ACE Assessment Digest

Current Issue

ACE Assessment Digest | January 2023

In this issue:

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Reminder: 2022 Undergraduate Degree Program Assessment Reporting Window Open and Drop-in Support in Zoom

WSU undergraduate degree programs are responsible for reporting annually on program-level assessment, submitting a report during the open reporting window — anytime from mid-December 2022 through February 2023. Undergraduate programs will again use Qualtrics to submit their 2022 annual report about program assessment conducted during the 2022 calendar year (Jan 1 – Dec 31) and program assessment coordinators received emails from ace.office@wsu.edu in mid-December with unique links to access the Qualtrics form.

For information and resources related to annual reporting, visit our Annual Program Assessment Reporting webpages. We are also available to help assessment coordinators complete the report during our drop-in hours in Zoom: Each Friday in January and February from 2-4 pm.

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Mark Your Calendars for NSSE 2023 Promotion

Help get the word out to eligible senior and first-year students on all WSU campuses about NSSE 2023! The main window for NSSE 2023 promotion will be March 1st – 31st. The nsse.wsu.edu website has additional information about key dates and materials to help faculty and staff promote the NSSE 2023 survey at WSU, including:

• In-Class Promotion
• Digital Displays, Posters, and Social Media
• Newsletters and Other Mass Messaging

Every two years, WSU participates in the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) to help assess senior and first-year student engagement in educational practices associated with high levels of learning and development. After each administration, our office collaborates with WSU’s Office of Institutional Research to disaggregate results for undergraduate degree programs and colleges, focusing on responses from seniors. These disaggregated NSSE reports are distributed to WSU programs in which 10 or more seniors respond to survey. See our webpage focused on NSSE for program-level assessment for more information.

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Program-level Student Learning Outcomes Toolkit: Resources for Developing and Updating Program-level SLOs

Program-level student learning outcomes (SLOs) identify core skills and knowledge that students are expected to achieve as they complete a program (e.g., core courses and electives for the major). The process of developing and regularly updating program-level SLOs invites faculty to reflect on and translate disciplinary knowledge and skills into clear expectations for students in the major. Our Program-level SLOs Toolkit includes resources intended to help WSU programs and faculty as they develop or update their program-level SLOs, including our:

• Quick Guide to Program-level SLOs (PDF)
• Quality Checklist for Program-level SLOs (DOCX)

We are also available to collaborate with undergraduate degree programs to develop or update program-level SLOs; contact us for additional information.

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Reporting Program Assessment Activities in Activity Insight for Faculty Annual Review

WSU’s faculty manual provides recognition for faculty participation in program-level assessment in the annual review process, as part of Teaching or Service accomplishments, depending on the activity. This aligns with the university’s EPPM policies on assessment, which include recognizing assessment work in annual review at all levels.

Activity Insight continues to include drop-down menus and built-in prompts for assessment activities connected to teaching and curriculum in the Teaching/Mentoring section, as well as the ability to report work coordinating assessment and serving on related committees in the Service section. For more information, see our 2020 blog about reporting program assessment activities in Activity Insight.

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Linda Suskie’s Blog on the Difference Between Course-level and Program-level Student Learning Outcomes

Student learning outcomes (SLOs) identify core skills and knowledge that students are expected to demonstrate upon successful completion of a learning experience (e.g., course, program, degree). While course-level SLOs are relatively narrow in scope and articulate what students are expected to achieve as they complete a course, program-level SLOs are broader in scope and articulate what students are expected to achieve as they complete a program (e.g., core courses and electives for the major). For more information, see Linda Suskie’s blog on the difference between course-level and program-level SLOs.

As mentioned in the blog, Chapter 4 of Linda Suskie’s book Assessing Student Learning: A Common Sense Guide further discusses student learning outcomes; contact us if you’d like to borrow Suskie’s book.

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FYI – Calendar of Spring 2023 Dates Related to Program Assessment

Month	Date	Activity
Dec	Mid Dec	Program assessment coordinators receive an email from ACE with a unique link to their 2022 Undergraduate Program Assessment Reporting form in Qualtrics. Assessment coordinators can submit their report during the open reporting window — anytime from mid-Dec 2022 through Feb 2023.
Jan	6th, 13th, 20th, 27th	Drop-in hours in Zoom (2-4 pm) to help assessment coordinators complete their 2022 Undergraduate Program Assessment Report.
	9th	Fall 2022 [CAPS] Assessment Reports for UCORE are due (i.e., reporting closes).
	9th	First day of instruction for the spring term.
Feb	1st	Spring submission deadline for major Curricular Change Requests for new and revised courses.
	3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th	Drop-in hours in Zoom (2-4 pm) to help assessment coordinators complete their 2022 Undergraduate Program Assessment Report.
	Early Feb	Fall 2022 [CAPS] instructors receive a pdf copy of their [CAPS] Assessment Report for UCORE from UCORE via email. Note: Typically, assessment in a [CAPS] course for majors can contribute toward degree program level assessment of student learning – see our resource related to [CAPS] Assessment Reporting for UCORE as part of degree program assessment.
	7th	Deadline for undergraduate students to drop a course without record.
	Late Feb	Spring 2023 [CAPS] instructors receive an email from UCORE with initial information about [CAPS] Assessment Reporting for UCORE for the spring term.
	28th	2022 Undergraduate Program Assessment Reports are due (i.e., reporting closes). Assessment coordinators (or another knowledgeable assessment contact) need to be available to answer questions until March 31.
March	1st - 31st	Main window for NSSE 2023 promotion.
April	14th	Deadline for undergraduate students to withdraw from a course.
	Mid to Late April	Each program will receive a PDF copy of their final 2022 Undergraduate Program Assessment Report from ACE for their continued use and archive.
	Late April	Spring 2023 [CAPS] instructors receive their link to the [CAPS] Assessment Reporting for UCORE form in Qualtrics via email (i.e., reporting opens).
	28th	Last day of instruction for the term.
May	9th	Final grade submission ends.
	12th	Spring 2023 [CAPS] Assessment Reports for UCORE are due (i.e., reporting closes).

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ACE Support for Program Assessment Efforts

We work with colleges and programs to assess student learning towards the improvement of undergraduate degree programs. ACE also provides assessment support for university-wide undergraduate education, serving all colleges, campuses, and UCORE general education. See What We Do for more information, including our mission.

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Copyright © WSU Office of Assessment for Curricular Effectiveness (ACE), All rights reserved.

ACE Assessment Digest is a bite-sized email, sent twice a semester, communicating timely information about undergraduate program assessment at WSU. To send feedback, tips, or to opt out, email ace.office@wsu.edu.

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