St. Cloud State University Policies & Procedures

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Current Status: Approved

Policy Type: All University

Effective Date: 09/03/2015

Last Updated: 05/13/2022

Applies To: Students, Faculty, Staff

Responsible University Officer: Interim Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs

Policy Owner: Interim Faculty Fellow for Assessment

Policy Contact: Assessment and Accreditation Coordinator

Rationale

St. Cloud State University is committed to assessment at all levels. Assessment data is used to understand, achieve, and improve student learning outcomes in support of the University’s commitment to continuous improvement. Additionally, the University’s assessment activities should meet criteria and core components defined by the Higher Learning Commission.

This policy articulates and establishes the expectations, structure and principles that will:

Underpin the expectations for quality assessment at St. Cloud State University.

Support students’ development and progressive demonstration of the institutional outcomes in the Our Husky Compact.
Inform the development of curriculum, both academic and co-curricular, and program quality and
Encourage faculty to use participation in assessment activities as part of the documentation of personal and professional growth.
Encompass program review and programmatic accreditation.

Policy

St. Cloud State University’s Assessment policy applies to all coursework in programs offered at the University, assessment tasks at unit and program or course level, and those who administer and oversee those assessment tasks. All academic programs, co-curricular programs, and St. Cloud State University’s Our Husky Compact (institutional learning outcomes) will have an active and complete assessment plan on file with the Office of Strategy, Planning and Effectiveness.

Acquiring assessment data to continuously improve academic programs, student learning outcomes for both current and future students, and student services will require periodic measurement of student intellectual abilities, personal growth, and perceptions related to the St. Cloud State University (SCSU) experience. All students are expected to participate in assessment activities, including but not limited to:

examinations in general education
test of intellectual skills specific to major/minor fields of study
opinion surveys regarding specific services and/or the total university experience

Assessment Steering Committee (Committee is under review through AY 23)

Leadership, oversight and coordination of assessment is managed through the SCSU university-wide Assessment Steering Committee, which meets regularly during the school year. University-level responsibility for implementing and reporting SCSU’s Assessment Policy and staffing the Assessment Steering Committee resides within the Office of Assessment & Accreditation.

The Assessment Steering Committee is expected to:

Support programs and units in the implementation of effective assessment including ongoing continuous improvement and regular program review;
Oversee the gathering, analyzing and reporting of data related to undergraduate, graduate and co-curricular programmatic outcomes;
Facilitate and monitor assessment of the Liberal Education Program (LEP) and Our Husky Compact (OHC);
Provide and promote professional development opportunities related to assessment techniques and best practices;
Implement technology to coordinate, track and report on assessment;
Regularly provide assessment reporting feedback and guidance to Deans and programs via meta-assessment and other communications;
Liaise between the university committee, college/school/unit committees, deans, department chairs, faculty, and staff within their unit;
Document and report on assessment activities and learning outcomes achievement as required by the Higher Learning Commission, accrediting agencies and Minnesota State Colleges & Universities Board of Trustees.

College/School/Unit Assessment Committee

Each area responsible for curricular and co-curricular activities will have a College/School/Unit Assessment Committee to ensure the regularization and coordination of annual assessment processes including programmatic, LEP and OHC reporting, training and other forms of support within the unit, and annual reporting on outcomes. Representation from each unit committee will serve on the university-wide Assessment Steering Committee.

The College/School Unit Assessment Committee is expected to:

Support programs within the unit in the implementation of effective assessment including ongoing continuous improvement and regular program review;
Oversee the gathering, analyzing and reporting of data related to undergraduate, graduate and co-curricular programmatic outcomes;
Facilitate and monitor unit-wide assessment of the LEP and OHC;
Facilitate the implementation of university-wide assessment policies, procedures and initiatives at the unit level;
Provide and promote professional development opportunities related to unit-specific assessment needs;
Liaise between their unit and the Assessment Steering Committee, regularly providing feedback and guidance;
Document and report on assessment activities and learning outcomes achievement as required by program review (APIP), and unit and program-level accreditation.

For information about committee membership for both the university-wide and the college/school/unit committees, see the Supporting Documents section of this policy.

Procedure

Assessment plans, reports, and other activities follow an annual timeline (see Guidelines Section).

Assessment Plans

Active and complete assessment plans submitted to the Office of Strategy, Planning and Effectiveness must contain the following components:

Mission Statement
Learning Outcomes and Measures
Outcome Map (defining which learning outcomes are taught in which courses, programs or events)
Timeline (defining which outcomes will be assessed at what time or during a particular cycle)

Assessment plans are submitted and maintained within SCSU’s official assessment management system (see Supporting URLs). Each reporting area will designate an employee responsible for submitting the assessment plan.

Assessment Reports

Annually, programs and units will submit an assessment report that will include assessment activity for the year, analysis of the data and information collected through the assessment process, and actions and changes that occur as a result of assessment data. In order to demonstrate continuous improvement, this report will include an evaluation of the actions and changes discussed in previous annual reporting. Annual assessment reporting will be made via SCSU’s official assessment management system (see Supporting URLs). Each reporting area will designate an employee responsible for submitting the assessment report.

Annually, college/school/units will submit a summary assessment report that outlines activities for that unit, including updates to their assessment structure and evidence of continuous improvement at the unit-level.

Assessment Steering Committee (Committee is under review through AY 23)

*Committee activity is suspended while Academic Affairs reviews this procedure. Refer questions about Assessment during this review to Michele Mumm, Assistant Provost for Institutional Effectiveness & Academic Quality (Interim).

The university-wide Assessment Steering Committee will utilize submitted assessment reports to annually design, implement and monitor the comprehensive assessment program at St. Cloud State University. This committee will make recommendations to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs for evaluating and improving student learning across the University via an annual comprehensive university assessment report.

Guidelines

Assessment Timeline:

All dates will repeat annually. For specific dates, definitions, etc. in the current academic year contact the Assessment Office or reference the assessment website.

May

All programs will have a complete or updated Assessment Plan with details regarding when and how SLOs will be assessed. Outcomes, measures, curriculum map and timeline will be entered into the assessment management system.

October

Fall assessment day activities.

October 31

Annually, the results and analysis of student learning outcomes assessment, recommendations and actions based upon those results, and “Closing the Loop” on previous recommendations and actions will be entered into the assessment management system. Reports also should include action items that require budgetary support.

November 20

Annual College/School/Unit assessment reports will be submitted to the University Assessment office.

First duty day in January

Annual University Assessment report is completed and submitted to the Vice President of Planning and Engagement.

April or May (depending upon the academic calendar)

Spring Assessment Day

Keywords

strategic plan, program review, department analysis

Supporting Documents (Forms, Instructions)

Supporting URLs

Websites, Related External Documents, Statutes

Higher Learning Commission (HLC)

Our Husky Compact

Office of Assessment and Accreditation

Division of Planning and Engagement

Academic Affairs

Definitions

Employee

Any individual employed by Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, its colleges and universities and the system office, including but not limited to all faculty, staff, administrators, teaching assistants, graduate assistants, residence directors and student employees.

Student

All Persons or group of persons who:

Are enrolled in one or more courses, either credit or non-credit, through a college or university; or
Withdraw, transfer, or graduate after an alleged violation of the code of student conduct; or
Are not officially enrolled for a particular term but who have a continuing relationship with the college or university; or
Have been notified of their acceptance for admission or have initiated the process of application for admission or financial aid; or
Are not college or university employees and are not enrolled in the institution but live in a college or university owned or controlled residence hall.

Active Student:

Criteria 1:

A degree-seeking student who has completed the enrollment process and has been admitted into the University, an undergraduate major or a graduate program of study; or
A degree-seeking student who has completed the enrollment process and has not yet been admitted into the University, and undergraduate major or a graduate program of study; or
A student seeking a graduate certificate

Criteria 2:

The student must have registered into and successfully completed at least one credit in a semester in the previous two years.

A student who fulfills Criteria 1, will cease to be an active student at the University if they do not register for and successfully complete at least one credit in a semester within two years, will be administratively removed from the University and be categorized as inactive.

The credits that the student accumulates as an active student will not expire upon becoming an inactive student, unless the student has been admitted to a graduate program, refer to the Graduate Student Handbook for the program completion timeframe guidelines.

Graduate Studies at SCSU has procedures for an admitted student to request a leave or absence, please see the Graduate Student Handbook for information on that process.

An inactive student intending to return to the University will not have to reapply for admission to the University, but will need to reapply for admission into a current program of study.

Contacts

Responsible University Officer Pattit, Katherina G. Interim Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs	katherina.pattit@stcloudstate.edu 320-308-3213
Owner Finch, Laura M. Interim Faculty Fellow for Assessment	lmfinch@stcloudstate.edu 320-308-6002
Contact Evers, Holly Assessment and Accreditation Coordinator	hpevers@stcloudstate.edu 320-308-2942

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