Institutional Assessment
Linn & Miller, 2005
Assessment is the systematic and ongoing process of gathering, analyzing, and using information from multiple sources to draw inferences about the characteristics of students, programs, or an institution for the purpose of making informed decisions to improve the learning process.
Why Assess
- Improve student learning outcomes
- Help George Fox be more effective
- Inform strategic decision-making
- Show value
Who Assesses
All employees at the university help support the university's mission, so everyone has a stake in assessment. With that said, academic degree programs, departments, and/or office leads (e.g., Deans, Chairs, Directors, and VPs) are ultimately responsible for ensuring continuous program improvement and mission alignment through the creation, maintenance, and annual assessment of outcomes.
Academic Deans, Chairs, Directors may complete the assessment work for their academic degree program or assign the work to a capable faculty member. When assigning program assessment work, the Dean, Chair, and Director ensure the Assessment Lead has access to all resources necessary for outcome assessment completion, including time at program faculty meetings to engage all faculty in the program assessment process.
Student Service / Administration Department VPs or Directors are ultimately responsible for ensuring continuous program improvement through the creation, maintenance, and annual assessment of Operational Outcomes (OPO’s), which may or may not include Student Learning Outcomes (PLO’s). A VP/Director may complete this work themselves or assign the work to a capable team member. When assigning program assessment work, the VP/ Director ensures the Assessment Lead has access to all resources necessary for assessment completion, including time at department/office meetings to engage all staff in the program assessment process.
See Assessment Assessment Lead Responsibilities | George Fox
University Assessment Committee
The UAC designs and oversees the overall university assessment structure, evaluating assessment plans and processes against outcome assessment best practices.
Assessment Resources
- Nuventive Platform
- Survey Results
- Academic Program Outcome Assessment Plan Template
- How to Write Degree Program Learning Outcomes
- Nuventive Assessment Software Help Guide
- NWCCU Rubric to Evaluate Program Outcomes Assessment Plan and Progress
- WASC Rubric to Evaluate Program Learning Outcome
- Curriculum Map Templates
- Degree Program Curriculum Mapping Guide
- How to Create Learning Outcomes that Align with GFU's Mission
