WSU Expectations and Guidance for AY 2021-22 Undergraduate Program Assessment

This academic year, WSU recognizes that the COVID-19 pandemic context & impacts remain fluid and unpredictable, and that faculty, staff & students continue to manage concerns at work and home. As a result, there may be variation in the assessment that programs can accomplish this academic year. Below are expectations and guidance for undergraduate program assessment for AY 2021-22, which continues similar guidance from AY 2020-21, developed and approved in discussion with the Provost’s Office and the Liaison Council for Undergraduate Assessment (with representation from colleges and campuses offering undergraduate degrees).

For AY 2021-22, undergraduate degree programs are expected to:

1. Submit their 2021 program assessment report

• Undergraduate programs will use Qualtrics to submit their 2021 annual report about program assessment conducted during the 2021 calendar year (Jan 1 – Dec 31), during the open reporting window – anytime from mid-Dec 2021 through Feb 2022. (See Writing Your Program Report for more information.)
• Programs should contact ACE if they’d like help preparing their annual report.
• Note: Annual reporting is a university requirement.

2. Conduct some program-level assessment related activities

• Undergraduate programs should carry out some program assessment work this academic year, where possible, after taking into account program context and pressing questions.
  • Prioritize assessment that fits the program’s context and capacity, and that will advance meaningful program assessment in the future. Continue to collect assessments that are in place and feasible.

• Consider new or existing assessment practices that worked well in AY 2020-21.
• Work towards resuming or refreshing assessment that was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic last year.

• • For example, a program could choose among options like these:
    • Assess senior major achievement of a program-level student learning outcome: collect assessments that are in place and feasible, or take steps to interpret existing senior achievement data or to advance a senior direct assessment measure in another way.
    • Make use of existing assessment data (e.g., examine data already collected through a different lens or review complementary data sets in tandem)
    • Finish a project in progress (e.g., revising student learning outcomes for the program) or advance next steps (e.g., expanding an existing measure to include another campus or course)
• Contact ACE with questions or for support in assessment planning or activities.
• Note: Program assessment is a university expectation to support quality academic programs.

Additional Guidance

• To conserve and allocate faculty time this academic year, it’s important that the undergraduate program’s leadership group (chair/director, faculty assessment coordinator, undergraduate studies director or similar role) agree on priorities and feasibility.
• Where possible, choose something useful for undergraduate curriculum and program assessment.