Case Study #13: Managing Program Learning Outcomes

ISSUE:

Communication across multiple areas within an academic affairs organization is occasionally imperfect. For example, the curriculum committee approves changes to a given program, which may also include a change to the student program learning outcomes. Unless this change is reflected in the assessment activities and reporting structure for the program coursework at the discipline level, a disconnect occurs. In addition, a program’s learning outcomes are also frequently published on the college’s outward-facing program website for recruitment purposes. All areas of the college who depend on program outcome knowledge must be informed when changes are made, and cannot be expected to review the curriculum committee’s monthly reports. Likewise, programs that have been remiss in creating outcomes must be held to task and encouraged to propose their outcomes in a timely fashion – also something that could be managed with a better system of communication.

SOLUTION:

Student learning outcomes at the program level are critically important to assess, particularly for career education programs that lead to direct employment. In this case, for each approved program (degree or certificate), program outcomes are initially defined by program faculty with the assistance of the Assessment Committee, officially approved through the Curriculum Committee process, and entered by the Curriculum Coordinator in a master program outcome workbook. This workbook fulfills multiple purposes. The assessment management and reporting structure for the college accesses these outcomes directly from this master workbook to ensure that the most recent outcomes are being measured. In addition, the Marketing department accesses these outcomes as well and links them to each program’s outward-facing webpage. This ensures consistency in student learning outcome communication across all aspects of the college. Within this workbook, each program worksheet lists the approved outcomes and the number of outcomes present is displayed on the main navigation page. It is quickly apparent which programs have yet to establish their outcomes.