Annual Assessment Report FAQ
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How do I gain access to the assessment report platform?
Please contact AAL Assessment and be sure to include the following information:
Name
Email
Phone number
What program(s) you require access to
An account with your credentials will be created and you will be contacted when this is accomplished.
If you still need access to the retired platform, Taskstream AMS, also contact AAL Assessment . Note - it will only be available through May 2025.
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Do I have to submit an assessment report if my program submits annual reports to a specialized/discipline accreditor?
The short answer is, "Yes". While specialized/discipline accreditors often require annual reporting, many do not require updates specifically on program learning outcomes (PLOs). PLO assessment reporting is expected by our institutional accreditor, the Higher Learning Commission. However, if you are reporting PLO assessment information to other accreditors regularly, the Accreditation, Assessment and Learning office is happy to work with you to make reporting less burdensome while also fulfilling university requirements. At your earliest convenience, please contact AAL Assessment.
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What happens if I need to change a program's name?
If a program goes through a name change, the Office of Accreditation, Assessment and Learning will likely NOT create a new program, but will adjust the existing program. This will allow the unit to run reports longitudinally for the program, to keep a program learning outcome or assessment measures that may remain even with the updated program.
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Why do the program learning outcomes in the assessment reporting platform have to match the current catalog?
Program learning outcomes (PLOs) are promises to our students about the knowledge, skills and abilities one should expect to learn and achieve by graduation. PLOs are the foundation of any assessment plan and most assessment reporting platforms. If the PLOs in the assessment reporting platform do not match those in the current catalog for your program, there are several ways to update the platform but first reach out to the System Administrator for guidance at AAL Assessment
Note: Some discipline or specialized accreditors may use different terminology in place of "learning outcomes", which can be reported on instead of PLOs.
Additional Note: If your program recently updated PLOs and went through all required committee approvals (i.e., department, college, university), wait to update the PLOs in the assessment reporting platform until the year that the updates take effect in the catalog.
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How do I add a course(s) so I can assess it for a program learning outcome?
Although reporting is for program-level assessment, programs are encouraged to select specific courses to report where the learning outcome is "mastered". Undergraduate program major required courses have been uploaded for most colleges. More courses can only be added by the System Administrator. If you need more courses added, please contact AAL Assessment and provide the course prefix, number and title as it appears in the catalog, e.g., UC 10001 Flashes 101
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How do I know what year to report?
Reports are due by September 30, for the previous academic year. For example, the 2023-2024 AY report is due by September 30, 2024. However, information can be added as soon as an Assessment Plan is available, on or around October 15, unless requested sooner. Also, typically, programs should report with the academic year starting in fall, then spring and ending with any summer assessments.
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Who can I contact if I have any additional questions?
Please contact AAL Assessment