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Academic Program Assessment

What is Academic Program Assessment at Texas A&M?

Program-level assessment in academic programs is the process by which faculty gather information about what and how students are learning (Program Learning Outcomes), discuss that information as a faculty group, and use it to inform continuous improvement efforts within the academic program. These efforts ultimately help students learn and develop skills identified in the program's learning outcomes. In most programs, program-level assessment aims to answer the question What do our students know and what are they able to do by the time they graduate with this degree?

 

Active Assessment Cycles - Workflows & Due Dates


The bolded maroon text below indicates the current steps in the active cycles
(i.e., where the forms should currently be and when they should be submitted).
Workflow Step Role AY22-23
Submit to next step by...		 AY23-24
Submit to next step by...
1. Enter Plan Program Coordinator Apr 8, 2022 Apr 7, 2023
2. Internal Feedback on Plan College Liaison May 20, 2022 May 19, 2023
3. Draft Report Program Coordinator Oct 27, 2023 Oct 18, 2024
4. Internal Feedback on Report College Liaison Nov 17, 2023 Nov 15, 2024
5. Revise/Finalize Report Program Coordinator Dec 8, 2023 Dec 6, 2024
6. Final Approval of Report Final Approver (Dept) Dec 20, 2023 Dec 20, 2024
7. OIEE Comments OIEE Feb 2, 2024 Jan 31, 2025
8. Acknowledge Final Comments Program Coordinator Feb 9, 2024 Feb 7, 2025
 

Resources for Program Coordinators
Need help? Want to talk about your assessment plan with someone? Contact us!

 

Resource Title/Description Link to Resource
Companion Manual
*Updated February 2023*

Academic Program Assessment Guidelines
Updated to include more examples, FAQs, and the holistic rating scale used by OIEE to provide final feedback at the end of each cycle. Updated manual also reflects a minor change to the Measures criteria as of AY22-23 cycle.
Assessment Report & Status Update Examples  

Click here to see Distance Ed Program Effectiveness Examples		 UG Degrees
Aerospace Engineering, BS
Accounting, BBA
​Classics, BA		 GR Degrees
Analytics, MS
Horticulture, PhD		 Status Updates
(from AY2020-21)
Kinesiology, BS
Industrial Distribution, MID
Homeland Security Certificate
UG Certificates
Holistic Leadership in Engr
Equine Science
International Business Studies
 		 GR Certificates
Women's and Gender Studies
Advanced International Affairs
One-Page Summaries  Summary of Assessment Plan Necessities & Best Practices
Summary of Assessment Report Necessities & Best Practices
Certificate Program Assessment  Certificate Program Assessment: Planning & Measurement Strategies
Multiple Programs in One Report  Multiple Programs in One Program Assessment AEFIS Report 
Workflow Graphics - Assessment Documentation 2022-2023 Assessment Documentation Cycle
2023-2024 Assessment Documentation Cycle
AEFIS User Guide AEFIS User Guide 
VIDEOS:  Steps in the Assessment Planning Process  Introduction to Assessment   |   Writing SLOs   |   Curriculum Mapping   |   Assessment Tools   
Artifact Mapping   |   Data Collection
(from the Office of University Assessment at the University of Kentucky) 
Accessing Past Assessment Reports How to Access Past Assessment Forms - INSTRUCTIONS
Example PLO Rotation Schedule 

Example
This PDF shows an example of how a program might set up their assessment schedule and PLO rotation. 
Distance Education Programs Click here to be redirected to information on DE Program Effectiveness.
Learning Outcomes & Rubrics  AAC&U Rubrics (16)     |     TAMU DSA (17)
Program Assessment Glossary A list of terms used in the academic program assessment process at Texas A&M
Need access? Click HERE to fill out the AEFIS Access Request form.

 

Resources for Final Approvers of Assessment Reports
(Department Heads, Assistant Deans & Progam Directors)
 
Resources
Instructions Handout This one-page handout explains your role in annual assessment reporting and walks you through the process of approving reports step-by-step.
Walkthrough Video This video covers the same information as the handout, but shows you the step-by-step process in AEFIS.
Need access? Click HERE to fill out the AEFIS Access Request form.
 
Resources for Liaisons
 
Resource Title Link to Resource
Liaison Companion Manual
*Updated February 2023*		 PDF   |   Word
Top 3 Things  Top 3 Things to Look for in Program Assessment Reports
Action Items Video VIDEO: Which forms in my Action Items list are ready for feedback?
Workflow Status Report  Workflow Status Report Instructions
Data Collection Details Report Data Collection Details Report Instructions (with feedback fields)
Data Collection Details Report Instructions (without feedback fields)
Need access? Click HERE to fill out the AEFIS Access Request form.