SELECTED RESOURCES FOR CREATING THE ANNUAL ASSESSMENT REPORT
The purpose for this collection of information is to answer some questions faculty and
department heads may have about the annual assessment report and provide some resources
to assist with the process of creating that report. This packet includes:
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The Assessment Cycle: Activities and Timelines
Some FAQs Related to the Annual Report of Assessment Activity
Completing the Annual Assessment Activities Report: Some Guidelines and Information
Closing the Loop (some questions to stimulate discussion about next steps after
assessment)
Responding to the Data (some questions and potential action steps)
For additional resources, see http://www.uni.edu/assessment/Assessment_Planning.shtml:
Thinking About Assessment
Why do we do assessment? What does good assessment look like? What does the
Higher Learning Commission expect from assessment activities? This link provides
some background information for thinking about assessment.
Developing an Assessment Plan
Writing an assessment plan involves determining what you want students to learn, how
your program will lead to student learning, and how you can get a clear picture of what
students have learned. The links below provide resources for some specific steps in
creating an assessment plan.
Organizing the Plan
Writing Learning Outcomes
Selecting Assessment Strategies
Reviewing the Plan
How do you know if you have a well-written plan, one that will be doable, deliver useful
information for your program area, and provide a clear explanation of your assessment
processes to those inside or outside of your department, whether they read it today or
ten years from today? This link provides both some general and specific guidelines for
evaluating your assessment plan.
Reporting Findings and "Closing the Loop"
What is the assessment cycle for UNI? What are the formats for assessment
reports? How can information from assessment activities be put to use for program
improvement? This link provides resources to help you make assessment an ongoing
process for reviewing your accomplishments and strengthening your program.
Individual consultation on creating assessment plans is also available by calling the Office of
Academic Assessment at 273-2778 for an appointment.
The Assessment Cycle:
Activities and Timelines
Annual
Assessment
Activities
Suggested
Departmental
Timelines
Implement the plan.
Fall/spring/summer,
according to plan
University/College/
Department
Deadlines
Assessment Office
Deadlines

Share the data.

Analyze, summarize,
and archive the
assessment data.
Share with
department faculty
no later than May 1.
Spring or summer

Use the data to
make changes to
courses/curriculum.

Evaluate learning
outcome statements
and the assessment
plan.
Fall and/or spring
semester
Record changes for
annual report.
Fall semester
Send assessment
activity report to
Department head &
Dean by
November 1.
Send assessment
activity report to
Academic Assessment
by November 1.
Submit program
self-studies by
deadline for
Academic Program
Review.

Revise curriculum
according to
timelines for
curricular review.
Create/revise/review
outcomes and the
plan for assessing
student learning.

Repeat the process
Complete (or revise/
review) plan and
learning outcomes
for each program by
end of fall semester.
Send reviewed and/or
updated learning
outcomes and
assessment plan to
Academic Assessment
by December 1.
FAQ’S FOR THE ANNFUAL REPORT OF ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY
What is the purpose of the annual report of assessment activity?
The annual report of assessment activity is intended to serve both the department and the
university. For the department, the annual report is intended to provide an overview of
assessment activity and findings that can be read quickly to see what assessment activities
were implemented in a given year, what was learned, what plans were made to put assessment
information to use, and what changes were made in response to previous year’ assessment
findings—without having to read through tables, graphs, or pages of specific detail. The annual
reports can serve as a useful resource for completing Section V of the Academic Program
Review, as well as for reviewing and revising student learning outcomes and program
assessment plans.
For the university, the annual report provides a university-level (as opposed to department- or
program-level) archive of assessment activity that can be easily accessed for an institution-wide
picture of assessment activity across programs, departments, and colleges.
Does a department have to do its annual assessment report in two forms—one for the
Office of Academic Assessment and one for the department/College Dean?
The annual report of assessment activity submitted to the Office of Academic Assessment is
intended to be a summary of assessment activities, findings, and resultant decisions/actions
related to delivery of the program and to its assessment.
Department/program areas may create their own format for reporting on assessment activity
within the department and then use the annual report template the capture the highlights of
assessment processes, findings, and decisions resulting from assessment activity. Another
alternative for department/program-level reporting would be to use the sections of the annual
report template from Academic Assessment to label sections of the department/program report
and then include whatever additional information would be useful for a more complete report at
the department/program level—e.g., tables, graphs, appendices, detailed descriptions/
explanations/analyses, etc. Following the general structure of the annual report template would
facilitate the creation of the annual report for the Office of Academic Assessment.
When is the annual report due to the Office of Academic Assessment?
The report is due to the Office of Academic Assessment by November 1 of the academic year
following the year for which assessment activity is being reported. College Deans and/or
department heads may have an earlier deadline for submission of assessment reports.
Who has access to the annual report that is submitted to the Office of Academic
Assessment?
Annual reports of assessment activity are archived in electronic format on a computer drive in
the Office of Academic Assessment that is accessible to staff working in the office. The reports
may be shared with the President, the Provost, the Associate Provost for Academic Affairs, the
Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs, or their designees, upon their request. When a system
for peer review of annual assessment reports is created, peers serving as reviewers will have
access to annual reports assigned to them for review.
COMPLETING THE ANNUAL ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES REPORT: SOME GUIDELINES AND INFORMATION
Name of College:
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Is all of the information in this section completed?
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Does the information provided here allow this report to be read without the need to refer to
other documents—e.g., the assessment plan that was being followed, the particular set of
learning outcomes, the stated overall purpose/goal of the program at the time of the
assessment activities, etc.
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Could a reader easily locate other documents related to this report—e.g., a more detailed
report, the particular assessment plan and version of program learning outcomes used when
the activities in this report were implemented?
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Is the date of submission for the fall following the academic year in which the activities were
carried out? I.e., a report dated November 1, 2011, would report on assessment activities
during the 2010-2011 academic year.
Name of Department/Unit:
Program:
Department/Unit Mission:
Program Learning Goals:
Person submitting this report (name and e-mail):
Date submitted:
Assessment Measurements Conducted During the Current Year
Student Learning
Outcomes Assessed
Assessment Procedures (Include
methods used, when and where
implemented, number assessed,
person responsible, etc.)
(Outcome)
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(Outcome)
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(Outcome)
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(Outcome)
Are both course titles and
numbers included when cited?
Are the instruments used clearly
described and/or accurately
labeled?
Is the process described clearly
enough to be understood by an
external reader or over time?
Summary of Findings
(Tables, graphs, and more detailed
reports are kept at the
department level.)
• If there were targets for
performance, are those
included?
• Are the findings clearly stated?
• Are the findings evaluated/
analyzed? I.e., is information
provided to indicate the context/
impact of the findings?
Methods Used for Sharing
Assessment Information
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How was information shared with
faculty?
Was any part of the information
gained shared outside of the
department? If so, what was
shared with whom, and through
what media?
Next Steps: Are changes indicated, along with timelines for action? If no changes are needed, is this space used to indicate that? To see a list of potential action
steps, see http://www.uni.edu/assessment/documents/closingtheloop.pdf, “On Using Assessment Information and Closing the Loop.”
Follow-Up Report on Changes Recommended in the Previous Year
Focus for Follow-Up
Recommended Program Changes
Actions Taken
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Revisions to Student Learning Outcomes
SOA Plan Revisions
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Are action steps clearly described, with
timelines for action and the group and/or
persons involved in the actions indicated?
If the action is not yet complete, is additional
information provided in the next column?
Comments/Further Action Steps
This space can be useful for indicating information
such as what worked or didn’t work with the
change processes used, what steps might be
taken next, how the effectiveness of the changes
might be evaluated, etc.
Additional Comments: (E.g., lessons learned; thoughts for future assessment planning, budgeting, or strategic planning; resources to explore, etc.)
Anything not already captured which could be useful to a future reader of this report and/or guide future thought or action related to the program or its assessment.
Closing the Loop
“Closing the loop” refers to making use of information gained from doing assessment in order to
make improvements—in assignments, in courses, in curricula, in program support and services,
and even in the assessment process itself. This page and the following one suggest some possible
directions and strategies for reviewing and putting to use what has been learned from completing
assessments.
CLOSE THE
LOOP
ASK
QUESTIONS
The Assessment
Process:
ANALYZE &
REPORT
The Steps and
Some Questions
for Planning
PLAN
IMPLEMENT
The plan
• Was it doable?
• Was it implemented as planned?
• Was the timing right?
• What changes would you make?
Data
• How did the data collection tools work?
• Was data analysis effective?
• How useful were the data?
• What else would you like to know?
Program decisions
• What might explain student successes?
• Why might student achievement vary from the expected or desired?
• What resources might students need to succeed?
• What changes could be made in learning outcomes? Courses? Assignments? Curriculum?
Systems
• How are changes introduced and implemented?
• How are changes documented?
• Are reports working?
• Are documentation, storage and retrieval processes working?
• Are lines of communication and collaborative processes working?
Responding to the Data
Some Ways to Use Assessment Data
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To identify the strengths and weaknesses of students in the program(s) related to
specific content knowledge
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To identify the strengths and weaknesses of students in the program(s) related to
broader degree-related skills, such as writing, oral communication, critical
thinking, research/information seeking, etc.
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To analyze and/or improve content, assignments, etc., for specific courses within
the program(s)
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To compare current performance of students in the programs with previous
performance of students in the programs
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To compare student performance with levels of performance expected by
employers and/or graduate or professional programs
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To identify resources (programs, services, etc.) that could add to levels of
student achievement in the program(s)
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To determine potential program changes for the curricular review cycle (e.g.,
additional courses, courses to delete, courses to revise, etc.)
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To provide information for determining needs for specific faculty expertise when
hiring faculty members
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To identify information that can be used in recruiting students to the program(s)
and/or providing information on the program(s) to such groups as parents,
employers, etc.
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To analyze and/or improve program assessment procedures
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Other . . .
Some Action Steps:
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Modifications, additions, deletions to courses in the curriculum
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Changes, additions, deletions to course assignments
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Modifications to program requirements (e.g., prerequisite courses, course
sequence, specified levels of attainment, etc.)
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Revisions to program goals and outcomes
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Changes to the assessment methods, strategies, timing
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Non-curricular changes (i.e., laboratory facilities, departmental policies and
procedures)
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Addition, deletion, modification of services/support for students
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Other . . .
For additional information, see http://www.uni.edu/assessment/documents/closingtheloop.pdf.