Reviewing Academic Program Assessment Reports
This SOP describes the process of reviewing outcomes assessment reports in accordance with REG 02.90.01, Section 2.3 (Assessment of Academic Programs, Reporting and Oversight), which designates the provost, college deans, and department heads as accountable for the effectiveness of outcomes assessment in improving programs. The SOP addresses two kinds of academic programs, those that are associated with a single department and those that are non-departmental, that is, associated with more than one department and in some cases more than one college.
Departmental Programs
- Undergraduate Coordinator/Director of a Graduate Program (UGC/DGP), or other person designated by a department head as responsible for the outcomes assessment of an academic program, notifies department head that the annual assessment report has been posted in InfoWeb and meets the criteria of the Evaluation Rubric for Outcomes Assessment Reports.
- Department head evaluates the assessment report according to the rubric. When all reports in a department have been accepted, the department head notifies the dean or dean’s designee that reports are complete and acceptable and sends the dean or designee a department assessment summary addressing (1) the quality of the reports from his/her department, (2) any major findings of potential interest to the dean, and (3) the use of assessment results for program improvement.
- Dean or designee confirms that the assessment reports meet the criteria of the rubric. When all reports in a college have been accepted, dean or designee notifies the undergraduate and/or graduate assessment facilitator that reports are ready for review.
- Assessment facilitator evaluates assessment reports according to the rubric. When the facilitator notifies the dean or designee that all reports in a college have been accepted, the dean or designee notifies the Provost’s Office that reports are complete and acceptable and sends the Provost’s Office a college assessment summary addressing (1) the quality of the reports from his/her college, (2) any major findings of potential interest to the provost, and (3) the use of assessment results for program improvement.
- The Provost’s Office sends the college summary to assessment facilitators in DASA and/or Graduate School, who will prepare university evaluation summaries for submission to the provost, one for undergraduate and one for graduate programs. These summaries will (1) list any reports that have not been posted, (2) comment on the overall quality of the reports, and (3) identify major findings of potential interest to the provost. If appropriate, assessment facilitators will recommend improvements in the overall university assessment process for academic programs.
- If necessary, the provost will contact a dean to request missing reports.
Non-departmental Programs
- UGC/DGP, or other person designated by the relevant dean(s) as responsible for the outcomes assessment of an academic program, notifies dean(s) or designee(s) that the annual assessment report has been posted in InfoWeb and meets the criteria of the Evaluation Rubric for Outcomes Assessment Reports.
- Dean or designee confirms that the assessment report meets the criteria of the rubric. When all reports in the college have been accepted dean or designee notifies the undergraduate or graduate facilitator that reports are ready for review.
- Assessment facilitator evaluates assessment reports according to the rubric. When the facilitator notifies the dean or designee that all reports in a college have been accepted, the dean or designee notifies the Provost’s Office that reports are complete and acceptable and sends the Provost’s Office a college assessment summary addressing (1) the quality of the reports from his/her college, (2) any major findings of potential interest to the provost, and (3) the use of assessment results for program improvement.
- The Provost’s Office sends the college summary to assessment facilitators in DASA and/or Graduate School, who will prepare university evaluation summaries for submission to the provost, one for undergraduate and one for graduate programs. These summaries will (1) list the reports that have not been posted, (2) comment on the overall quality of the reports, and (3) identify major findings of potential interest to the provost. If appropriate, assessment facilitators will recommend improvements in the overall university assessment process for academic programs.
- If necessary, the Provost will contact a dean to request missing reports.