As part of the Program Assessment Cycle, programs are to provide an annual update to the Provost’s office regarding their progress, successes, and challenges. The following template should be used to provide this update. Part of the update (items 1-4) should be submitted as a Word doc (suggested length approx. 2 pages) and part of the update (item 5) should be submitted via the Educational Assessment Application. Please use the time frame of the past year (summer 2023, fall 2023, spring 2024) for the update. For guidance on how to use the MU Educational Assessment App, click here.

Updates are due Monday, June 3, 2024. Please submit Parts 1-4 in one Word doc to Associate Provost Brian Houston. This will indicate that Part 5 has also been completed online.

Part 1: Noteworthy Accomplishments

Identify any noteworthy accomplishments the program has achieved in the past year.

Part 2: Progress towards Goals

Review progress toward goals and strategies identified in the Program Assessment report, including unanticipated challenges toward achieving program goals. Also note any changes in program goals and strategies and, where appropriate, their impact on student learning.

Part 3: Doctoral Graduates

Provide the names, contact information, and current positions of doctoral graduates during the past year (summer, fall, current spring semester graduates).

Part 4: External Awards

Indicate any external awards that your faculty applied for or were nominated for. Please indicate which ones were awarded and, if not awarded, if they plan to apply again.

Part 5: Assessing Learning Outcomes

A requirement of institutional accreditation is for each program to have clear curriculum alignment between Program Outcomes and Course Learning Objectives, as well as a plan for measuring student learning across Program Outcomes. If you need guidance on this topic, please visit the “Assessment of Student Learning” website. Within the Educational Assessment Application, please include the following:

1. Program Outcomes: Locate your department’s Program Outcomes for each degree program. These should define what students should know and/or be able to do by the end of their program. (Most departments will have established these in their last 5-year Program Review. Feel free to lift them from there. If your department has revised them since the last 5-year Program Review, then please include the revised versions here.) From within the application, select “Program Outcomes” on the left panel, click the relevant degree program, and add each outcome.

2. Direct Evidence of Student Learning: On the same form that you used above, identify your department’s approach to collecting direct evidence of student learning as it relates to the Program Outcomes. This involves identifying which assessment (e.g., capstone, embedded assessment, etc.) you will use to measure student learning for each program outcome. You are asked to (a) identify the assessment per program outcome; (b) identify the benchmark (minimally acceptable level of performance); (c) identify the target (desired percentage of students reaching or surpassing the benchmark); and (d) determine when your program will collect student learning data. (We will ask you to assess one Program Outcome per year in a rotating cycle. This strategy aims to evaluate all Program Outcomes within a 5-year period, ensuring a comprehensive and ongoing assessment process.) For guidance on best practices for collecting direct evidence of student learning of program outcomes, see here.

For a walkthrough of the MU Educational Assessment App, see here.

[Updated 4/1/24]