Read the Curry College NEASC 2012 Self-Study Report.

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• Provided follow‐up consultations and workshops in Fall 2011, focused on using learning
outcomes assessment results to implement curricular change;
• Expanded internal, online resources for faculty and staff on learning outcomes
assessment. lxviii
The LOAC has documented progress on adopting clear statements of student learning
outcomes for academic programs, reflective of the mission and context of Curry College, and
aligning with broader disciplinary expectations for specific degrees and with best practices in
interdisciplinary, non‐degree, and co‐curricular areas (E‐Series Forms). Summarizing this
progress for academic areas and institution‐wide efforts, Table 4.1 places academic programs
into three categories: (1) Area has articulated learning outcomes and uses assessment
information to inform decisions and improvements; (2) Area has articulated learning outcomes
and is in the process of developing/implementing assessment mechanisms; (3) Area is in the
process of developing both learning outcome statements and assessment mechanisms. lxix Since
Fall 2009, representation of academic programs (undergraduate majors, master’s degrees, and
non‐degree programs) in Category One has increased. Over half of undergraduate majors now
routinely assess student learning and use the information gleaned to inform decisions and
improvements.
Learning outcomes assessment support is provided in multiple ways to support a wide range of
assessment activities. For example, stipends or administrative time are provided for areas
undertaking qualitative assessment of student work. Examples include: Writing (utilizing first
year and capstone level writing samples), Mathematics (introductory statistics problem solving
samples, assessed through quantitative and qualitative analysis), Graphic Design (student
portfolios), Education (student portfolios), and Politics and History (capstone project samples).
Support for other areas that have adopted direct, quantitative methods includes funds and
resources for administrative costs; examples include: content knowledge of Psychology majors,
Information Literacy in first year students, and achievement on standardized Nursing exams
required for licensure. Finally, self‐report surveys capturing students’ understanding of their
learning (indirect quantitative and qualitative methods) have been employed for assessment
when student awareness of learning is a stated goal (e.g. assessment of metacognitive skill
development in the Program for Advancement of Learning (PAL); assessment of student
learning in Academic Advising) and were supported through release time.
Curry College 2012 Self-Study
Standard Four