This year’s Assessment Forum at Cal State Fullerton marked another milestone in the university’s collective journey toward academic excellence and operational effectiveness. In its ninth consecutive year, the event has become integral to the campuswide assessment culture and most recently shared insights and findings from the 2022-23 University Assessment Report.
The Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Planning hosted the forum, during which students, faculty, staff and administrators from across the university gathered to celebrate accomplishments, share best practices and work together to address challenges in the assessment landscape. Consistent with the forum’s purposes, this year’s forum highlighted significant assessment achievements in both academic programs and operational units.
Key Achievements From the 2022-23 Assessment Cycle
- A continued robust campus engagement in assessment (99% universitywide participation).
- Most outcomes aligned with strategic plan goals, undergraduate and graduate learning goals, and WSCUC core competencies were met; assessment results suggest that a minimum of 80% of assessed outcomes aligned to each of these goals or competencies were “met.”
- 43% of programs/units received an “excellent” rating, and 54% received a “solid” rating for their assessment practice through peer review, suggesting that almost all programs/units have a sound assessment process.
- The percentage of programs/units that appropriately engaged in the “improvement” step of the assessment process decreased slightly from 88% to 86%, signaling an area of focus for the coming years.
In addition to recent insights across the university, participants gained strategies to leverage assessment to improve student learning and university operations from real examples across colleges and divisions that discussed their practices and outcomes.
Key Highlights From the Forum
- Presentations that emphasized best practices in data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement, with focused discussions on upcoming GE changes, emphasis on post-graduation success, and the university’s new Strategic Plan.
- Assessment leaders who engaged participants in collaborative discussions through breakout groups. Participants shared their ideas and brainstormed solutions to challenges in advancing assessment practices and using these practices to improve student success and institutional effectiveness.
- Assessment Inquiry Grant Showcases findings from several 2022-23 AIG recipients. Recipients were awarded the previous year for their interest in deepening their program’s assessment efforts.
When asked to share one takeaway from the forum, one attendee stated, “We should see ourselves in the strategic plan and be thoughtful, intentional stewards of how we measure progress toward outcomes that align with the larger strategic goals.” Eighty-eight percent of respondents to the post-survey event shared that the forum was very useful in increasing their understanding of the state of assessment on campus. Similarly, 85% shared that the forum greatly increased their knowledge of effective assessment practices.
For more insight into assessment activities and achievements on campus, check out the 2022-23 University Assessment Report and the assessment dashboard. Stay connected for updates and information about assessment at CSUF at fullerton.edu/data.