Assessment and Accreditation
NWCCU requires that program outcomes and course goals be meaningful, assessable and verifiable
- Meaningful: Aligned to something larger we value – e.g., course goals may align with program outcomes, ULO’s or external standards.
- Assessable: Measurable, either directly, if the goal/outcome is stated specifically enough OR Indirectly, through a preponderance of evidence that points to the achievement of a more abstract goal
- Verifiable: Students demonstrate achievement, instruments retain reasonable inter-rater reliability, evidence (artifacts that reflect student learning) is retained.
NWCCU requires a university wide system for alignment, assessment and improvement.
- Align: Coordination of curriculum so that courses contribute to stated outcomes.
- Assess: Collective study of curricular effectiveness as revealed through student work.
- Evolve: Courses, curriculum and pedagogy change when assessment findings point to areas needing improvement.
- Excel: We close the loop and continue the process to ensure that together, we succeed. (1) Try something, (2) study results, (3) evolve in response to findings, and (4) study change to see how that goes.
NWCCU Accreditation Documents