Guidelines for Writing the College-Level Student Learning Outcome Synthesis Report
Assessment at EWU is based on a shared commitment by faculty and administration to define
assessment, embed assessment activities into existing coursework, and use assessment data that
describes student learning across academic programs. This is the foundation of a university culture
for strengthening the learning environment. Assessing Student Learning Outcomes (SLO) is one
element of this culture.
Effective SLO assessment can create an all-encompassing picture of what our graduates’ holistic
academic experience is at Eastern. This “meta” approach to assessment brings into focus how well
courses and programs build the graduates we envision. SLO assessment is thus a part of how the
university community embraces the assessment process.
The goal is to use assessment intentionally to measure student learning and assist us in locating the
successes and the gaps in our teaching practices and program design. Assessment can capture the
excitement and passion of teaching and learning in the classroom and demonstrate how those
efforts result in successful students. By demonstrating how well our students are learning,
assessment builds on the practice of making learning visible, that is, the university engages in a
process of “understanding, documenting, and supporting individual and group learning.” 1 In other
words, assessment is a cycle in which we “Plan, Do, Test, and Act” (see Diagram A, p2).
The intrinsic value of assessment is in strengthening the teaching and learning at the university.
There are a myriad of external pressures on assessment, of course, including the Northwest
Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), the Washington Student Achievement Council
(WSAC-formerly the HECB), and programmatic accreditation bodies. NWCCU requires that “the
institution documents, through an effective, regular, and comprehensive system of assessment of
student achievement, that students who complete its educational courses, programs, and degrees,
wherever offered and however delivered, achieve identified course, program, and degree learning
outcomes” (NWCCU Standard 4.A.3). SLO assessment at the program and college level is reported to
the NWCCU as part of the Year Five Self-Evaluation Report. In addition, the WSAC requires ongoing
program review. Departments whose programs are being reviewed for the WSAC submit the results
of the SLO assessment as part of the Self-Study document.
The process for assessing SLOs at the program level and for synthesizing results at the college level
is undergoing revision in order to create a more seamless assessment environment and to mitigate
duplication of efforts. Our intent is to focus on and support internal incentives for effective
assessment, which in turn, will provide the information needed to satisfy requirements of external
agencies.
1
Retrieved 6.6.12 from http://www.pz.harvard.edu/mlv/
1|W r i t i n g t h e C o l l e g e - L e v e l S L O S y n t h e s i s R e p o r t : G u i d e l i n e
Contact Helen Bergland at 509-359-4305 or hbergland@ewu.edu for additional resources and/or support.
The purpose of this template is to provide a guideline for college-level reporting that will be
conducive to improving student learning at the course and program level and providing information
for reporting out to NWCCU and the WSAC.
Diagram A: Student Learning Outcome Component of the Academic Program Assessment Cycle (from
ACAA’s draft University Assessment Plan)
PLAN
SLOs for courses,
programs and
GenEd are
identified for
assessment
ACT
DO
Assessment shows
SLOs as either (1)
being met (change
benchmark) or (2)
not being met
(improve course,
program or GenEd)
Courses, programs
and GenEd in which
these SLOs are
embedded are
taught
TEST
SLOs are assessed
and the results are
reported to the
relevant instructors,
units and
accreditations
2|W r i t i n g t h e C o l l e g e - L e v e l S L O S y n t h e s i s R e p o r t : G u i d e l i n e
Contact Helen Bergland at 509-359-4305 or hbergland@ewu.edu for additional resources and/or support.
College-Level Student Learning Outcome Summary Report – Guidelines
College:
Reporting Dean:
Date:
Major/Certificate Programs are required to assess at least one SLO per year; however, some may
elect to assess more than one. This report is a summary of Major/Certificate Programs’ assessments
in your college, including documented impact on student learning and how assessment results will
be used to improve student learning.
Part I
Refer to the form, beginning on page 4, which has been pre-populated with the academic programs
that award a Major or Certificate in your college. For each SLO(s) assessed for the current year,
check a, b, c, or d as appropriate (defined below):
Programs a) with SLOs not met, but with changes forthcoming; b) with SLOs met after
changes resulting from ongoing assessments, referencing assessment results from the
previous year to highlight revisions; c) with SLOs met without change required; d)
departments/programs not reporting.
Part II
Provide 1-2 page summaries – as appendices – for each of the Major/Certificate Programs that have
assessed SLO(s) in your college this year. Include the following details for each SLO assessed:
1. Strategies or processes used to gather student performance data, assessment instruments
used, and a description of how and when assessments were conducted;
2. Description of how the assessment SLO results were/will be addressed through changes
(e.g., course content, course sequence, program curriculum, learning environment or
student advising), including
a) plans to improve student learning based on assessment findings, and
b) a broad timeline of how and when identified changes will be addressed in the
upcoming year.
3. Description of revisions to the assessment process the results suggest are needed; and
4. Changes in college-level resources and activities since the last SLO assessment report that
will impact ongoing assessment processes for the department/program.
3|W r i t i n g t h e C o l l e g e - L e v e l S L O S y n t h e s i s R e p o r t : G u i d e l i n e
Contact Helen Bergland at 509-359-4305 or hbergland@ewu.edu for additional resources and/or support.
Summary List of Academic Programs Awarding a Major or Certificate and SLOs Assessed
For each of the Major/Certificate programs identified below, check the appropriate selection: a) SLO
not met, but with changes forthcoming; b) SLO met after changes resulting from ongoing
assessments, referencing assessment results from the previous year to highlight revisions; c) SLOs
met without change required; or d) departments/programs not reporting.
Program
SLO(s) assessed
a) SLO not
met, but
with
changes
forthcoming
b) SLO met
after changes
resulting from
ongoing
assessments…
c) SLO
met
without
change
required
4|W r i t i n g t h e C o l l e g e - L e v e l S L O S y n t h e s i s R e p o r t : G u i d e l i n e
Contact Helen Bergland at 509-359-4305 or hbergland@ewu.edu for additional resources and/or support.
d) department
/program not
reporting