The Northwestern Health Sciences University Assessment Program has been developed through the collaborative work of administrative, faculty and student representatives on the University Assessment Committee.

Elements of the Assessment Program Include:

• The University Learning Outcomes (.pdf)
• University Learning Outcome Timeline (.pdf)
• Assessment Plan and Report Timeline (.pdf)
• Annual Program Assessment Plan and Report Procedure (.pdf) (revised 2007)
  • Program Assessment Action Plan Worksheet (.doc)
• Summary of Assessment Measures (.doc)
• Assessment Feedback Loops (.pdf)
• Rubric for Annual Program Assessment Reports (.doc)

The Northwestern Health Sciences University Assessment Program has been developed collaboratively with administration, faculty and students as members of the UAC. The program was established to provide a process to monitor and improve student learning. The UAC developed the Program Assessment Plan Templates and Procedures to review data from their assessment instruments and to use it in the process of improving the curriculum and making budget decisions.

A Program Assessment Plan is used to focus attention and resources toward the achievement of University Learning Outcomes (ULO) by defining program criteria for each outcome, defining specific learning objectives related to the ULO, determining where course content addresses those objectives, establishing the evaluation instrument(s) that may be used to determine student performance, collecting data from any evaluation instrument, analyzing data for statistical results, reviewing, reflecting on, and discussing results among faculty members within a curriculum review process to determine where improvements can be made and to direct the use of resources needed to accomplish those improvements in a timely way. The Assessment Plan and Report Timeline provides due dates for all University Assessment reports.

Each Program Assessment Plan focuses attention on each ULO being considered in the University assessment cycle. Actions taken based on assessment information and the corresponding results are compiled and summarized on an annual basis and reported to the UAC by March 15th of each year, prior to the start of the budget process for the upcoming academic year. Program Assessment Plans are reviewed by members of the UAC and feedback is provided to each Program using the Assessment Plan Review Rubric.

Steps in the assessment process are summarized in the Assessment Feedback Loops #1 and #2 and in the University Learning Outcome Timeline. Program leaders are responsible for determining the specific timelines within their respective programs and preparing annual reports based on University templates and procedures.

The University Annual Assessment Progress Report includes the self-reflection and ratings of the UAC members and results from campus focus groups using the Assessment Culture Matrix. The report gives the annual progress and status of the University Assessment Program to all interested campus constituencies and external agencies.