Who Benefits

Students

For students, Outcomes Assessment will:

• Communicate clear expectations about what is important in a course or program
• Reassure them that there is foundational content across all sections of a course
• Allow them to make better decisions about programs based on outcomes results

Faculty/Staff

For faculty and staff, participating in Outcomes Assessment will:

• Provide data to determine what's working and what's not working in their courses, programs and service area
• Provide reassurance that all faculty teaching a particular course agree to address foundational content (Course Outline)
• Facilitate valuable interdisciplinary and intercampus discussions
• Provide powerful evidence to justify needed resources to maintain or to improve programs
• Allow them to tell their story to individuals outside their area (e.g. administrators, employers, prospective students, transfer institutions, elected officials)

Administrators

For administrators, implementing college-wide Outcomes Assessment will:

• Demonstrate an institutional commitment to continually improving the academic programs and services offered by the College
• Provide informative data to support requests for funds from state and local government and private donors
• Inform academic planning and decision-making
• Enable administrators to inform elected officials, local businesses, and potential donors about the College's impact on our students and our community in a very compelling and convincing

Accreditation

Systematic Outcomes Assessment is now a requirement for accreditation by all higher education accrediting organizations. Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior College's (ACCJC) Standards of Excellence in higher education speak directly to the importance of creating a culture in which institutional effectiveness and student learning are highly valued by the College community.