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3-Year Assessment Cycle in Undergraduate Programs

Beginning Fall 2020, UCSC is switching to a new approach to the assessment of Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) in undergraduate programs. The new approach’s key feature is a 3-year reporting cycle for each department/program to conduct assessment by working with assessment specialists on a specific schedule. This replaces the 1-year reporting cycle for undergraduate programs.

Features of our new approach:

  1. A designated faculty lead will oversee assessment in every program.

  2. Every program will follow a specific schedule (see table below) in order to allow assessment specialists to provide support for every stage of the assessment process.

  3. Faculty will have one year (Year 2) to develop the implications and next steps based on their assessment results. Specialists in CITL will be available for program-specific consultations regarding pedagogical and curricular improvements.

  4. Reporting requirements are now simpler and more streamlined (Download fillable form). Report is due at the end of Year 2.

  5. Faculty will have one year (Year 3) to implement changes.

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Overview

In the 3-year cycle, each year will be devoted to one major task: Assess (Year 1), Reflect (Year 2), and Improve (Year 3):

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Here's how assessment specialists will help program faculty with each step of the process:

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Want more info? Check out this info sheet for details, frequently asked questions, and a yearly checklist.

Want to learn more about how to get started with PLO assessment? See our step-by-step guide.