Assessment

As part of the requirements for reaffirmation of accreditation, Miami must ensure that academic programs, the liberal education program as well as significant co-curricular and academic support programs consistently engage in meaningful assessment processes.  

Full cycle assessment is an ongoing, iterative process that uses results to inform decisions and make improvements. In order to improve, careful planning is necessary. Goals and outcomes must be clearly specified, appropriate measures must be selected, data collection must be carefully executed, and most importantly, results must be shared and discussed for improvements to occur.

University Assessment Plan

Miami University’s Assessment Plan includes three major components:

  1. Assessment of Academic Curriculum: Within Academic Affairs, each department is to implement a full cycle assessment program for each of its undergraduate majors & co-majors, graduate degree programs, and "free-standing" certificates (i.e., certificates that may enroll students who are not already enrolled in another Miami degree program).  
  2. Assessment of the Miami Plan: The Office of Liberal Education conducts student learning outcomes assessment of Miami’s general education program, the Miami Plan. 
  3. Assessment of the Co-Curriculum and Other Academic Activities: At Miami, academic support units, Student Life units, and academic centers and institutes are required to undergo assessment of their programs and services and submit annual reports on their assessment activities. Units that provide co-curricular learning programs include in their assessment activity student learning outcomes assessment.  

Departments and other units are required to specify their full-cycle assessment programs in an assessment plan and then report on progress made each year. Templates for plans and reports are available.

Departments and divisions that undergo accreditations by their disciplinary professional organizations (e.g., ABET, AACSB, CAEP) may use the assessment data collected for these processes so long as they comply with the HLC "full cycle" assessment requirement. 

Assessment plans and annual reports are evaluated each year by members of the University Assessment Fellows Committee. Assessment activity of academic departments is also evaluated more formally every 5-7 years as part of the Department Planning & Improvement process (academic program review).

Academic departments, programs or other units that do not already have an assessment plan, wish to revise an existing plan, or need assistance in developing an annual assessment report, are encouraged to contact Carolyn Haynes, Senior Associate Provost, for support.