Make your assessment plan a reflection of your vision for your program or unit. An effective assessment plan will reflect the nature, goals, and values of your program or unit. Assessing your program should be as natural a part of what you do as assessing your students’ coursework, and should serve the same purpose: to improve your students’ achievement of the goals you set for them.

Choose the assessment methods that suit your program or unit. Methods and measures of assessment are numerous (see the “Common Methods and Measures” box on this page for examples of measures for assessing student outcomes), and no program or unit will want or need all of them. Consider the benefits and weaknesses of each and select those that will best serve your program or unit.

Prioritize. There will never be enough time, energy, or resources to assess everything. Again, think about your program or unit’s needs.

Keep the assessment process simple, meaningful, and useful. Assessment must be manageable. You should be able to perform assessment without straining your stamina and enthusiasm. If you find yourself dreading assessment, you need to find a new approach.

Understand that assessment is a continuous process. Assessment is never “over.” While we have annual cycles of reporting, assessment of our programs and institution is an ongoing affair. It is precisely because assessment is a constant process that it must be a manageable process.

Remember that nothing is set in stone. Your intended outcomes, assessment procedures, and benchmarks can always be revised in light of your results, or in light of other factors such as changes in your program, your field, your department faculty or office colleagues, etc. Indeed, the details of your assessment plan should be revisited regularly.

Don’t hesitate to seek assistance. There are many people at Lindenwood who can help you find answers to questions about our assessment system or about best assessment practices: your Assessment Committee representative or the Associate Provost for Academic Effectiveness, Dr. Robyne Elder. Financial assistance is also available for programs and units with assessment plans that require commercial purchases (such as field tests). This guide’s Online Resources pages can direct you to information on best practices in assessment, and the Professional Development page can help you find opportunities to learn even more. Effective institutional and program assessment requires teamwork; don’t make unnecessary work for yourself by going it alone!