All University Responsibility for Assessment (AURA), California State University, Chico
Assessment of Student Learning:
Do the Right Thing Right
Assessment of student learning is an essential process in ensuring that CSU, Chico
continues to create and maintain high quality learning environments. This document
outlines the essential elements of a systematic assessment program to help
programs develop and/or report meaningful and sustainable assessment plans that
measure and use student learning outcomes to improve program quality.
The real purpose of the Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes is, simply put, to
improve student learning. To improve student learning, faculty must measure what
students know, what attitudes they have developed, and what they can accomplish
as a direct result of completing a given program. The results from this assessment
process should be collected, evaluated and then used to guide program
improvement. This feedback occurs informally every day in the classroom, and
more formally through whatever measures are used to evaluate student grades.
Individual course grades, however, do not always connect directly with the
overarching goals for a given program. More formally, assessment of student
learning outcomes is a course of action that ties student learning to program
improvement through a systematic process that involves faculty, students,
employers and other program stakeholders. The essential elements of the program
assessment process are illustrated in Figure 1.
Program Mission
and Goals
Student Learning
Outcomes
(measurable)
Curriculum
Recommendations
for Program
Improvement
Assessment of
Student
Learning
Figure 1 – Essential Elements of Program Level Assessment
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Most programs have carefully affirmed goals and a clearly defined mission stated in
various forms for different audiences. These goals should be the guiding principles
for constructing a meaningful curriculum. It is clearly the faculty’s responsibility to
develop a comprehensive curriculum that will help students achieve these stated
goals. The expected outcomes for graduates from a given program should be stated
as Student Learning Outcomes Statements – statements that describe the
knowledge, skills, and values/attitudes that program graduates should possess by
the time they graduate. Further, these statements should be expressed in clear,
concise language that all students and stakeholders can understand and embrace.
As a first step in developing a formal program assessment plan, faculty should
develop a clear, agreed-upon set of Program Goals and a clear set of Student
Learning Outcomes. Student Learning Outcomes evolve from the more broadly
stated Program Goals and focus on specific, measurable “outcomes” that reflect the
goals.
As an example, the Business Information Systems Program at CSU, Chico has a
clearly defined Mission Statement, a set of eight distinct Program Goals, and a
corresponding set of Student Learning Outcomes. The BIS Program Mission
Statement is:
We offer an innovative, technologically-focused business program providing students
with a foundation for life-long learning that leads to professional success. Our program is
built on applied learning aligned with leading industry standards. We affirm the importance
of ethical conduct, stakeholder participation, scholarship and public service.
One of the eight stated Program Goals is for each student graduating with a BIS
degree to be able to “understand and evaluate ethical issues and situations.” The
corresponding set of Student Learning Outcomes are that each student:




Is aware of their ethical responsibilities to society.
Is aware of their ethical responsibility to their profession.
Can identify ethical situations in the BIS environment.
Can ethically respond to BIS issues.
It is up to the faculty, collectively, to decide how best to measure each of these
Student Learning Outcomes. While a discussion of the measurements used for
these outcomes will come later, it is helpful to each program to develop a set of
clearly stated Program Goals and Student Learning Outcomes that encompass the
values and expectations of the faculty.
The All University Responsibility for Assessment (AURA) Committee’s overall
purpose is to help individual programs at CSU, Chico develop meaningful and
sustainable Program Assessment processes. AURA’s immediate objective is to help
individual programs develop clear and concise Student Learning Outcomes. As a
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All University Responsibility for Assessment (AURA), California State University, Chico
first step, AURA will collect and provide constructive feedback on Program Goal and
Student Learning Outcomes Statements for each baccalaureate program at CSU,
Chico. A workshop is being offered on March 25, 2005 for department chairs and
faculty responsible for developing program level assessment plans. The workshop
will help motivate the need for program level assessment and will help further the
development of program level assessment plans. To facilitate the collection of the
Student Learning Outcome statements, a template for recording Program Goals and
Student Learning Outcomes is included as the last page to this document. An
example is provided for the B.S. in Business Information Systems. A glossary is
also included to help develop a campus-wide vocabulary to facilitate the discussion.
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All University Responsibility for Assessment (AURA), California State University, Chico
Glossary: Assessment Template Definitions
Definitions taken from “Assuring Improvement in Student Learning”, September 10-12, 2004,
WASC/AAHE Workshop held in Glendale, CA.
Mission Statement:
A holistic vision of the values and philosophy of the program. The program mission needs to
be consistent with campus and/or college mission. The overall question that the mission
statement should answer is: What is the overall unique purpose of this program?
Program Goals:
Program Goals are statements that fundamentally answer the question: What do we expect
graduates from this program to be able to do, know or value? In other words, what are the
exit skills, knowledge and values/attitudes that we want from this program’s graduates.
Program Goals are general statements about knowledge, skills, attitudes and values expected
in graduates.
Example:
Knowledge: Students know basic biological principles and concepts.
Skill: Students can use appropriate technology tools.
Value: Students respect the professional code of ethics for business practice.
Student Learning Outcome Statements:
Student Learning Outcome (SLO) Statements take the goals and focus on how students can
demonstrate that the goals are being met. In other words, SLOs answer the question: how
can graduates from this program demonstrate they have the needed/stated knowledge, skills,
and/or values/attitudes. SLOs are clear, concise statements that describe how students can
demonstrate their mastery of program goals. Each student learning outcome statement must
be measurable. Measures will be applied to student work and may include: student
assignments, work samples, tests, etc. measuring student ability/skill, knowledge, or
attitude/value.
Criteria for Development
The following criteria can be used to develop and evaluate student learning outcome
statements:
 Student Perspective: statement focus on what students learn not on what the course
covers
 Clarity: statement is concise and understandable by all interested groups including
students, parents, faculty and others specific to the program.
 Potentially observable and/or measurable: statement describes how students can
demonstrate that they have the knowledge, skills and/or attitudes/values specified in
the goals.
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Examples:
Knowledge: Students can distinguish between science and pseudo-science.
Skill: Graduates can locate appropriate sources by searching electronic and traditional
databases.
Value: Graduates appreciate the need to vary counseling services to people who are
different from themselves with respect to gender, age, culture, sexual orientation and other
significant characteristics.
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All University Responsibility for Assessment (AURA), California State University, Chico
Assessment of Learning
Example: Business Information Systems
College: _Business___________________________________
Department: ____Accounting and MIS___________________
Program Name: ___Business Information Systems__________
Mission Statement:
We offer an innovative, technologically-focused business program providing students with a
foundation for life-long learning that leads to professional success. Our program is built on
applied learning aligned with leading industry standards. We affirm the importance of
ethical conduct, stakeholder participation, scholarship and public service.
Program Goals:
Student Learning Outcome Statements:
Each student graduating with a BIS degree is able to:
1. Effectively present information orally and in writing.
1.1 Effectively present business information orally. (S)
1.2 Effectively present business information in writing.(S)
2. Demonstrate proficiency in the use of information technology.
2.1 Demonstrate proficiency in the use of current information technology.(S)
3. Critically evaluate, analyze and interpret information to solve problems.
3.1 Critically evaluate, analyze and interpret information (S)
3.2 Apply the information to solve a specific problem.(S)
4. Demonstrate an understanding of a diverse world.
4.1 Demonstrate an understanding of a diverse business environment.(K)
4.2 Understand group dynamics (K)
4.3 Work effectively in multi-cultural teams.(S)
4.4 Appreciate the value of contributing to the university and community at
large.(A)
5. Understand and evaluate ethical issues and situations.
5.1 Is aware of their ethical responsibilities to society. (K)
5.2 Is aware of their ethical responsibility to their profession. (K)
5.3 Can identify ethical situations in the BIS environment (S)
5.4 Can ethically respond to BIS issues. (S)
6. Analyze business problems and construct IT solutions when appropriate.
6.1 Conduct an analysis of a business problem requiring an IT solution K/S)
6.2 Use the analysis to decide when an IT solution is appropriate.(S)
6.3 Construct an economically feasible IT solution when appropriate.(S)
7. Make effective business decisions.
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7.1 Have sufficient knowledge in their field of specialization to succeed in
business and/or graduate school.(K)
7.2 Make effective business decisions related to Business Information
Systems issues and situations.(S)
8. Be equipped within the area of specialization to work with “day one
productivity” at a job or to succeed in graduate school.
8.1 Demonstrate sufficient skill in their field of specialization to succeed in
business and/or graduate school.(S)
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All University Responsibility for Assessment (AURA), California State University, Chico
Assessment of Learning
Template for Recording Goals and Outcomes
College: ___________________________________________
Department: ________________________________________
Program Name: _____________________________________
Mission Statement:
Program Goals:
Student Learning Outcome Statements: (Next to each statement identify it as K for
knowledge, S for Skill or A for attitude or value)
1. Goal 1
 SLO 1 (K,S,A)
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
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