“Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.” ― Benjamin Franklin
Our Approach to Assessment
At Queens College, assessment is both a process for gathering qualitative and/or quantitative data to gauge progress on our goals, and a process for cultivating a culture of collaboration and innovation. When guided by the curiosity and intellectual dialogue that characterize the culture of higher education, assessment not only provides information about where changes to processes and practices might be needed to improve important outcomes — such as student learning, program completion, and career-readiness — but also presents opportunities for discourse, knowledge-exchange and community-building. See our Guiding Principles for Assessment to learn more.
Who Conducts Assessment at Queens College?
- Faculty define and conduct assessment of student learning.
- Staff define and conduct assessment of administrative and support services.
- Chairs and assessment liaisons conduct program assessment.
- Advisory committees, comprised of faculty and staff, conduct institution-level assessment and assess the college’s various assessment processes.
Who Supports Assessment at Queens College?
- The President and Cabinet members support and advocate for a culture of evidence and assessment at Queens College.
- The Provost and Center for Teaching and Learning guide departments in Academic Program Review (APR).
- The Office of Institutional Effectiveness (OIE) provides data and applied research expertise for assessment projects.
Assessment Methods Guidance and Support
Assessment leads to improvement when the faculty who deliver our programs own the process of academic assessment (i.e., when faculty determine the learning goals and means of assessment for courses and programs), and when the staff who deliver our administrative and educational support services (AES) own the process of administrative assessment. The OIE supports assessment efforts with data (e.g., institutional data and/or survey data), and assessment methods guidance.
This website features resources for conducting assessment:
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- Course assessment methods
- Program assessment methods
- AES assessment methods
- Collections of templates and tools
We also provides direct support for assessment activities through:
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- Consultation and feedback on project planning
- Institutional data, data analysis, and data dashboards
- Survey project planning, design, and administration
See our OIE Support page to learn more.