Program Assessment Plan
A program assessment plan serves the following purposes [1]:
- To facilitate continuous program-level improvement.
- To provide faculty and instructors with a clear understanding of how the program is assessed (e.g., what is being measured and when, who will collect the data and how the results will be used) with the ultimate goal to foster ongoing and systematic evaluation of student learning
- To define the program’s educational mission and the outcomes students are expected to demonstrate as a result of the program.
- To show the alignment of course curricula to the stated program outcomes, describe how the outcomes will be assessed and outline how results will be used.
An assessment plan answers four essential questions (see links for more information on each):
- Whatdo the faculty expect students to achieve by the end of the program? (learning objectives)
- Where does the teaching and learning take place? (curriculum map)
- Who does what in the department for program assessment? (a short description of responsibilities)
- How and When will you conduct the assessment? What evidence will you measure? How will you measure it? What is your timeline? How will you know if students are achieving the goals?
The “program” in “program assessment plan” refers to each standalone* academic degree and certificate program, and a plan should exist for each of these programs. If a department decides to develop an assessment plan at the department level – i.e., including multiple programs – then the plan should clearly define the plan for each standalone academic degree and certificate program in that department.
*A “standalone” program is one that leads to a singular award. A program assessment
plan is not required for each “combined” (accelerated, fast track, five year, etc)
program that leads to multiple awards, such as combined bachelors / masters degree
programs. Rather than assess combined programs, faculty assess the standalone award
components of those combined programs.
Examples and Templates
For a template and examples of an assessment plan please see Examples and Templates.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison has a helpful description of a basic assessment
plan and cycle. Please see their website.
[1] Adapted from University of Wisconsin-Madison Academic Program Assessment Plans-Guidelines and Templates, as visited June 2020