016 Gold Champion

Alwin Nocom (double majoring in History/Political Science and Chemistry) represented California in the 2016 International History Olympiad held in University of Hawaii at Manoa. Alwin won the following awards:

  1. World Champion/Gold Medalist – International History Bowl World Championship
  2. Gold Medalist – Ancient History
  3. Silver Medalist – Cold War History
  4. Silver Medalist – Naval History
  5. World Championship/Bronze Medalist – International History Bee World Championship
  6. Bronze Medalist – Recent History
  7. Bronze Medalist – Geography

Congratulations to Alwin for representing Vanguard University and California so well!

Examples of Graduate Students’ Academic Achievement

Alumni Spotlights

Student Retention and Graduation Rates Are An Important Focus of the University.

Please find information on graduation and retention rates here:

Student Learning Outcomes Achievement is a Core, Non-Negotiable Commitment of Vanguard’s Academic Programs.

Vanguard is committed to ensuring that all students develop competency in the following areas:

  • Integration of Faith and Learning
  • Cultural Competency and Citizenship
  • Communication
  • Critical Thinking
  • Holistic Living
  • Information Competency

Descriptions of Student Learning Outcomes (SLO)

SLO 1 – Integration of Faith and Learning: Students will develop and articulate a Biblical worldview informed by a Pentecostal perspective, integrating faith with learning.
SLO 2 – Cultural Competency and Citizenship: Students will understand and practice effective local, national and global citizenship and demonstrate appreciation of diverse psychological, social, historical and artistic aspects of culture.
SLO 3 – Communication: Students will demonstrate effective, college-level written and oral communication skills.
SLO 4 – Critical Thinking: Students will develop and apply qualitative and quantitative critical thinking skills.
SLO 5 – Holistic Living: Students will appreciate and demonstrate a holistic view of health and living.
SLO 6 – Information Competency: Students will demonstrate foundational technology skills that allow one to locate and evaluate the integrity of information, and to understand the ethical uses of information.

Vanguard University CORE Curriculum Rubrics, 2012-13

Vanguard University CORE Curriculum Map with WSCUC Competencies

Vanguard uses a variety of approaches to assess student learning outcomes. To view the results of the comparison between Vanguard students and national samples of comparable students. In general, performance of Vanguard freshmen was similar to freshmen at other national Liberal Arts, and seniors performed at or slightly above national Liberal Arts colleges’ averages. Vanguard seniors performed especially well in reading and writing.

In addition to nationally normed data, Vanguard University uses evaluation of student coursework for the most authentic assessment of student learning. An example of use of such data to compare performance of Psychology majors in Traditional Undergraduate and Professional Studies formats is found here.