|
Evaluation: CU-Boulder pays serious attention to evidence
about student completion rates, learning, satisfaction, and success after
graduation. We collect information on these measures annually or biannually
through several formal assessment programs, and study the resulting
time series for patterns of slippage and improvement. Academic programs,
student affairs units, and the campus as a whole have as a consequence
made changes in curriculum, teaching, advising, processing students' business
transactions, admissions communications, and many other areas. We
hope to increase emphasis on use of assessment results in the coming years. |
| 8A-8F are CCHE-specified areas
for assessment. CU-Boulder has extensive assessment activity in all these
areas. Details on CU-Boulder assessment activities are in a single
document; links noted below are to relevant points within the document,
which itself links to many CU-Boulder web sites relevant to assessment. |
| St8A |
Student learning
-- Details |
- CU-Boulder is known as a national leader in undergraduate outcomes
assessment, in part due to our comprehensive
assessment web site with
information on history, methods, results, and use of results to make changes
in curricula and teaching, and with summaries
of activities for individual units, including knowledge and skills
goals for majors.
- Assessment of learning at the graduate level occurs
in doctoral and masters comprehensive examinations, thesis and dissertation
committees, and public oral examinations
|
| St8B |
Student persistence and completion of educational objectives
-- Details |
CU-Boulder's enrollment management team monitors persistence and
graduation rates. We compare these rates over time and with other public research
institutions with similar students; see our
web site
on retention and graduation rates. We also monitor persistence of
various subpopulations in order to improve programs. Campus-wide persistence rates
have increased since 1996 but nevertheless remain the focus of serious
campus attention. |
St8C
St8D
St8E |
Placement rates
Transfer rates
After-graduation performance
-- Details |
- Campus-wide placement rates (including success both in further formal education and in employment) are monitored
primarily through ongoing biennial
surveys of seniors and of bachelors recipients four years out, which
also tap issues such as how alumni judge their preparation in various skill
areas.
- After-graduation performance is also assessed through feedbackfrom employers
via surveys and advisory boards.
- CU-Boulder queries non-returning students about their reasons for leaving.
|
| St8F |
Student Satisfaction
-- Details |
CU-Boulder employs a regular cycle of student satisfaction surveys at the campus, department, and course level,
including
|
| 8G-I are additional types of assessment which span measurement areas |
| St8G |
College, school, and department committees
-- Details |
Committees meet regularly to monitor course offerings and degree requirements and
their fit to goals for students. The committees then recommend adjustments in curriculum, requirements,
and/or teaching to ensure that degree recipients meet knowledge and skill
goals set by the unit. They also review the goals themselves periodically for currency. |
| St8H |
Academic
program review
-- Details |
All academic programs on campus are reviewed every seven years in a process involving
a self study, campus review, and external review. Program review identifies program strengths
and weaknesses and results in recommendations for program development and modification. |
| St8I |
Accreditation reviews
-- Details |
Every ten years the campus undergoes
reaccreditation by the North Central Association of Schools and Colleges
(NCA). The process emphasizes how the campus assesses whether it is meeting
its own goals. In addition, many individual programs (e.g., engineering,
athletics) are accredited by national bodies governing programs in their areas. |
