HAW 4.202 ASSESSMENT

Issued: October 11, 2010
Revised: January 14, 2022 
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Definition:

Assessment is the process of gathering information/data on student learning and services for the purposes of evaluating and improving the learning environment.

Purpose:

The purpose of this policy is to establish that assessment is the responsibility of everyone employed by Hawai‘i Community College. The College engages in systematic assessment of learning and service outcomes to ensure continuous improvement and to create increased opportunities for student success. Oversight for assessment of specific levels of learning and service outcomes belongs to appropriate organizational units within the college as defined herein.

Background:

Assessment is an integral part of Hawai‘i Community College. The Chancellor formed an Ad Hoc Assessment Committee in 2004, approved by the Academic Senate, to develop the process for the assessment of student learning outcomes. The Committee became a standing committee of the College Council in 2010 and the Committee’s representative membership is comprised of administrators, faculty, and staff from academic and service units. The Assessment Committee is charged with supporting continuous improvement in learning and support services by sponsoring assessment activities, encouraging meaningful assessment practices and experiences, and promulgating discovery based on results of the assessment process. A full-time Institutional Assessment Coordinator position for the college was approved in spring 2010, concurrent with the opening of the Institutional Assessment Office as a sub-unit in the Academic Support Unit. The Institutional Assessment Coordinator reports to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, manages the Institutional Assessment Office, and serves on the Assessment Committee. The Institutional Assessment Coordinator and Assessment Committee lead the College‘s efforts to institutionalize assessment activities, including development and maintenance of the College’s Assessment website, assessment report archives and resources, and assessment management systems and databases.

Assessment resources and information are available to faculty, staff and the public at: http://hawaii.hawaii.edu/files/assessment/

Assessment also is an integral component of the College’s Program and Unit Review Process. In addition to course and program assessment reports submitted to the College via the Assessment website’s archive and databases, instructional programs are responsible to report and evaluate assessments of course and program learning outcomes in annual and comprehensive program reviews. Non-instructional service and support units are responsible to report and evaluate assessments of unit outcomes in unit reviews.

The following UH System policies govern program review:

Review of Established Programs: UHCCP #5.202 (October 2005) http://www.hawaii.edu/offices/cc/docs/policies/5.202.pdf

Review of Established Programs: Board of Regents Policy, Section 5.201 http://www.hawaii.edu/policy/docs/temp/rp5.201.pdf

Review of Established Programs: University of Hawai‘i Systemwide Executive Policy, E5.202, https://www.hawaii.edu/policy/?action=viewPolicy&policySection=Ep&policyChapter=5&policyNumber=202

In addition, standards and criteria from the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC), as well as accrediting bodies providing oversight for career and technical education programs, serve as the overall guidelines within which the college establishes and revises its assessment activities.

Responsibilities:

Outcomes:

1. Because the primary responsibility for curriculum rests with the faculty, the development, revision and assessment of course learning outcomes, including alignment of such outcomes with program learning outcomes and institutional learning outcomes, belong with the discipline faculty, with the ultimate responsibility resting with the department chairs and/or division chairs (HAW 5.250). Discipline faculty coordinate lecturers’ involvement in assessing outcomes as appropriate.
2. The development, revision and assessment of program learning outcomes, including alignment with course and institutional learning outcomes, belong with program faculty and staff.
3. The development, revision and assessment of non-instructional service and support unit outcomes, including alignment with institutional learning outcomes, belong with unit faculty and staff. Non-instructional units in the college include units in the Divisions of Academic Support, Administrative Services, and Student Affairs, the EDvance Office of Continuing Education and Training, Student Affairs, and Hawaiʻi Community College at Pālamanui support and student services, and the Kō Education Center.
4. The development and revision of general education learning outcomes belong with the Academic Senate. Assessment of general education learning outcomes belongs with program faculty. Alignment of general education learning outcomes with institutional learning outcomes belongs with the Academic Senate. Alignment of general education learning outcomes with program learning outcomes belongs with program faculty.
5. The development, revision and assessment of institutional learning outcomes belong with the College Council.

The Assessment Process:

The college’s assessment process assists faculty and staff in their efforts to improve teaching and services in order to improve student learning and achievement. Course, program, and unit assessment practices are intended to focus on assessing course, program, unit and institutional outcomes as appropriate.

1. The course assessment cycle requires that all courses be assessed at least every five years; each
2. course assessment cycle includes an initial assessment and a follow-up “closing the loop” re- assessment after the implementation of an action plan for improvement based on the results of the initial assessment.
3. The course assessment cycle includes the submission by course faculty of an initial assessment report and a closing the loop report via the College’s digital assessment management system.
4. Course initial assessment reports must include identification of the course learning outcomes being assessed and their alignment with the relevant program and institutional learning outcomes; a narrative statement of the assessment strategy, including a copy or description of the student assignment, exam or student work assessed; a copy of the rubric, testing instrument, or other assessment tool used during the assessment; and a statement of expected student achievement expressed in quantitative terms. Course assessment results reports must include a statement of actual student achievement expressed in quantitative terms in relation to the course learning outcomes assessed; a narrative analysis of those results in relation to the course learning outcomes assessed; and the development of an action plan to improve instruction, curriculum, and/or assessment strategies based on those results.
5. Course “closing the loop” re-assessment reports must include identification of the course learning outcomes being assessed and their alignment with the relevant program and institutional learning outcomes; a statement of actual student achievement results of the follow-up assessment expressed in quantitative terms in relation to the course learning outcomes assessed; a narrative analysis of the actual student achievement results of the follow-up assessment; a discussion of the implementation of the action plan identified in the initial assessment results report; and a discussion of any planned modifications to instruction, curriculum, and/or assessment for the course going forward to improve student learning and achievement.
6. The non-instructional service and support unit assessment cycle requires that all units be assessed regularly on a schedule determined by the appropriate vice chancellor or director.
7. The unit assessment cycle includes the submission by unit faculty and staff of assessment reports as regular components of the unit review process.
8. Unit assessment reports must include identification of the unit outcomes being assessed and their alignment with the relevant institutional learning outcomes; a narrative statement of the assessment strategy, including a description of the unit services and/or activities assessed; a copy of the assessment survey, evaluation form or measurement instrument used in the assessment; a copy of the rubric or other results-analysis tool used in the assessment; and a statement of expected achievement of the unit outcomes expressed in quantitative terms. Unit assessment results reports must include a statement of the actual achievement of assessed unit outcomes expressed in quantitative terms; a narrative analysis of those results in relation to the unit outcomes assessed; and an action plan to improve unit services and/or operations in support of student success and achievement based on those results.