Notable Community and Technical College Assessment Programs

Madison Area Technical College's Core Ability Assessment Program.  Madison Area Technical College in Madison, Wisconsin, has been developing its assessment program since 1995.  Their excellent Web page displays the core abilities, explains the assessment process, and provides samples of the forms used to document and provide feedback on student work.

Inver Hills Community College Liberal Studies/ Professional Skills Program.  Inver Hills Community College, near Minneapolis, Minnesota, is developing an abilities-based assessment program 

Cascadia Community College.  A new college in Bothell, Washington, Cascadia is pioneering an outcomes-based approach to curriculum.  As of March 2001 the details of their outcomes assessment process are not posted on their Web page, but they promise to have more information up soon.  You can see the learning outcomes that are the organizing principle of their curriculum and faculty.

Four-year Undergraduate Assessment Programs

Student Learning Outcomes and Assessment.  The California State University system assessment program.  It contains examples of campus assessment activities.

The CSU Cornerstones Report.  On January 28, 1998, the CSU Board of Trustees unanimously endorsed the Cornerstones Report, a systemwide planning framework that articulates the values, priorities and expectations for the CSU future. Take a look at Chapter Three- Assessment of the Institutional Learning Environment

The Urban Universities Portfolio Project: Assuring Quality for Multiple Publics is a national initiative aimed at developing a new medium, the institutional portfolio, for communicating about the work and effectiveness of urban public higher education.

Bibliographies and Links

Internet Resources for Higher Education Outcomes Assessment: An extensive list of Internet resources, including handbooks and college Web pages, provided by North Carolina State University.

Education Virtual Library.  This site at Brigham Young University provides a number of sources on education-related issues.

Accrediting Agencies

Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)

The Higher Learning Commission of the Northcentral Association of Schools and Colleges

Other Interesting Site

Measuring Up 2000: The State-by-State Report Card for Higher Education.  Sponsored by The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, this "report card" gives interesting comparative information on how the states are performing.  The comparisons on Learning are especially instructive.  There are also some interesting background articles.

National Survey of Student Engagement: The College Student Report.  While the whole report isn't on the Web, the design of the report and the examples offered are interesting and instructive.

U.S. Department of Education (ED) Home Page

AACC (American Association of Community Colleges)

American Association for Higher Education (AAHE)

Alverno College A Four-Year Liberal Arts College for Women

Institutional Effectiveness Associates (IEA)  Institutional Effectiveness Associates (IEA) is a firm offering seminars/workshops and consulting services regarding institutional effectiveness or student/educational outcomes assessment to two and four year institutions of higher learning in the United States.

COMMUNITY COLLEGES PERCHED AT THE MILLENNIUM:
PERSPECTIVES ON INNOVATION, TRANSFORMATION, AND TOMORROW
Kay M. McClenney