The purpose of the assessment process at Augsburg College is to enhance curricular and co-curricular student learning. The purpose of the Working Plan for the Assessment of Student Learning at Augsburg College is to provide information that will facilitate the assessment of curricular and co-curricular programs. This document includes guiding principles for assessment, guidelines and instructions for developing, implementing, and reporting results for individual department/program assessment plans, a timeline for College assessment activities, and the organizational structure to support assessment efforts.

 

Augsburg College has already accomplished many things in its assessment of student learning. Campus-wide attention to assessment began in the years prior to Augsburg College’s 1997 reaccreditation by North Central Association (NCA). In 1995, the original Assessment Plan for Academic Achievement was accepted by NCA. One outcome of the 1995 plan was the formation of the Standing Committee on Assessment (see Attachment A). Other outcomes included assessment of general education courses and the assessment of curricular and co-curricular programs. An inventory of assessment methods being used by academic departments was also developed (see Attachment E). Beyond the Augsburg campus, ACTC assessment workshops have provided guidance as the College continues its assessment work.

 

The working plan presented in this document stems from the 1995 NCA plan and a subsequent plan that was developed in Spring 1999 in response to a request made by the President and College Council that the Assessment Committee present a formal plan for assessment to the faculty. This plan builds upon the programs and activities designed over the past decade to assess student learning.

 

North Central Association requires that colleges undertake systematic assessment of student learning, but this requirement should not be viewed as the driving force for this work. Assessment provides an ongoing opportunity for the College and individual programs to reflect on the achievement of articulated student learning goals/objectives and to make program decisions that will strengthen the Augsburg educational experience.

 

II. Guiding Principles of the College Assessment Plan

 

Guiding principles for assessment at Augsburg College:[1]

 

1.   Assessment will focus on student learning and will be guided by the College Mission.

 

2.   Since student learning occurs both in and outside of the classroom, assessment will include both curricular and co-curricular programs. 

 

       3. Faculty, staff, students, and other constituents will engage in assessment as a

         collaborative process and involvement by all constituents will be encouraged.

                        

        4. Assessment results will focus on program improvement and commensurate

change and will not be used for individual faculty or staff evaluation.

      

5.     Assessment results will be used on an ongoing basis to identify program

       strengths and develop plans for program change that enhance student

learning.

6.     Departments and programs will develop an annual report of assessment activities and results that will be submitted to the Dean’s Office and Assessment Committee.

 

7.     The Assessment Committee will oversee the assessment of student learning

in College academic programs and will coordinate the assessment of student learning in College co-curricular programs.

 

8.     The Assessment Director will assist individual departments/programs

develop and implement assessment plans.

 

9.     The College’s assessment process will be reviewed regularly by the

Assessment Committee.

 

10. The Assessment Committee will work with the College’s Continuous

Improvement Steering Committee to meet the requirements of the Academic

Quality Improvement Project (AQIP) which will serve as the basis

for Augsburg College’s North Central Association reaccreditation.

 

III. Department/Program Assessment Plan

 

Department/program assessment plans will be grounded in the Mission of the College:

“To nurture leaders in service to the world by providing high quality educational opportunities which are based in the liberal arts and shaped

by the faith and values of the Christian Church, by the context of a vital

metropolitan setting, and by an intentionally diverse campus community.”

 

Individual assessment plans will be developed or revised by programs and departments that report to the Dean of the College, Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, Associate Dean for Student Affairs, Associate Dean for Library and Information Technology, and Associate Dean for International Programs.

 

Departments and programs in the Academic and Learning Services Division are at different stages in the development and implementation of assessment plans. A template and instructions for developing or revising an assessment plan are found in Attachments B and C. Departments may need to modify assessment plans that were developed using the1995 or 1998 assessment plan guidelines (see Attachment D). The 2001 assessment plan template is intended to simplify the planning process and clarify implementation and reporting processes. Departments/programs are not required to use the 2001 assessment plan template (see Attachment B), but the following information should be part of assessment plans, whatever form they take:

 

1      - Department/Program Mission (Optional)

2      - Student Learning Goals/Objectives

3      - Assessment Methods

4      - Assessment Results and Reporting

5      - Meaning of Results

 

Consider the following points when developing or revising an assessment plan:

 

· Frame department and program goals/objectives using active terminology.

· Make goals/objectives measurable in some way.

· Include references to time (i.e., when goals/objectives will be

accomplished). Consider distinctions between goals/objectives that will

be accomplished by graduation and earlier points in the educational

experience.

· Be clear about how assessment methods measure the goals/objectives.

Attachment E summarizes a variety of methods to assess student learning

identified by College departments/programs.

· Address how assessment information will be gathered (when and by

whom).

· Set standards/criteria that will be used to evaluate the findings.

· Develop an approach to systematically evaluate, report, and utilize the

assessment findings within the department.