17³Ô¹ÏÍø

Outcomes Assessment

Outcomes Assessment at 17³Ô¹ÏÍø is overseen by the director of Outcomes Assessment, within the Office of the Provost. The director works closely with deans, program leads and faculty to ensure the outcomes assessment process is integrated, intentional and reflective of best practices for teaching, learning and assessment.

Faculty have a substantive role in outcomes assessment at 17³Ô¹ÏÍø through the University Outcomes Assessment Committee (UOAC). The committee membership consists of faculty members from each school, college and campus at the university, as well as representatives from Institutional Research, Experiential Education & Career Services, Information Technology, Student Affairs, the International Center, and Library Services.

The committee operates under the authority of the University Provost’s Office, functions according to an approved set of bylaws, and is chaired by the director of Outcomes Assessment. Under UOAC is a permanent standing committee called the Academic Outcomes Assessment Standing Committee (AOASC), which focuses exclusively on academic program assessment.

This standing committee also includes representation from each college, school and campus and is chaired by the director of Outcomes Assessment and an elected faculty vice chair. This organizational structure has proven effective at streamlining communication, achieving institution-wide consistency in policy and practice, and efficient targeting of resources to advance outcomes and assessment improvement initiatives.

17³Ô¹ÏÍø has adopted a tiered approach to outcomes based on the definitions of outcomes and assessment proposed by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

Outcomes exist at the university and at the program level. Each college/school has adopted an outcomes purpose statement that serves as a “bridge” between the broad nature of the university outcomes and the specific nature of the programmatic outcomes. The programmatic outcomes “pass through” the outcomes purpose statement as they are mapped to the university’s outcomes. University outcomes, in turn, are linked directly to the university mission.</