Annual Assessment Report for Degree Programs

Overview

Starting in 2012-13, every degree program will be assessed annually:

• At least two program learning goals should be assessed annually, preferably using direct measures of student learning - embedded measures utilizing student work.
• Results of the assessment activity should be discussed by faculty responsible for the degree program.
• Actions to improve results must be identified and implemented.
• During the next assessment cycle, these goals must be assessed again to determine whether the actions generated the desired improvement. If not, faculty should consider why not, and identify other activities to improve student performance.
• This process of identifying goals, assessing results, generating activities for improvement, and assessing results again to determine whether improvement occurred, is called closing the loop.

The format for the annual review can be found here.

Preparing for Annual Assessment

To prepare for annual assessment, all departments need to do the following for each degree program they offer:

1. Develop learning goals for each degree program.

Example:  Biology—Students should be able to:

1. Describe basic biological information and concepts.
2. Apply basic biological information and concepts.
3. Conduct original biological research.
4. Report research results orally and in writing to scientific audiences.
5. Apply ethical principles of the discipline in regard to human and animal subjects, environmental protection, use
       of sources, and collaboration with colleagues.

2. Map these program learning goals onto University Student Learning Goals using the following template: University Student Learning Goals. Place program goals into “best fit” for university goal. Identify where/how this goal is currently assessed. Identify gaps (university goals which are not currently achieved in the program). Click here for an example of how the Biology learning goals mapped onto the USLGs.

3. Build a Curriculum Map for each degree program. Identify which courses in the curriculum meet which learning goals. This will help you to discover quickly whether there are goals which are not met by your curriculum, or courses offered which do no meet any goals. See Developing and Using a Curriculum Map for Assessment

4.  Assess two learning goals every year.  How can student learning be verified and measured?  Please use the following Assessment Annual Report template:

Degree Program ASSESSMENT ANNUAL REPORT_template  or
Degree Program ASSESSMENT ANNUAL REPORT_template 

1. Identify the type of assessment:
   • Direct/embedded assessment in existing course – e.g., course exam in XX2500, written assignment inYY4200, portfolios, presentations, etc., which can be evaluated using a rubric
   • Direct assessment, not in course, e.g., professional competency examination, major field test
   • Indirect assessment, e.g. exit interview, alumni survey
2. Briefly describe the assessment activity.
3. State the target expectation for the assessment - e.g. 80% of students will achieve a 3/literate on the rubric
4. Identify which University Student Learning Goal is associated with this program goal.

5. Close the Loop. Evaluate results of assessment, identify any deficiencies, take action to improve, repeat assessment in 2012-13. Please use the following Annual Assessment Report to identify results and actions planned to improve:

Degree Program ASSESSMENT ANNUAL REPORT_template or
Degree Program ASSESSMENT ANNUAL REPORT_template

Assessing University Learning Goals

There are 8 University Student Learning Goals (USLGs). The first USLG is "disciplinary knowledge." The remaining 7 goals are competencies all students should develop regardless of major, such as communication skills and information literacy.

Faculty need to consider how students will develop and apply these competencies in their degree programs. The General Education Program will plan how the 40 General Education credits can help students to begin to build competencies in these goals. For example:

1. Are there courses in your curriculum which currently require student work that can be used to assess University Student Learning Goals? e.g., oral presentations, lab reports, or research projects may produce communication outcomes that can be assessed.
2. Are there opportunities to embed University Student Learning Goals into programs? E.g. identification of courses which have an international component with global literacy outcomes that can be assessed.

Beginning in Fall 2013, the Assessment Council will prescribe one University Student Learning Goal for each Annual Assessment cycle. The schedule will be as follows:

• 2013-14    Communication
• 2014-15    Global Literacy
• 2015-16    Information Literacy
• 2016-17    Critical Thinking
• 2017-18    Values & Civic Engagement

For each goal, an ad hoc committee will develop a university rubric for assessment, based on AAC&U LEAP Value rubrics, that will be used by all programs.  Programs are free to add additional components to the rubric.

Helpful Resources

Do you need help writing a learning goal? See CSA Learning Goals workshop

Do you need help developing a curriculum map? See Developing and Using a Curriculum Map for Assessment

Do you need help using a rubric? See CSA Rubrics workshop