• is used to improve student learning, not merely satisfy a requirement that the faculty must assess student learning.
  
• starts with the Department’s mission statement and is built upon the program’s goals;
  
• addresses the real questions and concerns faculty have about student learning in their program;
  
• includes assessment methods that are adequate to measure student achievement. More than one type of measure for each student goal are used. The plan does not rely excessively on a single type of measure.
  
• is developed and carried out by the program faculty, in collaboration with program administrators and staff, and the Offices of the Provost and Institutional Research and Assessment;
  
• establishes a timeframe that is appropriate and workable. It uses existing current data sources and activities;
  
• specifies who will do the assessments, collect and analyze data;
  
• includes a formal mechanism for reporting results of assessment and for summarizing results and to ensure that assessment provide information to be used in program improvement.
  
• is feasible, workable and affordable, given available resources.

Steps in Developing Program Assessment Plans

Step 1: Identify the program’s mission
» Establish program mission statement. Refer to Guiding Questions
» Articulate relationship of program mission to the Institute mission

Step 2: Identify the program’s goals (intended outcomes)
» Define expected student competencies
» Formulate intended learning outcomes for each of the expected competencies

Step 3: Programs determine appropriate learning processes/strategies
» List actions that will be taken to achieve each intended learning outcome. That is, identify the process(es) (e.g., courses and curriculum, internships, co-curricular activities) that will lead to the intended learning outcome.
» Determine whether all students have the opportunity to achieve the intended outcomes can be achieved with the learning experiences and strategies-- --that are currently in place.
» A matrix is commonly used to summarize the relationship between program components (curriculum, courses) and intended outcomes. (You will be asked to complete a matrix for each program. Guidelines and Tools are being developed for this purpose)

Step 4: Programs determine appropriate assessment methods
» Consider data needed to show if desired results are being accomplished
» Choose assessment methods
» Describe timeline, procedures, and who is responsible for implementation (Guidelines and Tools are being developed for this purpose)

Step 5: Programs conduct the assessment procedures they have developed
» Obtain or develop instruments/procedures
» Collect data
» Analyze results (Guidelines and Tools are being developed for this purpose)

Step 6: Programs review assessment results and propose relevant changes, completing the program assessment plan
» Revise the intended learning outcomes
» Design new strategies to achieve the original learning outcomes
» Refine assessment methods
» List resources needed for proposed changes

Step 7: Assessment-Based Improvement Report
» State proposed changes and desired improvements included in the previous cycle’s completed program assessment plan
» List actions taken to implement the changes for improvement
» Give the semester and year the actions for improvement were implemented