Core Curriculum Assessment Plan
Component VI: Institutionally Designated Option
Courses in Component: BCIS 1310, BCIS 1316, BCIS 2390, COSC 1301, COSC 1320, COSC 2420, PHED 1138, PHED 1238,
PHED 1251
Statement of Goals
The objective of the institutionally designated option is
1)
to enable students to master and extend their investigations, become more self-directed, and assume greater control
over their own learning through the use of information technology skills, and
2)
to develop an appreciation of the benefits of good health and fitness.
Corresponding courses in Core
Curriculum
BCIS 1310, BCIS 1316,
BCIS 2390, COSC 1301,
COSC 1320, COSC 2420
Exemplary Educational
Outcomes
1. to use computer-based
technology in communicating
and problem solving
Means of Assessment
Course portfolio
 Students’ performance
on skills-based
departmental project
Benchmark Criteria
Benchmarks:
 80% of all students
completing each course
designated in the core
curriculum will meet
minimum performance
standards set for this
project
Cohort:
 Portfolio should include
sample work from 10
students per course per
instructor (see
implementation
guidelines)
BCIS 1310, BCIS 1316,
BCIS 2390, COSC 1301,
COSC 1320, COSC 2420
2. To understand the limits,
problems, and possibilities
associated with the use of
technology
Departmentally developed or
approved questions embedded
in the final exam
Course portfolio
 Student responses to
final exam questions
BCIS 1310, BCIS 1316,
BCIS 2390, COSC 1301,
COSC 1320, COSC 2420
PHED 1138, PHED 1251,
PHED 1238
3. To evaluate and learn new
technologies as they become
available
Departmentally developed or
approved questions embedded
in the final exam
4. To apply the knowledge of
health and wellness principles
Course portfolio
 Student responses to
final exam questions
Life Style Assessment
Inventory
Benchmark:
 80% of all students
completing each course
effecting this outcome
will give acceptable
responses to the
questions embedded in
the final exam (see
implementation
guidelines)
Cohort:
 Portfolio should include
sample work from 10
students per course per
instructor (see
implementation
guidelines)
See above
70% of all students completing
each course designated in the
core curriculum will score 25
or better
PHED 1138, PHED 1251,
PHED 1238
PHED 1138, PHED 1251,
PHED 1238
4. (cont’d) To apply the
knowledge of health and
wellness principles
Self Motivation Assessment
5. To develop physical
techniques and skills for
lifetime fitness
Rockport Walking Fitness test
and
Sit and Reach Test
70% of all students completing
each course designated in the
core curriculum will score less
than or equal to 24
70% of all students completing
each course designated in the
core curriculum will score
“average” or better (scaled to
age and gender)
48-52 lbs./sq.in (male)
26-30 lbs./sq.in (female)
PHED 1138, PHED 1251,
PHED 1238
6. To understand the benefits of
teamwork, motivation,
preservation, and competition
Hand-Grip Dynamometer
Self-Motivation Assessment
70% of all students completing
each course designated in the
core curriculum will score less
than or equal to 24
Implementation guidelines:
Course portfolios

Development
A course portfolio format for each course included in the designated core curriculum component will be developed
during the semester prior to assessment by a committee of department or program faculty appointed by the division
chair. The committee will prepare a set of written guidelines governing portfolio contents, organization, and
collation, and will develop a timeline for submission of completed portfolios.
Portfolio formats will include
 an objective-specific checklist to be completed by each instructor
 a skills-based project to be completed by each student, and
 a set of departmentally generated discussion questions developed specifically for this assessment
exercise at the department or program level and approved by the Director of Institutional Effectiveness
to be administered either in a single exam or embedded in exercises or exams throughout the semester.

Approval
Portfolio formats and guidelines for usage will be reviewed for preliminary approval by the Division chair, the
Director of Institutional Effectiveness, and the Vice President for Academic Affairs and forwarded to the
Curriculum Committee for its recommendations. The Director of Institutional Effectiveness will have final approval
of portfolio formats. The division chair will oversee final revisions and preparation of written guidelines for
collation and submission.

Execution
The division chair will provide written format descriptions and guidelines for collation and submission to
instructors of all designated courses prior to the beginning of the semester during which assessment will be
conducted. The division chair, the Director of Institutional Effectiveness, and the Vice President for Academic
Affairs will schedule an orientation and training session at the beginning of the semester and a mid-semester
meeting to evaluate progress and confirm the efficacy of the formats’ design and the recommended guidelines for
collation and submission.
Cohort
The Coordinator of Institutional Research will use an approved formula for identifying a random sample to generate a list of
ten students per course per instructor whose work will be included in the course portfolio. These lists will be distributed to
instructors and division chairs by the sixteenth class day. The formula used to identify the random sample will be approved by
the Vice President of Academic Affairs.
Departmentally generated projects and questions
A skills-based project and a set of discussion questions for each course in the designated core curriculum component will be
generated during the semester prior to assessment by a committee of departmental or program faculty appointed by the division
chair. External auditors may be employed to help develop and evaluate this instrument, and to assist in grading and confirm
validity of evaluation process and criteria.
Portfolio Evaluation
Portfolios will be evaluated by a team assembled and directed by the Vice President of Academic Affairs and the Director of
Institutional Effectiveness and comprised of division chairs and faculty members from outside the division. Evaluation teams
will report their findings to the Director of Institutional Effectiveness, division chairs, and the Curriculum Committee. External
auditors may be employed to validate findings.
Standardized Tests
Tests will be administered to the designated cohort and results reported to the Director of Institutional Effectiveness in
aggregate form. In courses where the instructor chooses not to use the test designated as part of the evaluation rubric for
student performance, tests may be considered as requirements for course completion and graded on a pass/fail basis.
Use of Results
The instructional division having oversight of the component being assessed will submit specific recommendations to the
Director of Institutional Effectiveness, the Vice President of Academic Affairs, and the Curriculum Committee chair. The
division chair will determine a timeline for implementation of the approved recommendations.