Assessment
What is Assessment?
Assessment is the ongoing and systematic process of identifying objectives and means to measure them, gathering measurements of the objectives, using the information to make decisions about improvement and implementing improvements based on the data gathered. The most important aspect of this definition, if emphasis could be drawn to one item, is the using of information.
Who is Involved in Assessment at TAMIU?
All undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs, educational services, and administrative offices at TAMIU identify expected outcomes and annually assess the extent to which outcomes are met. Assessment results are used to drive continuous improvement, ensuring the institution provides a high quality education while complying with the SACSCOC Principals of Accreditation.
The Office of Institutional Assessment, Research & Planning supports the annual assessment process and comprehensive review of our programs and offices. OIARP additionally provides ongoing workshops and individualized sessions for faculty and staff. Sessions assist in facilitation of meaningful assessment cycles to provide useful evidence in making informed decisions to better TAMIU for its stakeholders.
What does the Assessment Process Look Like?
The Assessment Process is divided into four essential stages: planning, data collection, data analysis/reporting, and use of results for improvement. Each phase of the process includes all program faculty (undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs) and administrative educational support units staff at TAMIU in our assessment efforts, and ensures everyone understands his/her role. The assessment process allows programs/units to 1) identify which program learning outcomes (PLOs), performance objectives (OBJs) or student learning outcomes (SLOs) will be assessed this academic year and determine how and when those PLOs, OBJs, or SLOs will be assessed, 2) assign responsibility to faculty or staff for data collection (3) analyze the data, and 4) determine what improvements need to be made for the continued success for our students and stakeholders of TAMIU.
Student Achievement
This page is currently being updated. We apologize for any inconveniences this causes. Once updated this page will contain our institution’s goals and outcomes for students’ achievement appropriate to our mission, our students, and our programs offered at TAMIU. It will also display our university’s criteria and thresholds of acceptability of those goals and outcomes. Please check back Summer 2020!
Academic Program Assessment
Expectations:
Academic programs will be engaged in the assessment process by explicitly stating program learning outcomes, continuously evaluating students’ achievement of those outcomes, providing evidence that results have been used to consider programs, and demonstrating that assessment is ongoing and continuous.
Process:
All transcribed certificates offered for credit by TAMIU, undergraduate, graduate, and minor programs are expected to fully participate in the assessment process. All programs are responsible for following our Annual Assessment of Academic Programs workflow through AEFIS.
2019-2020 Assessment Timeline:
Academic Program Assessment (APA) Application and Assessment Guidelines:
Department Academic Liaison Feedback for Academic Plans
Rubric for Evaluating and Providing Feedback for Academic Plans
Department Academic Liaison Feedback for Academic Report
Rubric for Evaluating and Providing Feedback for Academic Report
Instructions:
Using AEFIS for Academic Planning ~ Program Coordinators
Using AEFIS for Academic Planning ~ Department Chairs
Using AEFIS for Academic Reporting ~ Program Coordinators
Using AEFIS for Academic Reporting ~ Department Chairs
How to Locate Past Assessment Reports on AEFIS
Basic Expectations for the Assessment Process:
1) Learning Outcomes – Each program and transcribed certificate must have a set of comprehensive program learning outcomes which are measurable (i.e., need to use action verbs such as those found in the Bloom’s tables) and can all be assessed within a 3-year cycle. We generally recommend narrowing down the list of outcomes to 3 to 5 high-level outcomes (e.g., analyzing, synthesizing, creating, etc.) the faculty would expect students to be able to do or know as a result of graduating from the program.
2) Measures – Each program and transcribed certificate must use direct measures of learning that are aligned with the outcomes. When done well and in the aggregate, these methods will allow programs to determine not only the extent to which students achieved the outcome, but will allow faculty to identify both strengths and areas for improvement for the program, which is a requirement of the process.
3) Data Analysis & Reporting – Data Analysis allows programs to 1) determine whether or not students met the benchmark, 2) make necessary improvements as a result of the new information, and 3) identify themes and trends in program assessment. It is recommended that degree programs incorporate the analysis of all assessment data as a routine part of departmental functioning. The data gathered for each PLO should be analyzed and evaluated either on a semester or annual basis.
4) Using Results for Improvement – The use of results for improvement may be one of the most significant aspects of the assessment phase. It involves program faculty working together in closely examining the results to improve the quality of students’ experiences and learning. It is important to learn from the assessment results to “close the loop” rather than simply maintaining the benchmark or criterion. There is no one, right way to use information for decision making; as long as you’re collecting data and using the findings to inform next steps, then you’re on the right path. Some examples changes you might think about using assessment information are teaching approaches, curriculum changes, and/or change assessment processes.
Your action plan due to assessment results, as well as, your data analysis will be the final entry into the AEFIS Data Collection in the assessment process.
Resources
All programs and transcribed certificates are encouraged to utilize any of the resources below throughout the assessment process.
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- How to Plan Assessment – Presentation Slides
- Analyzing and Collecting Data - PowerPoint Presentation
- Using Assessment Results for Continuous Improvement - PowerPoint Presentation
- Writing a Program Mission Statement Worksheets
- How to Create a PLO Worksheet
- How to Write a PLO Worksheet
- PLO Examples
- Guidelines for Creating Program Learning Outcomes
- Direct Versus Indirect Measures
- Guidelines for Selecting Measures
Have questions, concerns, or feedback? Send an e-mail.
Administrative and Educational Support Units
Overview:
The purpose of AES assessment process is to ensure that all units progress in their mission to promote success of the whole student at TAMIU. Educational Support units that have a direct connection to student learning/development assess student learning outcomes. Administrative units that do not directly impact student learning assess unit level program/administrative objectives.
Process:
All administrative and educational support units are expected to fully participate in the assessment process. All units are responsible for following our Annual Assessment of Administrative and Educational Support Units workflow through AEFIS.
2019-2020 Assessment Timeline:
Administrative and Educational Support Units (AES) Application and Assessment Guidelines:
Reviewer Feedback for AES Plans
Rubric for Evaluating and Providing Feedback for AES Plans
Reviewer Feedback for AES Report
Rubric for Evaluating and Providing Feedback for AES Report
Instructions:
Using AEFIS for Assessment Planning ~ Office Coordinators
Using AEFIS for Assessment Planning ~ Office Reviewers
Using AEFIS for Assessment Reporting ~ Office Coordinators (COMING SOON!)
Using AEFIS for Assessment Reporting ~ Office Reviewers (COMING SOON!)
How to Locate Past Assessment Reports on AEFIS
Resources
All Administrative and Educational Support units are encouraged to utilize any of the resources below throughout the assessment process.
General Education Core
What is the Core Curriculum?
The Texas A&M International Core Curriculum, in compliance with the Texas Core Curriculum, is a set of common courses that are required of all undergraduate students and are considered the necessary general education for students, no matter their choice in major. The Core Curriculum ensures that students will be provided with the essential knowledge and skills to succeed in college, their careers, their communities, and in life. Through the core curriculum, students will (1) gain a foundation of knowledge of human cultures and the physical and natural world, (2) develop principles of personal and social responsibility for living in a diverse world, and (3) advance intellectual and practical skills that are essential for lifelong learning.
When is the Core Curriculum assessed?
Institutional Outcomes, Objectives, and Marketable Skills
Institutional Outcomes ~ Information Coming Soon!
Program Learning Outcomes ~ Information Coming Soon!
Assessment Deadlines
Important Due Dates for 2019-2020
|
Academic Program Assessment 2019-2020 |
|
|---|---|
|
Assessment Plan Support Weeks (Program Coordinators) |
11/13/2019 - 11/22/2019 |
|
Initial Draft Assessment Plan Due |
11/22/2019 |
|
Support Week (Chair) |
01/6/2020 – 01/10/2020 |
|
Chair Feedback and Review for Assessment Plan |
01/10/2020 |
| Final Assessment Plan Due |
01/21/2020 |
|
Assessment Report Support Weeks (Program Coordinators) |
08/31/2020 - 09/11/2020 |
|
Initial Draft of Assessment Report Due |
09/11/2020 |
|
Support Week (Chair) |
09/14/2020 - 09/18/2020 |
|
Chair Feedback and Review for Assessment Report |
09/18/2020 |
|
Final Assessment Report Due |
09/25/2020 |
|
Administrative & Educational Support Units Assessment 2019-2020 |
|
|---|---|
|
Assessment Plan Support Weeks (Office Coordinators) |
02/17/2020 – 02/28/2020 |
|
Initial Draft Assessment Plan Due |
03/01/2020 |
|
Support Week (Office Reviewer) |
03/02/2020 – 03/12/2020 |
|
Reviewer Feedback for Assessment Plan Due |
03/12/2020 |
| Final Assessment Plan Due |
03/26/2020 |
|
Assessment Report Support Weeks (Office Coordinators) |
09/14/2020 – 09/25/2020 |
|
Initial Draft of Assessment Report Due |
09/27/2020 |
|
Support Week (Office Reviewer) |
10/01/2020 – 10/09/2020 |
|
Reviewer Feedback for Assessment Report |
10/11/2020 |
|
Final Assessment Report Due |
10/18/2020 |
|
Core Curriculum Assessment 2019-2020 |
|
|---|---|
|
Fall Data |
Coming Soon |
|
Spring Data |
Coming Soon |