Applying Assessment Practices

The Academic Senate supports student learning outcomes assessment as a means of understanding and improving student learning. This policy reaffirms that the senate is committed to the central role of faculty in the assessment process and the flexibility of academic programs in choosing assessment methods that will be most useful and appropriate. 

Reporting of assessment activities and how information gleaned from such activities has been used to improve programs will be reviewed by the Assessment Council through the assessment management system and as part of other activities (e.g., accreditation) that review the quality of academic programs. 

--Policy on Student Learning Outcomes at CMU 

Visit the Assessment Documents and Forms repository for more information on the policies, processes, and resources that support the CMU program-level assessment reporting process. 

Rubrics effectively help teachers to specifically and consistently assess and evaluate qualities of learning and communicate expected standards of learning and help students interpret their own level of performance, learn what must be done to improve performance and achieve higher standards of performance. 

The Assessment Toolkit contains resources for incorporating rubrics in program-level assessment activities, including the AAC&U Value Rubrics and guidance on developing your own rubrics. 

In addition, we encourage you to visit our Rubrics section of Explore Teaching and Learning for more helpful information on selecting and using rubrics, including access to the Rubric Repository. 

There are many meaningful and productive ways to structure assessment at the course, program, and institutional levels.  In the Assessment Toolkit repository, we’ve compiled some helpful resources around the following topics, and more! 

• Capstone Experiences in Assessment 
  
• Multiple Measures in Assessment 
  
• Survey Methods in Assessment 
  
• Portfolio Assessment 
  
• Extracurricular Learning and Assessment