Values Alignment

Loma Linda University’s commitment to Christ-centered, whole-person education is embodied in its seven core values:
Compassion, Excellence, Humility, Integrity, Justice, Teamwork, and Wholeness.

These values serve as the foundation for student learning, professional formation, and personal growth. Each academic program incorporates LLU’s values into its curriculum and assessment practices in ways that are meaningful and appropriate to the discipline and degree level. The Office of Educational Effectiveness partners with programs to support this integration and to ensure values-aligned assessment across the university.

Below are examples on how programs could align LLU values in their programs.

Compassion

“Reflects the love of God with respect, mercy, and empathy.”

1. Service-Learning Reflection:
   Participate in a community outreach or service event. Submit a reflection paper linking your experience to the value of compassion and identifying what you learned about yourself and others.
2. Empathy Roleplay:
   Engage in a scenario-based roleplay involving patient/client care. Reflect on how empathy guided your communication and decision-making.
3. Patient Narrative Assignment:
   Read or listen to a real-life patient story. Write a response explaining how compassion can be applied in similar cases, referencing LLU’s behavioral attributes.

Excellence

“Exceeds expectations with effectiveness, reliability, and efficiency.”

1. Benchmarking Presentation:
   Research best practices in your field and present a plan for how your unit or department can achieve similar standards of excellence.
2. Self-Assessment Rubric:
   Use a rubric aligned with LLU’s definition of excellence to evaluate one of your own projects or papers. Write a short improvement plan.
3. Professional Standards Comparison:
   Choose a published code of excellence in your field and compare it to LLU’s description. Submit a brief written analysis discussing alignments and gaps.

Humility

“Puts self-importance aside for the greater good of others.”

1. Reflective Journal:
   Write about a time when you listened or collaborated without needing recognition. What did humility look like, and what was the result?
2. Conflict Resolution Analysis:
   Analyze a conflict (real or hypothetical) and describe how humility could help resolve it. Propose specific language or behaviors that support humble collaboration.
3. Peer Feedback Exercise:
   Exchange assignments with a peer and provide constructive feedback. Then reflect on how you received and incorporated your peer’s suggestions.

Integrity

“Carries out actions with honesty and trustworthiness.”

1. Case Study Analysis:
   Analyze a professional ethics case and evaluate the outcomes based on integrity. Explain how alternative decisions might have better aligned with LLU’s values.
2. Code of Conduct Quiz & Reflection:
   Take a quiz based on your program’s or profession’s code of conduct, then write a reflection on how it supports personal and institutional integrity.
3. Integrity in Action Log:
   Over one week, record examples where you made (or observed) value-based decisions, including any challenges. Summarize what these moments taught you about integrity.

Justice

“Commits to fostering a welcoming environment.”

1. Equity Audit Report:
   Conduct a mini “justice audit” of a space, process, or policy in your field. Identify how it supports or hinders justice, and make recommendations for improvement.
2. Diversity Case Discussion:
   Analyze a real case where inequity or bias occurred in health care or education. Discuss how justice could have been promoted through specific actions or policies.
3. Advocacy Brief:
   Write a short persuasive brief advocating for a policy change or initiative that promotes justice for an underserved or marginalized group.

Teamwork

“Collaborates to achieve a shared purpose.”

1. Team Project with Peer Evaluation:
   Complete a team assignment and submit a peer evaluation. Include a reflection on how team members demonstrated LLU’s teamwork behaviors.
2. Strengths Mapping Activity:
   Map the strengths of your group members using a shared inventory (e.g., CliftonStrengths). Discuss how understanding each other’s skills improves collaboration.
3. Teamwork Communication Scenario:
   Participate in or analyze a simulated team meeting. Identify positive and negative communication practices, and propose improvements based on LLU’s values.

Wholeness

“Loved by God, growing in health, living with purpose in community.”

1. Wholeness Wheel Reflection:
   Use a spiritual/mental/physical/emotional wholeness wheel to self-assess and reflect on areas of balance or imbalance in your life. Propose goals for improvement.
2. Lifestyle & Purpose Essay:
   Write a short essay on how your faith, lifestyle choices, and sense of community support your professional purpose. Include specific habits or commitments.
3. Guided Group Discussion:
   Participate in a facilitated dialogue on the meaning of wholeness in your field. Submit a reflection connecting discussion points to your own life or learning.

Sample Loma Linda University Values-Based Assessments: Rubrics and Suggested Readings

Compassion

A. Service-Learning Reflection
Rubric:

Suggested Reading:

• Nouwen, H. J. M. (2006). The Wounded Healer: Ministry in Contemporary Society.

B. Empathy Roleplay
Rubric:

C. Patient Narrative Assignment
Rubric:

Excellence

A. Benchmarking Presentation
Rubric:

Suggested Reading:

• Collins, J. (2001). Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don’t.

B. Self-Assessment Rubric
Rubric:

C. Professional Standards Comparison
Rubric:

Humility

A. Reflective Journal
Rubric:

Suggested Reading:

• Brooks, D. (2015). The Road to Character.

B. Conflict Resolution Analysis
Rubric:

C. Peer Feedback Exercise
Rubric:

Integrity

A. Case Study Analysis
Rubric:

Suggested Reading:

• Kidder, R. M. (2009). How Good People Make Tough Choices.

B. Code of Conduct Quiz & Reflection
Rubric:

C. Integrity in Action Log
Rubric:

Justice

A. Equity Audit Report
Rubric:

Suggested Reading:

• Kendi, I. X. (2019). How to Be an Antiracist.

B. Diversity Case Discussion
Rubric:

C. Advocacy Brief
Rubric:

Teamwork

A. Team Project + Peer Evaluation
Rubric:

Suggested Reading:

• Lencioni, P. (2002). The Five Dysfunctions of a Team.

B. Strengths Mapping Activity
Rubric:

C. Teamwork Communication Scenario
Rubric:

Wholeness

A. Wholeness Wheel Reflection
Rubric:

Suggested Reading:

• White, E. G. (1890). Steps to Christ.

B. Lifestyle & Purpose Essay
Rubric:

C. Guided Group Discussion
Rubric: