Assessment

Assessment at Judson

Each academic and co-curricular department at Judson has a mission, purpose, or function that it serves on behalf of, or in partial fulfillment of the University's Mission and Goals. Assessment allows for a determination of how well that mission, purpose, or function is being fulfilled and, more specifically, to the identification of what is being done well and where improvement is needed. These determinations help departments identify where improvement is needed and inform decisions about what to (dis)continue doing.

Repeating the assessment cycle provides departments and the University with a mechanism for engaging in the process of continual improvement. To that end, each academic and co-curricular department assesses the extent to which their learning outcomes are being achieved or their goals met over three two-year assessment cycles. In each two-year cycle, departments submit an assessment plan in year one, and both the outcomes of the assessment and an action plan in year two. These submissions are reviewed annually by the University Assessment Committee (UAC) and feedback is given to the Department as part of the continual improvement process.

The UAC, which is composed of faculty and staff, is responsible for developing policies regarding assessment, coordinating assessment activities, counseling departments in assessment, ensuring that all areas of the University are conducting assessment, evaluating and providing feedback to departments on their assessment proposals and results/action plans, and annually summarizing Judson's assessment activity.

Course Evaluations

Student and faculty course evaluations in all programs provide indirect feedback on whether learning objectives are met. In course evaluations, students self-assess whether they met course learning outcomes as stated in the syllabus and how well the activities and assignments helped them to meet learning outcomes. Due to the high number of adjunct faculty in the Division of Professional Studies adult undergraduate and graduate programs, faculty members also utilize faculty course evaluations. Upon submitting grades, faculty members assess whether the course curriculum and materials were aligned with course and program objectives. Changes to the curriculum are based, in part, on these evaluations. In addition, full-time faculty are expected to articulate changes made to curriculum based on course evaluations during the faculty review process.

Benchmark Surveys

Judson administers benchmarking surveys to identify areas where the institution is doing well and where improvement is needed. Three established benchmarking surveys, the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), the Ruffalo Noel Levitz (RNL) Student Satisfaction Inventory (SSI), and the Thriving Project’s Thriving Quotient (TQ) surveys, are administered annually on a rotating basis that aligns with Judson’s peer institutions in the Coalition for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU).

Judson also annually administers the Illinois Board of Higher Education’s (IBHE) Sexual Misconduct Survey to assess student’s awareness of resources, experience with sexual harassment and misconduct, and the quality of Judson’s institutional response.

Post-Graduate Outcomes and Advisory Boards

In order to ensure that degree programs adequately prepare students for advanced study or employment, academic departments/divisions review data related to the field, align curriculum to professional educational standards set by various organizations, and incorporate counsel from advisory boards. When a new program is proposed at Judson, faculty research and present data related to program viability and sustainability. Data related to both student needs and professional demand are included to ensure the program adequately prepares graduates for a career in their field of choice.

When professional standards are set within a field, major programs align curricula to those standards to ensure student success upon graduation. For example, the Art majors use standards set by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) when developing core program goals and student learning outcomes. Exercise and Sport Science has aligned their Physical Education coursework to standards from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and the National Association for Sport and PE (NASPE).

Additionally, several programs have Advisory Boards who meet regularly to review and discuss the program goals and curriculum, trends in the field, and how best to prepare students for success upon graduation. Advisory Boards are typically comprised of students, alumni, educators, and industry professionals with subject matter expertise and/or experience. Examples of departments and programs with advisory boards include the Undergraduate Education Department and the MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.

Judson evaluates the success of its graduates at both the university and departmental levels. The first step in evaluating graduate success occurs at the university level upon graduation. The Career Center administers a Graduation Survey, which is the NACE (National Association of College and Employers) First Destination Survey, as a tool to report initial status of students upon graduation. The survey results are compiled and shared with the Board of Trustees. In addition, Judson administers the 6-month­ out Graduation Survey, which is patterned after the Graduation Survey but also includes questions asking alumni about whether their programs adequately prepared them for the workplace.

Academic departments/divisions also track graduates who have completed their programs through various methods. These efforts allow departments to evaluate whether the program adequately prepares students for employment or graduate work in a particular field. Measures of success include current employment, professional accomplishments, and graduate school enrollment and completion.