Institutional Learning Outcomes Assessment Plans

With input from the business community, the faculty of Walsh College identified and defined four Institutional Learning Outcomes that all students are expected to master upon graduation. The Institutional Learning Outcomes Assessment plan includes a variety of measures used collectively to evaluate student achievement of these outcomes.

Some of the measures include Major Field Tests, developed and published by the Educational Testing Service (ETS), and participation in the Collegiate Learning Assessment Plus (CLA+) , developed by the Council for Aid to Education (CAE). Additional measures include student, alumni, and employer surveys and course embedded assignments.

Academic Program Outcomes Assessment Plans

Each academic program has a plan, developed by the faculty, to assess student learning. Academic program assessment plans include a variety of qualitative and quantitative measures used collectively to evaluate student achievement of the program’s learning goals. These qualitative and quantitative measures can be either a direct or an indirect measure of student performance.

Examples of direct assessment measures include:

  • Pre and post tests
  • Major Field Test
  • Research Project
  • Case Study
  • Course Project
  • Project Presentation
  • Portfolio of Student Work
  • Performance on Licensure, Certification, or Performance Exams

Examples of indirect measures include:

  • Alumni Survey
  • Exit Survey
  • Focus Groups
  • Peer and Self-evaluations

A selection of student learning outcomes in each program is measured on a cyclical basis. Upon completion of the assessment activities, the Assessment Office compiles the results and shares that information with the academic department chair. The academic department chair, along with full-time faculty and representatives from the Assessment Committee, determines how the results will be used to improve both instruction and the program overall. In addition, the program-level outcomes assessment plans are evaluated on a cyclical basis and revised as needed to meet the focus of the program.