1. Reframing the Future: Outcomes Assessment
Beth Wuest, Ph.D., Associate Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness |
Outcomes Assessment Website: assessment.htmlhttp://

2. Types of Outcomes Assessment
Student Learning Outcomes
Undergraduate Programs (5)
Graduate Programs (3)
Certificate Programs (3)
Administrative Outcomes (2)
General Education Student Learning Outcomes
Research Outcomes (3)
Top Ten Reminders

3. 10. Continuous Improvement
The intent of outcomes assessment is to gather data to make informed improvements in student learning and administrative practices. Keep this end in mind as you develop your assessment plan.

4. 9. Utility of Results
Outcomes assessment should provide useful results. Data collected for data alone is of little value. Data collected to provide evidence of the success or shortcomings and to inform future decisions can be useful in planning and implementing curriculum and instruction.

5. 8. Alignment
As outcomes assessment plans are developed, attention should be paid to the alignment between the mission, outcomes, methods, results, action plans, and evidence of improvement. Outcomes should be reflective of the mission; methods should address outcomes; results should be reported as described in the methods; action plans should be based in the results; and evidence of improvement should stem from action plans and justified based by the results.

6. 7. Consistency and Reliability
Fluctuation in results will naturally occur. Once an assessment plan has been devised, it should be repeated for multiple cycles to establish reliability and provide stronger evidence that the curriculum and instruction are effective.

7. 6. Replicable
Methods should be replicable. When different faculty members teach the courses or review student work, they should clearly understand what is expected and needs to be done.

8. 5. Aggregated and Disaggregated Data
Because results should provide information to make curricular and instructional decisions, data needs to be aggregated. Data also needs to be disaggregated for classes offered on- and off- campus, in face-to-face formats and at a distance, and through large and small sections to provide a better understanding of the results.

9. 4. Collective Faculty Reflection
Faculty are responsible for curriculum. Therefore, faculty should be involved in outcomes assessment. Discussion about the mission, outcomes, and methods provides a clearer picture of the academic program. Likewise, discussion of results, appropriate action plans, and gained improvements is important in planning the future of the program.

10. 3. Clarity in Writing Style
Outcomes assessment reports should be written for people who are not familiar with your field of study. Class numbers, acronyms, and professional jargon may not be recognizable to those outside your field of study who may be reading your reports.

11. 2. Closing the Loop
Results should provide sufficient detail to guide action plans. Once action plans are implemented, observed data will provide information on the success of the action plan.

12. 1. Tell the Story
The intent of outcomes assessment is to gather data to make informed improvements – continuous improvement. Telling the story about a few solid improvements directly linked to observed findings and noted action plans illustrates that the process is effective.