Assessment allows the University to gauge its own performance levels for continuous improvement and institutional quality. The assessment plan establishes a link to the university mission, identifies goals and purposes of academic programs and administrative/support departments, determines levels of efficiency and effectiveness, and organizes the assessment strategies that are already occurring. Regular assessment of academic programs and administrative/support units provides documentation of meeting specific program and unit goals and objectives. In addition to the assessment report on student learning outcomes, an overall evaluation of academic programs and academic departments occurs annually, to include enrollment, graduation rates, retention, staffing, etc. to ensure that all academic programs remain viable and maintain the highest standards.
Assessment Formats
Different formats have been designed for the various assessment areas of the university.
The Academic Program Assessment Form identifies the purpose for each program; describes specific student learning outcomes; identifies criteria for measuring success and establishes benchmarks; identifies results; and demonstrates how results will be used for continuous improvement. The Academic Program Assessment Directions provide guidance in completing the Academic Program Assessment Form.
The Administrative/Support Department Assessment Form also identifies the primary function or purpose of the department, identifies criteria for measuring success and establishes benchmarks, where applicable; identifies results; and demonstrates how those results will be used for continuous improvement. Administrative/Support units’ assessment plans and reports focus on program effectiveness and productivity. The Administrative/Support Department Assessment Directions provide guidance in completing the Administrative/Support Department Assessment Form.
The General Education Curriculum Assessment Guidelines identify each of the college level competencies within the GEC and the methodologies, measures, student populations, and timelines for each competency. The report format is the same as the Academic Program Assessment Format.
The QEP (Quality Enhancement Plan) assessment format is the same as the Academic Program Assessment Format because it evaluates student learning outcomes in the area of writing.
Assessment Schedule
A schedule has been developed that allots time for:
- training on the assessment process, to include updates to the process;
- submission of plans and reports;
- reviewing and revising plans; and
- reviewing reports in preparation for developing the next year’s plan.