Program-level Assessment

Program-level Assessment is designed around the premise of continuous improvement.  For academic units, this include improvement of student learning outcome achievement.  For non-academic units, this would include improvement in services offered and constituent perceptions of services rendered.  The Office of Institutional Effectiveness supports all units on campus with their program-level assessment efforts.  Below is the general program-level assessment structure:

Assessment Levels Diagram 

 Grambling State University has adopted a Continuous Improvement model, and the Office of Assessment assists all programs with the planning, data collection, data analysis, interpretation, and reporting on their efforts.  The Continuous Improvement model includes three major assessment areas:

Benefits of Program-level Assessment

 Because Assessment can...  Faculty Can...  Staff Can...
 Provide information about the knowledge and skills students have...  Faculty can design instruction to target the knowledge and skills students should have upon finishing a course and better determine the levels of thinking and reasoning appropriate for the course.  Staff can provide targeted programs to support the students' success and university climate as they progress through the institution.
 Provide reliable data on student learning...  Faculty can rely less on the comments that appear on student evaluations as indicators of their success in teaching.  Staff can engage students where they are and provide the support systems that will encourage ongoing success.
 Make available richer data...  Faculty can engage in more productive conversations about the status of student achievement and make better decisions about how it might be improved.  Staff can communicate a more complete picture about how their units contribute to the overall learning experience, including the knowledge, skills, and abilities they teach.
 Provide evidence that faculty and staff make a difference in student learning... Faculty and staff can enjoy greater satisfaction in their work as educators and their contributions toward achieving the Mission of GSU.  
 Offer a larger view of student needs and accomplishments...  Faculty can identify directions for future instructional development.  Staff can proactively work and adapt the changing landscape of the institution to meet the needs of all students.