Academic Assessment Puzzle

Academic Department Assessment

Academic Department Plan
and Assessment ReportsAssessment of Academic Departments includes investigations of student learning in both academic and co-curricular programs. An ongoing, 5-step assessment process includes the following steps:

  1. Articulate Learning Objectives,
  2. Collect Information,
  3. Review Findings,
  4. Report Results, and
  5. Use the information for Improvement.

Departmental Planning

Department Plan TemplateThis plan should include information about the department, goals/objectives tied to the institutional strategic plan, and student learning outcomes information. Once a department creates its department plan, they are to revisit it at a minimum of annually and update it as needed. Their review should be done at key points of the college life cycle such as an updated self-study (Middle States and program accreditation) as well as when the college updates its strategic plan. We suggest you review this document in the early fall of each academic year to ensure your designated SLOs are reviewed and appropriate goals/objectives information is updated.  

Review your departmental plan annually to guide your annual and five-year assessments. Update as necessary.

If you have changed your plan please email it to assessment@daemen.edu and it will be uploaded for you.

Departmental Reflection

The Annual Academic Department Assessment Reports are completed annually by department chairs. Once completed the documents are added to the department's page in our shared repository. 

  1. Each department chair or program director will receive a custom template with relevant data included each spring.
  2. Update the report on which student learning outcomes are on your schedule for evaluation by early June.
  3. Complete the report after the assessment of your SLOs and departmental goals by Sept 23rd.
  4. Upload your finished report per the instructions included in the report template.

This year, the chair reports are due from the deans to the provost by Oct. 16th.

Let our office know when your report is complete by emailing us.

Five-Year Program Review

The typical cycle for academic program review is every five years. EPC will alert department chairs as their year of participation approaches. Academic Departments that are participating in program review should send program review reports to the EPC chair by September 30th of the academic year of their review. The curricular portion of the report will be reviewed by a subcommittee of EPC. This feedback will be provided to the department chair for their review during the academic year. Once the review is completed the report is shared with the appropriate Academic Dean and the SVPAA for follow-up discussion and planning.