Expectations

What are the expectations? 

In designing this process, we tried to balance making it as easy as possible while making it valid, reliable, and meaningful. To that end, below are the suggested recommendations for Outcomes Assessment at Mesa College.

• Six Year Timeline
• All Course Learning Outcomes (CLO), Program Learning Outcomes (PLO), Student Service Program Outcomes (SSPO), Student Service Area Outcomes (SSO), and Administrative Unit Outcomes (AUO) are assessed in the six-year
• Student involvement in the assessment review is encouraged
• Data that have been collected and analyzed should be discussed among faculty/staff/administrators at the conclusion of the assessment
• Data reporting which should include the results, the ensuing discussion, and plan of action will be systemized to ease the burden on faculty/staff/administrators
• Cross-over assessments are encouraged

Instruction

• Three to five Outcomes be developed and assessed for each Program
• Two to four Outcomes be developed and assessed for each Course
• For Course Outcomes, 5 sections or 30% of all sections (whichever is greater) are assessed. If a course has fewer than 5 sections offered in the semester the assessment is run, plan to assess all sections.
• Faculty consensus on the outcome and the assessment tool.

Student Services

• Two to five Outcomes be developed and assessed for each Service Area
• Two to five Outcomes be developed and assessed for each Program
• Staff consensus on the outcome and the assessment tool

Administrative Services

• Two to five Outcomes be developed and assessed for each Administrative Unit
• Staff consensus on the outcome and the assessment tool

Faculty/Staff Consensus

COA advises that there be consensus regarding the outcomes and the plan to assess them. All faculty teaching the course should share the same definition for the outcomes, regardless of who teaches it or where.   All faculty/staff should come to consensus regarding evaluation of a Student Service's Outcome Assessment. Administrators/staff should come to consensus regarding an Administrative Unit Outcome's assessment. Without common understanding of the outcome and the assessment process, results cannot be meaningful.

Share Course Learning Outcomes with Students

Course learning outcomes should be identified in your syllabus, and students should be aware of the expected learning outcomes for the course and how their performance on these will be assessed.  If a rubric will be used to score the assessment, students should receive the rubric before they participate in the assessment.  Post-assessment discussion with the students may help to clarify and to refine the assessment process as well as the resulting data.