Following a review of programs’ annual assessment reports, members of the University Assessment Committee and the Office of Curriculum, Learning Design and Academic Assessment have awarded faculty efforts for assessing student learning.
Two programs will receive a Seal of Assessment Excellence, which recognizes exemplary work in three assessment phases: 1) mission, degree program student learning outcomes, curriculum map and assessment strategy; 2) data collection; and 3) use of assessment findings to promote learning strengths and/or to make changes to curricular design. NAU’s recognition process has received national attention and was partly the reason NAU received the 2009 Council for Higher Education Association Award for Progress in Outcomes Assessment.
This year’s Seal of Assessment Excellence winners are:
- The College of Social and Behavioral Science’s bachelor of science in geographic sciences and community planning, which aligned mission, program student learning outcomes, and assessment measures to allow for the organization of assessment findings by outcomes and the identification of student learning strengths as well as areas for improvement.
- The W.A. Franke College of Business’s bachelor of science in hotel and restaurant management and bachelor of science in hospitality management, which demonstrated excellence in all three phases of annual assessment reporting, particularly in terms of specific recommendations for curricular and assessment improvements based on assessment results.
Five programs were selected to receive a Letter of Commendation, which recognizes outstanding work in any one of the three assessment phases. Those winners are:
- Graduate certificate in assistive technology
- Bachelor of science in education in history and social studies
- NAU-Yuma’s bachelor of applied science in logistics and chain supply management
- Master of science in clinical speech-language pathology
- Bachelor of science in nursing, master of science in nursing, and doctor of nursing practice
Fifty programs also received a Letter of Commendation for Student Learning Outcomes. Award recipients will be recognized at the annual Assessment Fair held in the spring.
Information on the university’s assessment awards is online.