Assessment of Student Learning Plan (ASLP) : Campus Wide

Campus-wide Process

USM's Assessment Committee was created to guide the priorities of the campus-wide assessment projects and activities, and serve as a monitoring board for addressing the NEASC guidelines on assessment standards. The Committee designed and organized a form called the Assessment of Student Learning Plan (ASLP) for the purpose of collecting evidence of assessment activities being conducted at the department/program level.

According to the NEASC accreditation commission, higher education institutions must be accountable for addressing student outcomes; that is, gathering and interpreting evidence regarding what and how students are learning, using these interpretations to enhance teaching and learning, and to inform institutional decision-making for continuous improvement of the student learning experience and their outcomes. To comply with the assessment accreditation standards, the ASLP form is distributed to each Department/Program Chair at the end of each academic year. All departments/programs are asked to complete the form, as a way to collect assessment evidence from each of the degree programs. The information on the ASLP forms is used to create the campus wide "Assessment of Student Learning Report", which will inform and update the NEASC-Commission on Institutions of Higher Education (CIHE) on our assessment progress.

All ASLP forms are reviewed during the summer months by the Assessment Committee; and departments/programs will be given feedback regarding their program assessment process by the fall semester. During the academic year, the Committee will provide individual guidance, as well as, conduct assessment workshops to help programs move forward with the implementation of their assessment plans.