Assessment
As costs have risen, the value of higher education is increasingly being questioned by parents, students, government agencies and accrediting bodies. Recognizing the validity of these concerns, Bucknell engages in the process of outcomes assessment.
At Bucknell, outcomes assessment serves two primary functions:
- To provide evidence that our students are learning and developing in and out of the classroom, consistent with Bucknell's mission and educational goals, and that our institutional policies, resources and services are appropriately supporting Bucknell's Strategic Plan.
- To provide a mechanism for a continued improvement of all facets of Bucknell education.
Excellence in Assessment
Bucknell's Assessment web pages were selected as a Featured Website by the National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment. Bucknell University was selected as a 2019 Excellence Award Designee by the National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment.
The Assessment Process
The assessment process consists, in effect, of three basic steps:
- Set our goals and desired outcomes.
- Measure to see how well we are meeting those goals and outcomes.
- Continuously use the data obtained through assessment to improve what we are doing and how.
Whether we assess student learning or our operational effectiveness, two guiding principles for good assessment are:
- That it be useful and meaningful.
- That it be sustainable over time.
Our Role
The Office of Institutional Research & Analytics is instrumental in consulting on and supporting assessment. Associate Vice President & Chief Analytics Officer Kevork Horissian and Assessment Coordinator Wei You support and assist all campus departments (academic as well as student support services) in the development of assessment plans and reports, including providing University and unit-level data, designing surveys & studies and analyzing data.
Our office has the following responsibilities with regard to assessment at Bucknell University:
- To provide ongoing logistical support in all stages of assessment to academic, co-curricular and administrative departments, from planning, through data collection and analysis, to "closing the loop."
- To support, and closely collaborate with, faculty-led committees on assessment of student learning, including general education outcomes.
- To organize workshops and other professional development opportunities for faculty and staff, in order to share recent research and best practices in assessment.
- To review annual departmental assessment reports and provide feedback and guidance to departments.
- To promote a culture of assessment and evidence-based planning and decision-making.