Assessment Terminology
The following terms have specific meanings at George Fox. Please contact Academic Affairs for clarification or questions.
- Mission
- Concise statement of the purpose of an institution, college or program, giving direction to its practices.
- Goal
- Broad, general statement of what the program intends to accomplish.
- SMART Goal
- Specific, measurable, agreed upon, realistic and time-based.
- Outcome
- Result or consequence actually attained. Can be measured or assessed. Learning outcomes focus on what the student knows or is able to do at end of a program (or course).
[Note: Use instead of “Objective”, which is input-oriented] - Competency
- Demonstrated capacity to perform the special demands or requirements of particular situations. Commonly used in professional programs.
- Target
- Indicator of success as measured by specific assessment tool.