Academic Reports and Plans

Assessment reports are a list and description of the past academic years’ assessment activities at all stages of the assessment cycle (which goals were assessed, what assessment tools were used, what benchmarks were set up, what data was collected, what analysis resulted from the data, and what changes were made based on the evidence.) Assessment plans contain many of the same elements (which goals will be assessed, what tools will be used, and what benchmarks will be set up) but look forward to the next academic year.

Departments and programs should include their mission, along with their yearly goals and student learning outcomes, on their assessment plans every year. The plans will describe how these goals and outcomes will be assessed for that year, including proposed assessment tools and benchmarks for those SLOs. (Not every goal needs to be assessed every year! Your assessment plan should follow the 3M’s and be measurable, meaningful, and manageable.)

The members of the Academic Assessment Committee realize that sometimes an assessment plan needs to change mid-year due to changing circumstances. In these cases, shift the focus of the assessment plan (to another student learning outcome, to a curricular change, etc.). The important thing is that you’re doing something to determine how well a part of your department or program is working (and documenting it!).

The Academic Assessment Committee, the Associate Dean of the College, and the VPAA and Dean of the College receive and review these yearly reports and plans. The Academic Assessment Coordinator is the main resource in helping departments and programs create and develop these documents.