Outcomes Assessment

The reason that faculty post easily understood, measurable, and transparent outcomes statements is that we believe that students are the change agents in their own learning and have a right to know exactly what knowledge, skills, and abilities from each class. Each year, faculty use outcomes statements and anonymized data from student work to systematically assess whether or not students are learning the stated outcomes of courses, programs, and degrees. The goal of these assessment projects is not to “prove” 100% success in student learning, but rather to identify ways to improve and then show improvement. Once instructors analyze their data, they can make improvements to ensure student learning. This part of the process, ensuring student learning, is also Pillar 4 of Guided Pathways. To learn more about Guided Pathways from the State Board of Community and Technical Colleges, click on their resource website.

We don’t just want more students to enroll and graduate, we want to ensure that students who go on to a transfer institution or professional world have the knowledge, skills, and abilities they need to succeed. For more information, read the Academic Plan.

Every academic department assesses all of the outcomes for all of its degrees, programs, and certificates at least once in a 6-year cycle, with the intention of gathering data, analyzing it, designing improvements, implementing the improvements, and then re-assessing to demonstrate whether the improvements worked. For information about programs and their outcomes, click on the student catalog.

Outcomes Assessment at Clark has a revised website! Our new goal is that activities, committee information, reports, and outcomes statements are available for students, the community, our regional accreditors NWCCU, and all faculty, staff, and administrators to read and understand.

 Students are at the center of ensuring student learning, and faculty are at the center of outcomes assessment. Staff, administrators, and the community all play essential roles in supporting this goal. For example, did you know that each degree has an advisory committee to help align student learning with the needs and requirements of transfer degrees and specific professions? Visit our Advisory Committee page for more information.

Reports will offer evidence of student learning here! Anyone can view individual reports or summaries of campus-wide activities.

Reports and updates will demonstrate faculty improvement and innovation each year here!

For questions, comments, to be added to the Faculty Outcomes Assessment Resource Page, or help related to outcomes assessment, message: outcomes@clark.edu

Outcome Assessment Resource Canvas site: FOAR.