The Assessment Calendar

Middle States Accreditation Standard 7 requires that effective institutional Assessment Plans establish a clear timeline for conducting assessment practices.  To meet this requirement, the Assessment Core Workforce recommends that SRU adapt the "Assessment Calendar" as the standardized cycle of assessment activity for the university community.

Close of Spring Semester:

Responding to Provost's Directive, Deans request "Yearly Report of Assessment Progress" from all academic departments.  All departments produce and forward copies of the report to their Dean and the Provost's office at the end of the semester.

Summer:

Deans and Department Chairs review and discuss each department's report to identify areas of perceived strength and weakness.

Assessment Coordinator reviews reports to monitor progress to meeting Middle States Standards of effective assessment practice and to compile information necessary to University's Assessment reporting.

Assessment Coordinator reports to Deans and Chairs regarding departmental assessment needs.

Fall Semester:

Early in the semester, Department members participate in a review and discussion of the department's Assessment Report.  A variety of recommendations and alterations to a degree program's curriculum are made.

Changes requiring action through the University's curricular process are proposed and carried forward through the academic year.

Spring Semester:

Deans request the "Yearly Report of Assessment Activity" from all academic departments.  Departments have by this time used assessment results to make changes to their curriculum.  Departments continue to collect data and make observations on student learning outcomes.  At the end of this first cycle, all departments are able to answer the question:  "How are you using assessment to improve student learning?"  The cycle is repeated.