What is support unit assessment?

Support unit assessment (which is a form of Program Assessment) is the systematic process of collecting data on important unit processes and using the findings to improve efficiency and effectiveness. Units that directly serve students may also assess student learning and implement actions to improve learning experiences.

The goal of program assessment, broadly, is continuous improvement. Therefore, the Support Unit Assessment process at Texas A&M is cyclical in nature, consisting of 3 main phases:

1. Plan phase: Unit staff collectively decide which outcomes/objectives will be prioritized for assessment and what measures will be used to collect data.
2. Data Collection phase: Unit staff implement their plan for obtaining data over the course of an academic/fiscal/calendar year.
3. Report phase: Data is analyzed and discussed. The findings are used to inform improvements to be implemented in the unit.

The University requires that units provide documentation of their program assessment efforts. The Office of Institutional Effectiveness & Evaluation facilitates the documentation process in HelioCampus (formerly AEFIS).

Who participates in Support Unit Assessment?

(1) Academic and student support units and (2) administrative units are expected to engage in annual assessment of their services and document the process. The University's accreditor, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) defines these units as:

• Academic & student support units -- "...services that support student success...[and] include such activities as library and learning/information resources, faculty resource centers, tutoring, writing centers, academic computer centers, student disability support centers, financial aid, residence life, student activities, dean of students’ office, and so on. Most institutions would also include admissions offices within this category. These units provide direct support to faculty and students as related to their educational programs, indirect support for student learning, or a specific cocurricular mission that supports the college experience."

• Administrative units -- "...units [which] normally include offices and departments such as finance and procurement, facilities and physical plant, administrative services, development/advancement, research office, the president’s office, etc. These offices serve the educational mission of the institution in a much more indirect way than do offices related to educational programs or academic and student services, but they are just as critical for the ability of the institution to achieve its mission."

Each unit appoints one or more Program Coordinators for each unit to be responsible for ensuring annual documentation is submitted annually based on University guidelines and due dates.  Some units may produce structured annual reports that fulfill the requirements of assessment reporting. 

To see more specific information and resources relevant to the Program Coordinator role, please visit the Program Coordinator webpage.

Where do we start? 

If you're new to assessment, we recommend checking out our Assessment 101 resource page first. Here you'll find general information about assessment, some helpful videos explaining each stage of the assessment process, and other resources such as the Center for Teaching Excellence's self-paced module on writing Learning Outcomes.

Next we recommend reviewing the rest of the information on the "What is Support Unit Assessment?" page, with particular attention paid to identifying your division/department Assessment Liaison. 

If you're ready for a deeper dive, review the Support Unit Assessment Guidelines, a comprehensive resource which can be used as a companion manual while documenting your unit's Assessment Plan and Report. It describes requirements, best practices, and tips to help you with both your assessment strategy and how to document it.

As always, we are happy to meet with you to discuss your assessment strategy and answer any questions you may have. Email us at assessment@tamu.edu to get something scheduled!

When are assessment reports due?

• Assessment Plans for the upcoming year are submitted every Spring semester, usually in mid-April. 
• Assessment Reports for the previous year are submitted twice--a draft version in November and a final version in January.

These due dates vary slightly each year as they fall on Fridays. Visit the Program Coordinator webpage to see specific due dates for the current/active Program Assessment cycles.

Please be aware that division/campus Assessment Liaisons have authority to determine their own due dates for Assessment Plans and Reports. If your Liaison does not communicate different deadlines, units are expected to follow the due dates published on the OIEE website. Automatic reminder emails based on the published due dates have been set up in the HelioCampus system, so please note that you may receive notifications that communicate different due dates from what your Assessment Liaison has communicated to you. 

Where/how do we submit the Assessment Plan & Report?

Texas A&M University uses HelioCampus to document Assessment Plans & Reports. Instructors and students automatically have an account in the online system. OIEE can manually set up user accounts for staff. Users are prompted to login using their NetID and password. Users who have an account must request to be added to a support unit in the system, which then provides you with access to the relevant Program Assessment forms.

Need access to Program Assessment forms in HelioCampus? Click HERE to request access. Please be sure to include the specific unit/department you need access to. 

This HelioCampus (AEFIS) User Guide shows how to:

• Log in to the system
• Access, navigate, and submit assessment forms
• View form history and save your work for later

Who is the Assessment Report shared with?

When an Assessment Report is completed at the end of a cycle, the report is archived in HelioCampus system and is accessible by individuals who hold the Program Coordinator or Assessment Liaison role. 

OIEE provides final report ratings (Exemplary, Sufficient, Needs Improvement, Noncompliant) to Assessment Liaisons. OIEE does not share Assessment Reports directly with any other parties, with the exception of the University's 5-year and 10-year SACSCOC accreditation reports where they may be included as supporting documents.