CLASS Assessment

College of Letters, Arts, and Social Science Assessment Explained

In education, the term assessment refers to the variety of approaches used to evaluate students' progress learning. At Cal State East Bay, we define assessment as the process of collecting information about student learning and the learning experience in order to analyze and implement improvements for student learning. Assessment helps us to determine how well learning outcomes at the course (SLOs), program (PLOs), and University (ILOs) level are being reached. The data is then used to inform curricular and pedagogical changes.

1. Curriculum maps. Graphic illustration (typically a table or matrix) that shows where learning outcomes are fostered in a program.  It is developed by program faculty to chart the relationship between the program outcomes (PLOs) and what is taught in the core required courses.  It focuses attention on how what is being taught relates to stated outcomes and helps faculty create a program assessment plan that provides information of the attainment of learning outcomes at both the program and course level.

2. Long-Term Assessment Plans (5-year plans) are used by college programs for planning for their required academic Annual Report as guided by the Committee on Academic Planning and Review (CAPR) to demonstrate self-evaluation and curricular revitalization and to make decisions about program, faculty and student needs, resource allocation, and management. Annual Reports support Five Year Program Reviews, see below.

3. Departments complete annual reports and five-year reviews on the assessment results for that academic year (annual report) and for the previous five academic years (five-year reviews) and plans moving forward based on those results. Academic Program Review Procedures.

Both Annual Reports by Department and Five-Year Reviews by Department are posted by CAPR.

Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILOs) are those learning outcomes that are expected of every graduate of the institution, both undergraduate and graduate and are closely aligned with General Education requirements. ILOs are assessed according to the 2022-2028 ILO Long Term Assessment Plan in the major and in co-curricular programs and activities with a schedule that aligns timing for undergraduate, graduate, and General Education ILO assessment.

ILOs are also assessed in our Overlays in our Local Breadth Requirements which are approved courses in  Diversity, Social Justice, and Sustainability that meet graduation requirements.  ILOs are assessed by the ILO Subcommittee, a  faculty committee.

Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) are associated with the requirements for the major. They are those outcomes that are expected of every graduate within a specific major or degree program and are focused on mastery and depth of disciplinary knowledge. Assessment of Program Learning Outcomes is the responsibility of program faculty. The results are reported annually and through a five-year review cycle to the Committee on Academic Planning and Review (CAPR).

 Course Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) are developed by faculty and assessed by the individual faculty member teaching a course.  These are the knowledge, skills, and abilities expected of all students completing a course and are evaluated by the instructor as part of the regular grading process. Course Student Learning Outcomes for all courses are available in the Catalog and are included in every course syllabus as outlined in the  2022 Policy on Course Syllabus approved by the Academic Senate.

Accreditation & Curriculum

Accreditation

Accreditation is the recognition that an institution maintains standards requisite for its graduates to gain admission to other reputable institutions of higher learning or to achieve credentials for professional practice. The goal of accreditation is to ensure that education provided by institutions of higher education meets acceptable levels of quality.

The CLASS Programs receiving external accreditation are also listed in the above link.

Make Changes to Your Program

Information on curriculum development for program changes can be found in the CLASS Curriculum Committee page.