Student Learning Outcomes Assessment (SLOA)

 
SLOA summary reporting is now integrated with Academic Program Review reporting.  Your SLOA reporting will be due in November of academic years in which you have a mid-cycle or a full program review scheduled, and should discuss all assessment activity done since the last time you reported on SLOA.

Look up your Program Review and SLOA schedule

What is Assessment?

Assessment is an on-going process aimed at understanding and improving student learning. It involves making our expectations explicit and public; setting appropriate criteria and high standards for learning quality; systematically gathering, analyzing, and interpreting evidence to determine how well performance matches those expectations and standards; and using the resulting information to document, explain, and improve performance. When it is embedded effectively within larger institutional systems, assessment can help us focus our collective attention, examine our assumptions, and create a shared academic culture dedicated to assuring and improving the quality of higher education.
(Definition by The American Association for Higher Education (AAHE) Bulletin, 48 (2), November 1995, pp. 7-9.)

Reporting Requirements

SLOA: The chair of each department (or equivalent as identified by the Dean or Director) shall prepare a report/summary every two years in accordance with that department's Program Review and SLOA cycle, summarizing the educational effectiveness assessment activity for each certificate and degree program offered by that department. The reporting will ask departments to discuss assessment activity conducted for each program, and any conclusions drawn about the data or curricular improvements planned as a result of the assessments. If the assessment work indicates that an update to the SLOA plan is needed, the plans can be updated at any time using the assessment plan template provided.

The report/summary shall be submitted using the provided form link on this page. Beginning in fall 2022, submission schedules will be established for each program in coordination with the department's Program Review schedule. At least some information gathering for the SLOA process shall occur annually.

General Education: The review committee of the faculty senate shall prepare a report, at least biannually, summarizing the educational effectiveness of the components of the GER curriculum. This report shall be similar in content to the report described above for individual programs, but shall provide a summary for the components of the GER. The components of the GER may be summarized in the report on a rotational basis, but at least some information should be gathered annually.

Guidance and Tools

Departments will now submit reports using an online portal.  SLOA reporting is a component within the Academic Program Review report.  

Access the portal based on your current phase in the review cycle, and select your program(s) from the menu:
Keep the following in mind:
  • The student learning outcomes assessment activity you conduct should be aligned with the SLOA plan you have on file. Plans can be updated as needed using the template provided.
  • Reviewing the collected assessment data and materials should be a collaborative exercise involving multiple members of the department.
  • If your review concludes that students are not sufficiently meeting your intended outcomes, think about what curricular adaptations can be made to better address the related material. Be prepared to summarize your discussions around curricular change in your department's SLOA reporting.
Access current Student Learning Outcomes Assessment plans for any degree or certificate program using this link. Find your program alphabetically or use the search bar.

Assessment of General Education Curriculum

  General Education
Archived Core Assessment