Best Practices

The current structure revealed a reconfigured office headed by an Assistant Vice President for Assessment and Planning, charged with building a strong assessment and institutional effectiveness program at the College. The assessment and planning office, by operating under a broad umbrella on many campuses, can be used as a pivotal office towards the achievement of lofty goals, including wide-range assessment of educational programs and processes: operations, executive decision-making, development of key performance indicators, demonstration of institutional effectiveness, collecting data, performing institutional studies, and educational outcomes. The rationale leading to the establishment of OAP on any given campus may vary (although it generally falls under those highlighted above), depending on the philosophies and convictions of those at the top that the office can be a vehicle for the college or university to enhance the culture of evidence practice in fulfilling its mission. Oftentimes, the extent of support existing at the institution for such office will reveal the importance attached to assessment activity as a tool for decision-making and use as a change agent.