Program Assessment
Assessment takes place at the program-level through the Academic Program Review (APR) and through the ongoing assessment of student learning outcomes which are set out in each program’s formal assessment plan.
Academic Program Review (APR)
The APR is an important component of the College’s overall strategic planning and continuous improvement as it ensures that all programs and disciplines are appropriately aligned with and are meeting the College’s Mission. Each academic program/certificate and discipline is reviewed formally on a 5-year cycle through the APR process. This rigorous 2-year review process culminates in a formal plan of action that is to be carried out and closely monitored by the program coordinator/director and program faculty over the next 2-5 years. There are two different academic program reviews:
- The comprehensive APR for use with all credit and non-credit programs and academic disciplines that do not have separate accreditation guidelines and review processes. Information on how to conduct this type of APR can be found in “The Guidelines for Conducting an Academic Program Review: A Handbook for Program Directors, Coordinators and Faculty.”
- The modified APR is for all programs that have external accreditation standards and complete a required self study process. Information on the Modified APR can be found in the “Guidelines for Conducting a Modified APR.”
The most current APR schedules can be found by clicking on “Schedule of APRs” and “Schedule of committee dates.”
Program Assessment Plans
Each academic program/certificate/discipline must have an official assessment plan on file in the Office of the Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs. Results of each assessment plan are reported on an annual basis to the All-College Assessment Committee. This Committee also approves all program/discipline assessment plans. Directions for preparing an assessment plan can be found in the document entitled ”Outcomes Assessment Guidelines and Resources for Programs and Disciplines”.
