Assessment at Millersville University

Assessment is a process that focuses on student learning, a process that involves reviewing and reflecting on practices as academics have always done, but in a more planned, deliberate and careful way. (Ewell, 2000)

Student learning is the primary focus at Millersville University. Outcomes assessment is the process both faculty and support staff use to determine the effectiveness of instruction and support services. Assessment is not viewed as a requirement, but rather a tool that faculty and staff can use to fine tune their craft of either instructional or service delivery.

Intended Student Outcomes and Administrative Objectives

The key to effective outcomes assessment is clearly specifying intended student outcomes or administrative objectives. Intended student outcomes are the knowledge and skills that faculty members intend students to get from a course of study. Administrative objectives are the intended results of service delivery or support to the institution. Outcomes are simply what we intend to accomplish through our work. They provide an ideal platform for the identification of measurable, or ascertainable, criteria – which can also be referred to as “targets.”

Measurable Criteria or Targets

Measurable criteria “operationalize” the intended student outcomes and administrative objectives. These are indicators that suggest to us if we accomplished what we intended to via instructional or service delivery. It's important to note that measurable criteria do not have to be “measurable,” per se. Qualitative indicators – usually consensus driven – are just as viable as quantitative indicators. While they tend to be more time-consuming and interpretive, they usually provide a rich source of data.

Millersville University is currently piloting a new and innovative approach to instructional assessment called degree specification. It features a simple design that uniquely address several assessment criteria of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, including program level outcomes, general education outcomes and degree coherence. Click on the link to learn more about degree specification.

Please use the link provided for Institutional Research for important facts and reports about Millersville University. For information regarding the newly-formed University Planning Council and University division strategic plans, use the link provided for Strategic Planning. For information regarding outcomes assessment for academic and non-academic departments, use the link for Comprehensive Assessment Summaries.

Millersville Self-Study

Middle States Standards by Working Groups