Degree Program Assessment
Assessment of student learning has always been an important part of teaching and learning at UIC. Classroom instruction contributes to students’ achievement of the knowledge, skills, and abilities that a degree requires. Course level assessment, both during instruction and at the end of students’ training, provides information for departments to determine the degree to which students have achieved the expected knowledge, skills, and abilities. Departments also conduct assessment activities beyond the course level (e.g., standardized exams, thesis) to examine students’ levels of achievement.
Working with the Degree Program Assessment Committee, the Office of Academic Program Review and Assessment (APRA) has developed a campus-wide degree program assessment process that allows departments to document and provide evidence of their own program assessment. This process also gives departments an opportunity to improve implementation of program assessment.
Degree programs have gradually been involved in the assessment process since AY 2011-2012. By the end of AY 2014-2015, all degree programs participated and will continue to document program outcome assessment annually.
Assessment Process Overview Heading link
APRA coordinates degree program learning outcome assessment for all degree programs using a two-year cycle:
- During Year 1 of the cycle:
- Degree programs are invited to review and revise their learning outcomes during the fall semester. APRA staff are happy to support programs in this process if they would like assistance, or they can utilize the resources on our website to support their efforts.
- Degree programs identify two learning outcomes to be assessed this year for which they will report their assessment findings to our office. These learning outcomes should provide insight into timely topics most relevant to the program’s faculty.
- Degree programs will document their assessment by completing an assessment findings report. In this report, programs will document which outcomes they assessed, what their findings were, and what recommendations they made to sustain and/ or enhance teaching and learning based on their evidence.
- During Year 2 of the cycle:
- Degree programs should work on implementing the recommendations they made in their assessment findings report.
- Degree programs will complete an assessment implementation report that documents the extent to which they were successful in making progress on their stated recommendations.
This assessment cycle repeats accordingly every two years. All information about this process, including links to complete these reports, will be shared every fall semester to the director of each program. All assessment reports are expected to be completed and submitted to our office before the end of the spring semester every academic year.