Mailing Address

University of Virginia
Office of Institutional Assessment and Studies
P.O. Box 400727
Charlottesville, VA 22904-4727

Physical Address

1939 Ivy Road
Charlottesville, VA 22904

434-924-3417
434-982-2858
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Assessment

Assessment is a process of gathering and interpreting information to discover if a program is meeting established goals and then using that information to enhance the program.

Current Assessment Programs

Why Assess?

The University Assessment Program's Mission and Goals

History of Assessment at the University

Current Assessment Programs

RECENT INITIATIVES

Survey resources and coordination
IAS has expanded its support and coordination of survey research at the University and is developing an institutional survey plan with the following objectives:

Reduce the number of surveys a typical student has to fill out.
Improve the quality of survey administration, data collection, tabulation, and reporting.
Provide coordination of institutional surveys.
Increase the use and usefulness of survey data institution-wide.
Provide a known structure and timeline for institutional surveys.

More information about IAS' survey consultation and hosting.

Student learning outcomes
IAS coordinates outcomes assessment University-wide and provides support to programs and schools as they plan and undertake assessments to improve their program, especially in the areas of teaching and learning.

More about student learning outcomes assessment.

University's Strategic Ten-year Plan
At the direction of the Board of Visitors, the University has been developing a 10-year strategic plan to advance the University's relative position in the higher education marketplace.

Developing an overall assessment plan for the academic portion of the 10-year plan is the responsibility of the Vice President and Provost, in conjunction with the Office of Institutional Assessment and Studies. The various sub-units that have submitted portions of the academic plan (e.g. the 10 schools) have the responsibility for assessing their own plans' progress, as do non-academic units.

To read more about the plan, see the following agendas of the Special Committee on Planning:

November 7, 2005
May 17, 2006
September 11, 2006

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) Reaffirmation
Universities seeking reaffirmation must demonstrate "...ongoing, integrated, and institution-wide research-based planning and evaluation processes..." (assessment) to achieve full compliance under SACS' new accreditation standards. There are two pieces to reaffirmation: 1) Compliance Certification and 2) a Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP). UVa received word of full reaffirmation in December 2007.

More about Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) Reaffirmation.

Ongoing Assessment Programs

Assessment is concerned especially with student learning both in and outside of the classroom. The current University Assessment Program consists primarily of the following components:

School and program level outcomes assessment
Academic program review
General education and core competency assessment
National Survey of Student Engagement
Alumni assessment
Assessment of AccessUVa

Why Assess?

Assessment at the University of Virginia showcases the superior quality of teaching and learning that occurs on-Grounds. A strong research environment enhances the ability of UVa faculty to engage the University's highly capable students both inside and outside the classroom. Assessing student learning outcomes will help UVa maintain, publicize, and, most importantly, improve its unique learning environment.

Assessment in higher education has been driven largely by external forces- federal and state agencies and legislative bodies, accrediting organizations, and professional associations. While some of these stakeholders are more concerned with accountability, the primary purpose of assessment is program improvement, most importantly in the areas of teaching and learning. IAS supports other assessment efforts of academic and student services' departments as well.

UVA ASSESSMENT MODEL

Assessments should be useful, feasible, and minimize the burden on faculty and students.
Programs should define their own most important outcomes.
Methods should be kept as simple as possible and connected to what faculty and students are already doing.
The unit of analysis for learning outcomes assessments is the program.
Faculty involvement is essential.
Results should be used to make program improvements.

Assessment Mission and Goals

University Assessment conducts, supports, and coordinates research to maintain and improve academic programs and student services. The Assessment team implements and supports useful and feasible assessment approaches in order to foster the University's unique learning and research environment. Our goals are to:

Support assessment activities by providing relevant training and feedback, and designing practical methods of measurement and evaluation.
Administer the University's general education and core competency assessments in an efficient manner to help faculty and administrators improve student learning and development.
Coordinate the development and implementation of school and program assessment plans that define, measure, and evaluate student learning goals and outcomes.
Conduct surveys of academic and student service programs that effectively meet client needs, and do not pose an undue burden to the respondents.

For Assessment Coordinators