Educational Program and Administrative Unit Assessment is critical to evaluating institutional effectiveness. UNCW is committed to sharing its assessment process and evidence with all constituencies, and continually evaluates those efforts using external National and Regional Accreditation Association standards. Aligned to the university’s mission and values, each educational program and administrative unit is responsible for submitting an annual assessment report providing the following information.
Assessment Plans consist of standing requirements presenting a mission statement and outcomes, aligned to the University’s strategic priorities. Specific measures for each student learning and program outcome are identified and targets and benchmarks are established at the beginning of the fiscal or academic year. After evidence has been collected and analyses presented on the performance of measures aligned to each outcome, implementation action plans are updated or created to improve student learning, the student experience, and program quality and effectiveness.
Student Learning Outcomes describe graduates’ knowledge, skills and competencies gained, specific to their credential earned and informed by practices in the discipline and/or relevant accreditation associations. These outcomes are provided to students in several ways, within the course syllabi, on each department’s website, within the catalog or within an online course.
Program Outcomes describe operational goals to increase quality and effectiveness and are used to make decisions aligned to institutional renewal. These outcomes are shared through departmental communications and websites.
Evidence of Student Learning and Operational Effectiveness is collected at the university, program, department, unit, and course levels and are shared in several ways among all faculty, staff, administration and/or with program reviewers, and advisory boards. The assessment calendar is aligned to the planning and budgeting processes to inform decisions related to institutional renewal.
To ensure for sustainable and clear processes to support the evaluation of institutional effectiveness, resources and activities are collaboratively created and evaluated.
Assessment Resources are provided through trainings, support materials, and consultations with individuals or departments. A centralized area of support identifies where to go for assessment help or provides additional supports: University Assessment Resources (UNCW Faculty Staff Only) (https://uncw4.sharepoint.com/sites/UniversityAssessmentResources)
Assessment Activities regularly occur at all organizational levels of the university to ensure for a comprehensive assessment approach. The University Assessment Council (UAC) meets regularly during the year to coordinate assessment activities at the various levels, share assessment findings, and evaluate current assessment practice.
