Assessment & Program Review
Contact Us

Director of Assessment and Program Review
Ben Juliano
bjuliano@csuchico.edu

Assessment and Program Review

Annual program learning outcomes assessment and periodic program review are two interconnected processes that ensure continuous improvement of the academic programs we offer at Chico State. The diagram below illustrates this synergy:

Annual program learning outcomes assessment and periodic program review diagram

In the diagram above

  • Faculty are involved in regular course assessment each semester. They use direct, observable feedback from their students and our campus Student Feedback on Teaching and Learning (SFOT) survey at the end of the semester to make adjustments in the courses they teach.
  • Each year, faculty and chairs (or program directors/coordinators) conduct annual program learning outcomes (PLOs) assessment of their programs by evaluating and reporting on their students' achievement of PLOs selected for assessment in the prior academic year. Campus requires the submission of an Annual Program Assessment Report (APAR) from each academic program.
  • At least every 5 years, academic programs go through a periodic program review(opens in new window) process. Internal program reviews are subject to our campus program review process, while external program reviews are coordinated with discipline-specific accrediting agencies.
  • At least every 8 years, our university goes through a re-affirmation process to maintain Chico State's WSCUC accreditation.

The information from each enclosed process is used to apprise the next enclosing process; hence, it is critical that these processes are nurtured to sustain continuous improvement of our academic programs.

  • Terminology and Acronyms
    Institutions, academic disciplines, and even accrediting bodies use different terms for the same program assessment and accreditation concepts. To avoid confusion, the following terms (listed in alphabetical order) will be used in campus conversations about assessment and program review:
    • accreditation – the action or process of officially recognizing that an entity has met standards set by external regulators
    • accreditation liaison officer (ALO) – a campus employee who is the institution’s point of contact with the accrediting body on all matters pertaining to campus accreditation; the ALO coordinates the campus efforts to secure reaffirmation for accreditation
    • assessment – the gathering of data that can be used for the evaluation (see below) of the quality of a program (also compare direct versus indirect assessment methods below)
    • course learning outcomes (CLOs) – learning outcomes (see below) that students are expected to achieve upon successful completion of a course
    • criteria for review (CFR) – specific standards that can be evaluated to determine if a criterion has been met
    • criterion – a principle or standard by which something may be evaluated (see evaluation)
    • direct assessment method – examination of the actual student performance to determine what students learned and the extent to which students have met a learning outcome (compare with indirect assessment below); examples include faculty evaluated papers, tests, or performances
    • evaluation – the act of making a judgment based on the analysis of data meant to provide evidence that specific criteria have been met
    • formative assessment –gathering of data early in the cycle so the evaluation can lead to proactive improvements in learning opportunities for students from the same cohort (compare with summative assessment below)
    • indirect assessment method – complements direct assessment methods via the use of proxy signs to determine student learning (compare with direct assessment above); examples include surveys where students self-report what they have learned, or peer reviews of student work where faculty do not directly observe the review process
    • institutional learning outcomes (ILOs) – learning outcomes (see below) that students are expected to achieve by graduation
    • learning outcomes – measurable achievements that learners will be able to understand after the learning is complete; these describe specifically how learners will achieve the goals of the learning activity
    • program learning outcomes (PLOs) – learning outcomes (see above) that students are expected to achieve upon successfully completing degree program requirements; a.k.a. student learning outcomes or SLOs
    • program review – a process used to determine the viability of an academic program based on a set of criteria; external program review is also called program accreditation
    • stakeholder – any entity or group that has interest and stake for the well-being of a program
    • summative assessment – gathering of data late in the cycle so the evaluation can lead to reactive improvements in learning opportunities for students in future cohorts (compare with formative assessment above)
    • WASC – the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, was the accrediting agency our campus was accredited with; until 2012, WASC was a single organization with three units; in 2012, it separated into three organizations that share the WASC acronym as part of their name
    • WSCUC – the WASC (see above) Senior College and University Commission, is the institutional accrediting agency our campus is accredited with; this agency accredits colleges and universities, and it is one of three commissions that used to belong under the umbrella of WASC (see above); the other two education commissions are for community and junior colleges, and for schools

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