Academic Assessment
North Arkansas College maintains procedures to assess student learning and educational outcomes. Assessment is essential to continuous improvement, and therefore a commitment to assessment is deeply embedded in College activities. Assessment applies not only to student learning and educational outcomes but to the College’s approach to improvement of institutional effectiveness.
For student learning, Northark is committed to assessment at the general and program level that proceeds from clear goals, involves faculty at all points in the process, and analyzes the assessment results. The College improves its programs or ancillary services, or other operations, based on those analyses. North Arkansas College reviews programs regularly, seeks external judgment, and benchmarks assessments. North Arkansas College directs attention to persistence and completion indicators of quality and foci for improvement.
The Mission of Academic Assessment is:
“To assist in the implementation and monitoring of the Plan for Academic Assessment, and to ensure utilization of the results and communication of results to constituencies. To review and use assessment data to develop and use processes which lead to continuous improvement.”
Northark, has developed and implemented a plan to assess student academic achievement, approved by the Faculty Senate. That plan describes the role of the faculty as follows: “to clearly identify expectations, to help determine what will be evaluated, to coordinate what is taught or enacted and what is evaluated, to provide the basis for communication among faculty, staff and administrators across the institution about important learning and operational outcomes, and to supply direction for co-curricular programs.” Specifically:
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All instructors state clearly on their syllabi the expected outcomes of student learning and the methods of measuring those outcomes.
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Instructors of multiple-section courses select a set of objectives common to all sections of that class; of course, instructors may add additional ones to their individual sections. These courses have a departmental final, a common core on the final, or a mastery test for all sections.
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All courses (unless specifically granted an exemption by the Assessment Director) have assignments targeted as Embedded Course Artifacts [ECA]. The instructors, as subject matter experts, have identified these specific assignments that directly measure their course outcomes. From these outcomes, overall “assessment matrices” linking course outcomes with program outcomes and the general learning outcomes have been created. These matrices and the Guided Pathways MAPs (My Academic Plans) were used to create “assessment maps” for each degree, technical certificate, and certificate of proficiency granted by the college. Data from these artifacts is to be collected at the end of every semester to be used as a direct measure of the effectiveness of instruction toward the Institutional GLOs.
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Program/Plan/MAP enrollment, degrees conferred, instructional trends, employment statistics, course enrollment and course success statistics are compiled and reviewed at the end of every Fall/Spring semester.
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Licensure, certification, and Industry Standard National Exam results are reviewed in applicable areas every year.
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In addition, faculty may participate in assessment in other ways such as:
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allowing class time for students in randomly selected general education courses to take the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE).
Academic Assessment procedures are aligned and integrated at the course, program (see Program Learning Outcomes) and Institution (see General Learning Outcomes) levels. Cocurricular Assessment procedures are aligned and integrated at the group/activity and Institution (see General Learning Outcomes) levels.
At the beginning of every academic semester, the Assessment Review Team (ART) meets to review assessment results and plan interventions with individual faculty members where appropriate. Each major academic department’s results will provide data from the Embedded Course Artifacts (ECA) and information from the national licensure or other national examinations mapped to the program curricula where applicable. Employment statistics, degrees conferred, success rates by department, and student course evaluations are also considered.
The departments will write an Assessment Improvement Plan (AIP) for all items meeting “flagged item criteria” (as defined in the Institutional Assessment Plan) in their respective areas of instruction. The AIPs are aligned with the strategic plan on a micro level for student success in each department. AIPs will be written to specifically address the “flagged item criteria” and will detail how the department intends to improve the results of those measures. These plans may involve curricular changes, additions, or deletions as well as changes within course content, to teaching and learning strategies, or to Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs). If there are curricular revisions, the departmental curriculum committee initiates the change, which folows to the college-wide Curriculum Committee.
Co-Curricular Assessment
At North Arkansas College, co-curricular activities promote, encourage and support student learning and success. In partnership with academic curricula, such activities educate the whole student, preparing each student as a life-long learner, an engaged professional, and a citizen of the world. Co-curricular activities typically occur outside of the formal classroom.
Student learning outcomes assessment is also an expectation for our ongoing accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC); specifically the HLC Criteria for Accreditation outline the standards to which we are held in ensuring that we evaluate the student learning we claim for students in both the academic and co-curricular environments:
Criterion Four. Teaching and Learning: Evaluation and Improvement. The institution demonstrates responsibility for the quality of its educational programs, learning environments, and support services, and it evaluates their effectiveness for student learning through processes designed to promote continuous improvement.
4.B. The institution demonstrates a commitment to educational achievement and improvement through ongoing assessment of student learning.
1. The institution has clearly stated goals for student learning and effective processes for assessment of student learning and achievement of learning goals.
2. The institution assesses achievement of the learning outcomes that it claims for its curricular and co-curricular programs.
3. The institution uses the information gained from assessment to improve student learning.
4. The institution’s processes and methodologies to assess student learning reflect good practice, including the substantial participation of faculty and other instructional staff members.
General Learning Outcomes
Faculty shall determine a set of General Learning Outcomes assessed in all academic programs. Common learning outcomes are integrated and aligned, with a mature, faculty-led academic assessment process overseen by the Assessment Director and approved by Faculty Senate, requiring on-going college-wide departmental and program assessment. Northark’s common outcomes for student learning, which are identified as six General Learning Outcomes (GLOs), are widely recognized and promoted through the use of common syllabi throughout departments.
Each instructional department links its courses to the College’s GLOs which are assessed through Embedded Course Assessments (ECA) and collected every semester. Results of assessment are presented to the Academic Review Team (ART) each semester to address gaps that inform the departmental action plans for the following year (see Academic Assessment).
The General Learning Outcomes North Arkansas College state that students will demonstrate mastery in:
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Critical thinking and problem solving across disciplines.
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Life skills in areas such as teamwork, interpersonal relationships, ethics, and study habits.
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Clearly communicating in written and oral formats.
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Using technology that is appropriate for learning.
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Understanding issues of a diverse global society.
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Using math and/or statistical skills.
Program Learning Outcomes
North Arkansas College ensures the academic program outcomes are relevant and aligned with student, workplace, and social needs. Program level learning outcomes and assessments are evaluated and reported at regular intervals. Program-level assessment is the process by which Northark faculty in programs formulate measurable outcomes for their overall program of study, collect student data from courses across the program in order to assess how well students are meeting the program outcomes, and make improvements in program curriculum to help students better achieve competency with the different outcomes. The purpose of program-level assessment is to 1) help students improve their performance on program outcomes and 2) help instructors across programs to better articulate and teach those outcomes. In addition to assessing program learning outcomes, Northark faculty are also informed by external bodies such as specialized accreditors, advisory councils, ADHE, HLC, and industry partners.
The purpose of determining program outcomes, broken down by division and department, is to provide relevant data to academic leaders and faculty in their individual areas of instruction for improving teaching and learning. It is the intent of this policy that these data, presented in this form, will allow Northark Faculty to see potential areas for improvement and the ability to directly address any potential areas of concern.
Transfer Curricula
North Arkansas College provides seamless transfer of academic credits from a completed designated transfer degree program to a baccalaureate degree program without the loss of earned credits and without the receiving institution requiring additional lower-level general education credits. The College seeks to eliminate unnecessary, duplicative, and/or hard-to-determine degree requirements when a transfer student has completed all courses required for the state minimum general education core and a transfer degree approved by the AHECB.
Guidelines for associate degrees that are fully transferable.
Associate of Arts. The Associate of Arts degree will be awarded to students who successfully complete a program of collegiate level work that is transferable toward a baccalaureate degree. The degree must include the 35-hour state minimum general education core (Appendix C) that requires courses in English/writing, the humanities and fine arts, history and the social sciences, mathematics, and the natural sciences. The curriculum must require a demonstration of competency in communications (oral and written) and mathematics, and a mastery of skills and knowledge against specified performance standards in specific areas or disciplines. Remedial/developmental education courses must be used for placement purposes only and cannot be used to fulfill degree requirements. Typically, the field of study is not specified in the degree title. The range of hours is 60-64 semester credit hours. Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board Policies Section 3.10 - Appendix B.
Associate of Science. The Associate of Science degree will be awarded to students who successfully complete a program of collegiate level work with an occupational objective of which the majority of occupational courses and all general education courses are transferable toward a baccalaureate degree. The degree must include the 35-hour state minimum general education core (Appendix C) that requires courses in English/writing, the humanities and fine arts, history and the social sciences, mathematics, and the natural sciences. The curriculum must require a demonstration of competency in communications (oral and written) and mathematics, and mastery of skills and knowledge against specified performance standards in specific areas or disciplines.
Remedial/developmental education courses must be used for placement purposes only and cannot be used to fulfill degree requirements. Typically, the field of study is not specified in the degree title. The range of hours is 60-72 semester credit hours.
Exceptions to the range will be allowed when required by accrediting or approval agencies.
Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board Policies Section 3.10 - Appendix B.
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