UCM's Quality Improvement Program

Program Student Learning Outcomes (PSLOs) are established, measurable and externally validated.

In the absence of an advisory council, programs may consider program SLOs established by an appropriate professional disciplinary association or colleagues in the discipline at other universities.  The program faculty use appropriate external groups that possess knowledge of the program and program needs to evaluate SLOs. 

The program faculty regularly re-validate program SLOs, to help identify changes in student learning needs.

The program faculty document how the feedback from the validation process is used to redefine and improve program SLOs.

ACTION: 

Programs need to annually submit meeting minutes from their Advisory Council meeting(s) and/or Faculty meeting(s) that document and describe how program SLOs were validated and changed.

SLOs may not be changed every year. In this case, it should be documented the SLOs were reviewed with no changes suggested at this time. These can be entered in the Tk20 Document room.  The program can either enter all minutes with the assessment discussion highlighted.

Programs  may choose to copy and paste the assessment discussion portion of their minutes. If this is done, please ensure dates are included.

The program clearly communicates the program SLOs to students and faculty (especially new faculty) including the manner by which outcomes are integrated into the degree program’s curriculum and assessed.

The program faculty clearly communicates the program SLOs to students in every course through a variety of means including university catalogs, web links, and departmentally approved syllabi.

ACTION:

Programs need to annually submit their model syllabi that communicate program SLOs and confirm that program SLOs are communicated in all course syllabi.  Programs should annually review the SLOs in the catalog and revise as needed. Programs need to annually submit materials or        web links that demonstrate other means of communicating program SLOs (e.g. student handbook, department website, agendas of student orientation activities, etc). This can be submitted to the Document room in Tk20.

The program has an up-to-date curriculum map detailing where program SLOs are Introduced, Practiced/Reinforced and Assessed/Advanced and communicates this to students.

The program faculty regularly analyzes the major program offerings and develop or modify a curricular map that identifies the courses in which specific program SLOs are Introduced, Practiced/Reinforced and Assessed/Advanced and communicates this information to students.

ACTION:

Programs need to annually confirm that they have updated their program curriculum map in Tk20 and describe or document how this is communicated to students. The curriculum map will be part of the program’s assessment plant in Tk20. Training will be provided on curriculum mapping.

The program regularly performs formative evaluations of student artifacts that indicate students’ progress toward satisfactory program completion.

Formative assessment provides students information about how they are doing before they reach the end of their program. A good place to think about formative program assessment is at a mid-point in the program.

ACTION:

Programs need to annually document that selected program SLOs are assessed by a formative assessment(s). This should include:

• How are SLOs assessed (Measures)?
• In which courses are SLOs assessed?
• How are students doing on the assessment (Results)?
• Changes the program may be making to: curriculum, pedagogy, assessment methods, etc. (Actions)

This information should be entered into the Tk20 system as part of Measures, Results, and Actions.

The program regularly performs summative evaluations of student artifacts that demonstrate students’ mastery of program outcomes.

Summative assessments provide students information about how they are doing when they reach the end of their program.

ACTION:

Programs need to annually document that selected program SLOs are assessed by a summative assessment(s). This should include:

• How are SLOs assessed (Measures)?
• In which courses are SLOs assessed?
• How are students doing on the assessment (Results)?
• Changes the program may be making to: curriculum, pedagogy, assessment methods, etc. (Actions)

This information should be entered into the Tk20 system as part of Measures, Results, and Actions.