Guiding Principles

Co-curricular assessment across the Division of Student Life is designed with program improvement in mind. The Division follows an annual cycle focused on one-year goals for each department that are aligned with the Division-wide goals for that particular year. This model better aligns with the student cycle of involvement in co-curricular activities with an assessment process that can accurately represent the involvement for the particular year. 

 

Student Life Outcomes Assessment
  1. The university recognizes that the primary motive for co-curricular assessment is to improve student learning.
  2. The assessment of student learning should be meaningful to all stakeholders:
    1. Students will be better position to take responsibility for their own learning if educational goals and objectives are clearly defined and measured.
    2. The University of Northern Iowa is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. A primary component of achieving accreditation is evidence of an active program of assessment of student learning within all academic and co-curricular programs.
    3. Assessment provides staff and faculty with a forum to discuss student learning.
  3. Staff and faculty are expected to be active participants in assessment activities.
  4. As staff and faculty create common expectations for students, it may be helpful to consult the AAC&U value rubrics.
  5. Departments will engage in the continuous direct assessment of student learning.
    1. Activity-embedded assessment is an excellent example of a direct measure of student learning. For example, this may include direct observation of student performance in an activity or rubric-guided assessment of students’ written work.
    2. While indirect assessment (or indirect evidence) of student learning can provide a department with useful information, it should not be the sole evidence used to assess student learning and does not meet HLC requirements.
  6. Staff members leading co-curricular programs will demonstrate student achievement by engaging in the institutional-level assessment plan and processes. Visit the Assessment Processes page to learn more.
  7. Annual assessment reports must be submitted on or before June 30 each year.