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 or during development of your unit's Assessment Plan as it describes key components of strong assessment strategies. The manual includes:
- An introduction to program assessment and general due dates
- How to use HelioCampus (formerly AEFIS) to document your Assessment Plan & Report
- Detailed information about each section of the Plan & Report, including examples and FAQs
- Criteria used by OIEE to assign Compliance Indicators to Reports (Exemplary, Sufficient, Needs Improvement, Noncompliant)
Requirements for Assessment Plans & Reports
Detailed information and examples can be found in the Support Unit Assessment Guidelines manual.
Assessment Plans
- Outcomes - The annual Assessment Plan must include at least one measurable outcome 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 alignment with the outcome for which it provides evidence. Each measure must include an identified target which the unit will use to determine whether an outcome is achieved.
Assessment Reports
- Findings - Select a Target Status Indicator (Met, Not Met, Partially Met) and write a specific Findings Statement. Disaggregate as necessary (by alternate teaching location and/or student subgroup).
- Use of Results - Provide an explanation of 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 students at alternate teaching locations, online students, and or other key student subgroups.
- Academic and student support units, specifically, must:
- Status Update - 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).
Final Report - Compliance Indicators
At the end of each Program Assessment cycle, OIEE staff review all Assessment Reports and assign a Compliance Indicator (CI). CIs are simply meant to inform Program Coordinators and unit leadership of how well documentation requirements were met. OIEE uses the rubric below to assign Compliance Indicators. Qualitative feedback may also be provided.| Rating Category | Criteria |
|---|---|
Exemplary | The report goes beyond minimum requirements. This generally includes the following:
|
Sufficient | All minimum requirements are met. For example:
|
Needs Improvement | All minimum requirements are met, but one or more of the following is true:
|
Noncompliant | Report was not submitted, or one or more required components of the report is missing (outcome, measure, findings statements, and/or use of results). The report does not demonstrate the unit's commitment to continuous improvement. |