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Co-Curricular Program Assessment Process

What’s Assessed?

According to The Higher Learning Commission, co-curricular refers to “Learning activities, programs, and experiences that reinforce the institution’s mission and values and complement the formal curriculum.” 

Co-Curricular units assess their programs in accordance with the University-wide co-curricular learning outcomes:   

  1. Career-readiness  
  2. Teamwork and Leadership  
  3. Global and Cultural Awareness  
  4. Community and Civic Engagement  
  5. Life Skills, Health, and Wellness  

The Assessment Process

Co-curricular Program Assessment follows these basic steps: 

  1. Units begin the process by mapping their program goals and outcomes against our university wide learning outcomes to determine where alignments occur. Though some programs may align with more than one outcome, no program is expected to address all five. 
  2. Leaders then develop – or identify existing – methods of measuring the outcomes with which their programs align. These methods often include indirect measures such as  employer surveys, observation reports, and student reflections. 
  3. Once the data is collected, assessors interpret the results and identify further opportunities for support and improvement of student learning.
  4. From there, units decide what actions they will take to strengthen student learning (and/or their assessment processes).
  5. Finally, they outline their plans for re-assessment of each LO and, if they choose, propose a plan for assessment of additional programs--and/or outcomes addressed – within their unit.

Once the process is complete, they develop and submit their annual reports, which are due by June 30th each year.

Evaluation and Feedback

Co-curricular programs receive detailed feedback from the Director of Assessment on the processes proposed or implemented in their annual submissions.  Unit professionals are also invited to attend a follow-up workshop each fall, during which they share experiences, discuss common challenges, and devise innovative methods of assessing student learning within their programs.