According to Middle States Commission on Higher Education an accredited institution is expected to possess or demonstrate the following attributes or activities:

• documented, organized, and sustained assessment process to evaluate and improve the total range of programs and services; achievement of institutional mission, goals, and plans; and compliance with accreditation standards that meets the following criteria:
  • a foundation in the institution’s mission and clearly articulated institutional, unit-level, and program-level goals that encompass all programs, services, and initiatives and are appropriately integrated with one another;
  • systematic, sustained, and thorough use of multiple qualitative and/or quantitative measures that:
    • maximize the use of existing data and information;
    • clearly and purposefully relate to the goals they are assessing;
    • are of sufficient quality that results can be used with confidence to inform decisions;
  • support and collaboration of faculty and administration;
  • clear realistic guidelines and a timetable, supported by appropriate investment of institutional resources;
  • sufficient simplicity, practicality, detail, and ownership to be sustainable;
  • periodic evaluation of the effectiveness and comprehensiveness of the institution’s assessment process;
• evidence that assessment results are shared and discussed with appropriate constituents and used in institutional planning, resource allocation, and renewal to improve and gain efficiencies in programs, services and processes, including activities specific to the institution’s mission (e.g., service, outreach, research); and
• written institutional (strategic) plan(s) that reflect(s) consideration of assessment results.

(Characteristics 2006, MSCHE)

Working Definition of Institutional Assessment:

Institutional Assessment at CCAC is the on-going process of systematically measuring achievement of the Enduring Goals established by the College.  Results are utilized in the annual planning and resource allocation cycle to improve institutional effectiveness.

- Adopted by the IAPC 2/21/06

Articles and Links
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Assessing Student Learning and Institutional Effectiveness
Middle States’ Suggestions and Recommendations for Institutional Assessment (PDF) 09/14/05
Recommended Reading List

Reports and Analysis
Performance Indicators (PDF) 09/14/05
Self-study and Middle States Team Visit - Action Plan (PDF) 09/14/05
Institutional Assessment Audit: Self Study Review (PDF) 02/10/06
Institutional Assessment Audit: PIR Inventory (PDF) 02/10/06
Assessment Plan Prioritization Exercise: Round One 4/24/07 (PDF)
Assessment Plan Prioritization Exercise: Round One, Gantt Chart 4/24/07 (PDF)

Presentations
Institutional Assessment -presented by Kevin Smay (PDF) 09/14/05
Institutional Assessment Framework - presented by Mary Kate Quinlan (PPT) 11/30/05
No-frills Assessment Plans – presented by Mary Kate Quinlan (PPT) 12/09/05
Strategic Planning & Assessment – presented by Kevin Smay (PDF) 12/13/05
Introduction to Institutional Assessment, Campus Presentations (PDF) 02/16/06
Case Study: Integrating Planning and Assessment – presented by Kevin Smay & Mary Kate Quinlan (PDF) 5/20/08

Institutional Assessment Planning Committee - Meeting Schedule and Notes

Contact a Member of the Institutional Assessment Planning Committee

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