- Office of Institutional Effectiveness
- Assessment and Evaluation
- Academic Degree Programs Assessment
Academic Degree Programs Assessment
A current and comprehensive assessment plan is essential for supporting student learning. Each degree program is required to maintain an assessment plan which outlines the student learning outcomes for the program and to collect data related to these outcomes on a regular basis. Assessment plans are typically updated every six to eight years on average.
Programs are also asked to submit annual updates and periodic status reports, which are used to provide formative feedback on assessment efforts.
Student Learning Outcomes
Student learning outcomes describe what students will know, be able to do and value by the end of their degree program. These outcomes serve as a guide for the development of assessment plans and analyses of assessment data. View one-page summaries of the student learning outcomes for each program (based on the programs' latest assessment plans, which are listed below).
Assessment Plans
College of Business
Undergraduate |
Graduate |
College of Education
College of Engineering and Engineering Technology
Undergraduate |
Graduate |
College of Health and Human Sciences
College of Law
Graduate |
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
College of Visual and Performing Arts
Undergraduate |
Graduate |
Annual Update
Each year, programs complete an annual assessment update report. This process is designed to help programs understand how well students are meeting the program’s student learning outcomes and to ensure that programs have enough data to support status reports (typically a four-year cycle) and program review (typically an eight-year cycle).
- Guidelines and Template (DOC)
- AAU Scoring Rubric (PDF)
- Sample Report (DOC)
Status Report
Status reports for academic degree programs are required approximately every four to five years (midway through its NIU program review cycle). Status reports are reviewed by the University Assessment Panel, which reports its findings to the Academic Planning Council.
Contact Us
Accreditation, Assessment and Evaluation
Swen Parson 316
DeKalb, IL 60115
815-753-3545
assess@niu.edu
