Northland Pioneer College adheres to the Association for the Assessment of Learning in Higher Education’s mission statement: “Using assessment as a tool to improve student learning and institutional effectiveness in fostering student success” (2016).
The college uses a cyclical assessment process that is outlined in the diagram at the right.
Planning Day is where departments and programs examine their assessment tool and data collected from the previous assessment cycle. Departments and programs are encouraged to choose to measure one or more of the college’s general education outcomes, which include:
- NPC 1: Critical Thinking/Critical Inquiry
- NPC 2: Effective Communication
- NPC 3: Quantitative Reasoning
- NPC 4: Scientific Inquiry
- NPC 5: Information Literacy
- NPC 6: Diversity
After making any needed adjustments to their assessment tool, it is administered to students and data is collected from the assessment tool. Reading Day is conducted in February when departments and programs evaluate student work and data collected during the time their assessment tool was administered to students. Following this evaluation, the department or program modifies curriculum as needed and submits a report detailing their process to the Assessment of Student Knowledge Committee (ASK). In April, the college faculty gather to participate in Dialogue Day, when departmental/program results are shared with other faculty across divisions as a means of promoting a college-wide discussion over best practices and insights gained through the current year’s assessment process.
Following Dialogue Day, departments and programs adjust curriculum based on the results of the data that was collected and the assessment tool is adjusted as needed in preparation for the next year’s assessment cycle.
