Assessment Activities for 2023-2024
1. The campus will continue to collect information on learning outcomes assessment.
- Over the 2016-17 academic year, the campus community engaged in a systematic collection of assessment information for every undergraduate degree program. In 2017-18, the focus shifted to collecting information on graduate degree programs.
- All programs completed assessment plans with learning outcomes, curriculum map, previous assessment work, and plans for additional assessment activities.
- In October 2018, all undergraduate programs provided an update on the assessment activities during the AY 2017-18.
- From AY 2018-19 though AY 2021-22, all academic programs provided annual updates on their assessment activities in October.
- During AY 2022-23, the Council for Learning Outcomes Assessment changed the reporting deadline to May 15 based on feedback from units.
- In May 2023, all academic programs submitted abridged updates for AY 2022-23, which prompted programs to review their learning outcomes and confirm their existence in the academic catalog.
- Moving forward, requests for annual assessment updates will be sent early fall and due by May 15.
2. The Council for Learning Outcomes Assessment (C-LOA) oversees this process.
- C-LOA was established in Spring 2016 to help facilitate the learning outcomes assessment process and to set policies.
- C-LOA created the template for collecting assessment information and continues to revise the template based on feedback from stakeholders.
- From AY 2015-16 through AY 2022-23, C-LOA reviewed the annual assessment updates and provided feedback directly to programs.
- Beginning AY 2023-24, the initial review of annual assessment updates will occur within schools/colleges.
- In Fall 2021, college-level assessment coordinators were charged to assist C-LOA with the collection of learning outcomes assessment updates.
- The college-level assessment coordinators ensure that reports are being submitted and that they are complete.
- The coordinators now coordinate the initial review of the learning outcomes assessment updates.
- C-LOA will continue to establish policy and provide the infrastructure and resources for learning outcomes assessment work,
3. The campus will provide resources to assist with assessment work.
- Several workshops and brown bag sessions will take place in the Fall and Spring.
- Various resources are available to assist programs.
- Programs are encouraged to reach out to their C-LOA representative and/or College-level Assessment Coordinator.
- Program-level assessment liaisons are encouraged to utilize the Learning Outcomes Assessment Community Listserv (loac-list) to engage in discussions, share resources, or solicit feedback.
- Program-level assessment liaisons can book an Assessment Insight Chat to learn more about the learning outcomes assessment process.
4. Assessment should be meaningful and useful.
- When available or relevant, the unit should pull assessment information from other work that it is doing, such as from specialized accreditation reports and committee reports.
- Program faculty are encouraged to generate meaningful questions about student learning in the program, identify evidence to answer the questions, and use the information to confirm the program is effectively impacting student learning or to improve the curriculum.
5. The campus needs assessment information for institutional accreditation.
- The campus is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), which expects the campus to collect assessment information for every program at the University.
- The campus will describe the assessment processes used on campus as well as share assessment reports with institutional accreditors.