Outcomes & Assessment

Assessment, as defined by the American Association for Higher Education, is:

“…an on-going process aimed at understanding and improving student learning. It involves making our expectations explicit and public; setting appropriate criteria and high standards for learning quality; systematically gathering, analyzing, and interpreting evidence to determine how well performance matches those expectations and standards; and using the resulting information to document, explain, and improve performance. When it is embedded effectively within larger institutional systems, assessment can help us focus our collective attention, examine our assumptions, and create a shared academic culture dedicated to assuring and improving the quality of higher education.”

The student learning outcomes assessment cycle is an information-generating process that focuses on performance improvement and program planning. This process is a collaborative effort on the part of the entire Kapi‘olani academic community. A key component to the success of this effort is ongoing dialogue among faculty, student service units and administrative units. SLO assessment provides insight to faculty, staff and the college as a whole on the unique needs, strengths and challenges of the diverse groups of students that our college serves.

In addition to a means of improving student learning, the student learning outcomes assessment cycle is a tool that identifies strengths and opportunities, assists in planning and provides data to support resource allocation.

Clarification of roles and responsibilities is important to ensure the success of this effort. As a curriculum matter, student learning outcomes assessment falls under the jurisdiction of the Faculty Senate, whose role is to oversee

1. curricular content and standards in the development of outcomes.
2. planning of and activities around the assessment process.
3. use of assessment results to help shape decisions within academic programs and respective disciplines.

As an institutional matter, it is the role of the college administration to provide the technical and operational support that

1. aids in the development of valid and reliable assessment tools.
2. assists with the analysis and use of assessment results.
3. provides resources to implement changes suggested by the data.
4. coordinates the implementation of course, program and institutional outcomes and assessment.

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