Section Menu Office of Assessment

Contact Information

(209) 664-6746
elittlepage@csustan.edu

Mary Stuart Rogers, MSR 376

Division of Academic Affairs

Organization for Assessment in Academic Affairs

Institutional Academic Assessment Process

The table below outlines how academic assessment flows from the course level through the program, college, and institution levels. The seven-year Academic Program Review process serves as the foundation for ongoing review, reporting, and improvement across the university with annual reports submitted via Qualtrics in Years 1-6. The Seven-Year Implementation Plan guides this work at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. 

Table A: Institutional Academic Assessment Process
Course Department/Program College Institution
  • Course learning outcomes are mapped to program learning outcomes through the course proposal process (Curriculum Management System)
  •  Assessment of student learning outcomes is completed by individual faculty at the course level. 
  • Department/program faculty review program learning outcomes. 
  • Annual program learning outcomes assessment reporting feeds into the 7-year Academic Program Review (APR) process.
  • The Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Analytics provides program-level data via Academic Unit Profile 
  • The Office of Assessment provides college-level summaries of annual report data to Deans.
  • Deans and college committees review annual reports and APRs.
  • Feedback is provided to the programs by reviewers.
  • Faculty governance committees (ASL subcommittee, GE subcommittee, Graduate Council) provide feedback on APRs. 
  • Reporting is integrated into college, division, and institutional strategic planning. 
  • Departments/programs and Deans meet with the Provost at the close of the seven-year APR cycle. 

Assessment Infrastructure

Stanislaus State is committed to a culture of evidence, continuous improvement, and student success. Assessment is integrated throughout the institution and serves as a foundation for academic quality, institutional effectiveness, strategic planning, and resource allocation. Consistent with the University's Principles for Assessment of Student Learning, faculty maintain primary responsibility for assessing student learning within academic programs, while administrators and staff provide leadership, coordination, data support, and resources that facilitate meaningful assessment processes. 

Assessment activities occur at multiple levels of the institution, including course, program, general education, co-curricular, division, and institutional levels. Assessment findings are regularly used to improve curriculum, pedagogy, student support services, program effectiveness, and institutional decision-making. 

The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs provides executive leadership for academic assessment and ensures that assessment remains aligned with the University's mission, strategic priorities, and accreditation expectations. Assessment efforts are coordinated through partnerships among faculty governance committees, the Office of Academic Programs and Assessment, the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Analytics, college leadership, and academic and co-curricular programs. 

Institutional Assessment Leadership and Support

Stanislaus State’s assessment infrastructure strengthens connections among program assessment, institutional effectiveness, accreditation, strategic planning, and student success. Assessment responsibilities are distributed across faculty and administrative leadership positions that provide coordination, consultation, data analysis, professional development, and oversight. 

Roles, Responsibilities, and Resources

Table B. Assessment Roles, Responsibilities, and Resources – Academic Affairs
Position Primary Responsibilities

Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs 

Provides administrative oversight for assessment infrastructure; ensures coordination among assessment, accreditation, Academic Program Review, and strategic planning activities; supports resource allocation and continuous improvement efforts; collaborates with faculty and administrative leaders to strengthen assessment effectiveness. 

Deans and College Leadership 

Promote assessment within academic colleges; support faculty engagement in assessment activities; review assessment findings and improvement plans; ensure alignment between assessment, planning, and resource allocation. 

Faculty Governance Committees 

Provide oversight and faculty leadership for assessment-related policies and practices, including General Education assessment, program review, and student learning assessment processes (Assessment of Student Learning Subcommittee, General Education Subcommittee, and Graduate Council).  

Faculty Fellow for Assessment and Continuous Improvement 

Provides faculty leadership for assessment initiatives; supports academic programs in assessment planning and annual reporting; assists with assessment process evaluation and improvement; contributes to institutional assessment reporting and accreditation efforts. 

Institutional Effectiveness and Community Partnership Specialist

Facilitates university-wide assessment process implementation, including annual reporting and Academic Program Review; provides consultation on learning outcomes development, assessment methods, and evidence collection; develops assessment resources and professional development opportunities; manages assessment reporting systems and documentation processes. 

Assessment Liaisons and Academic Program Review Coordinators 

Lead preparation of Academic Program Review self-studies; coordinate collection and analysis of assessment evidence; facilitate program reflection and planning; collaborate with faculty, administrators, and external reviewers. 

External Reviewers 

Provide independent evaluation of academic programs and support units; review assessment evidence, program effectiveness, and improvement efforts; offer recommendations that inform planning and decision-making.

Faculty Director of General Education 

Provides leadership for General Education assessment; facilitates implementation of the General Education assessment plan; coordinates assessment activities with faculty governance committees; supports development of General Education review and reporting processes. 

Graduate Council and Faculty Leadership 

Support assessment of graduate education through review of student learning outcomes, program effectiveness indicators, and institutional-level graduate assessment initiatives. 

Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Analytics 

Provides institutional research, data analysis, survey design, reporting, and assessment support; develops dashboards and institutional metrics; supports accreditation, Academic Program Review, strategic planning, enrollment management, and institutional effectiveness efforts; assists programs and divisions in interpreting and utilizing assessment data. 

Assessment Committees and Contacts:

Updated: June 18, 2026