The Support Unit Assessment Guidelines is a comprehensive manual that guides Program Coordinators step-by-step through the documentation process. We recommend reviewing the manual before developing your units Assessment Plan as it describes key components of the assessment strategy. The manual includes:
- An introduction to program assessment and deadlines for active cycles
- How to use HelioCampus (formerly AEFIS) to document your Assessment Plan & Report
- Detailed information about each section of the Plan & Report, including FAQs and the criteria Liaisons & OIEE use to provide feedback
- The criteria OIEE looks for when assigning a final rating on the Report (Exemplary, Sufficient, Needs Improvement, Noncompliant)
Minimum Requirements for Assessment Plans & Reports
Detailed information and examples can be found in the Academic Program Assessment Guidelines.
Assessment Plans
- Outcomes - Each Plan must include at least one measurable outcome specifically related to the mission of the unit (in support of the mission of the institution). Outcomes should not focus on the completion of a specific project, but rather relate to efficiency, effectiveness, and quality of services provided and/or the achievement of identified learning outcomes where applicable.
- Measures & Targets - Measures should be clearly and thoroughly described, establishing clear alignment with the outcome for which it provides evidence. Each measure must include an identified target (quantitative or qualitative) in order to determine whether or not outcomes are achieved in a given period of time (e.g., fiscal year, academic year).
Assessment Reports
- Findings - Finding statements must include whether the targets were met and the specific results from the collected data.
- Use of Results- Units are expected to explain how the assessment results have been or will be used for improvement of functions and/or services.
- Academic and student support units, specifically, must:
- Explicitly address consideration of the effectiveness and/or improvement of services with respect to unique student populations (see definition in the Guidelines manual).
- Provide an update on an action described in a previous Assessment Report (i.e., whether the action made a difference in current assessment results or, if the action has not been fully implemented, what stage of implementation the unit is in).
- Academic and student support units, specifically, must:
Final Report Ratings
At the end of each Program Assessment cycle, OIEE staff review all Assessment Reports and provide a final rating. These ratings are simply meant to inform Program Coordinators and Liaisons of how well documentation requirements were met. OIEE uses the rubric below to determine a final rating. Qualitative feedback may also be provided.| Rating Category | Criteria |
|---|---|
| Exemplary | The report goes above and beyond minimum requirements. For example, there is more than one measure for each outcome. Thorough, detailed descriptions of each section—data collection methods, data analysis, scoring metrics, rubrics, etc.—are included so that the assessment process is replicable. Findings are contextualized, and (if necessary) are appropriately disaggregated. The use of results is clear, detailed, and focused on improvement of the unit. |
| Sufficient | All minimum requirements are included. For example, each outcome has at least one measure, and measures are aligned with the outcomes. The report is clear overall. Some areas could be strengthened with more details. Use of results is focused on unit improvement though the execution may not be fully clear. |
| Needs Improvement | All minimum requirements are included, but the assessment process is difficult to follow and may not be clearly replicable. Components may be misaligned (e.g., the measure does not align with the outcome). Use of results may not be focused on improvement of the unit (e.g., a change to assessment plan and/or a plan for department leadership to meet). Results may not be disaggregated (i.e., by location and/or student demographics, if relevant). |
| Noncompliant | Report was not submitted, or one or more required components of the report is missing, such as direct measure, findings statements, and/or use of results. The report does not demonstrate a commitment to continuous improvement. |