The five Institutional Outcomes for Gallaudet's baccalaureate programs

  • Students will use American Sign Language (ASL) and written English to communicate effectively with diverse audiences, for a variety of purposes, and in a variety of settings.
  • Students will summarize, synthesize, and critically analyze ideas from multiple sources in order to draw well- supported conclusions and solve problems.
  • Students will understand themselves, complex social identities, including deaf identities, and the interrelations within and among diverse cultures and groups.
  • Students will apply knowledge, modes of inquiry, and technological competence from a variety of disciplines in order to understand human experience and the natural world.
  • Students will make reasoned ethical judgments, showing awareness of multiple value systems and taking responsibility for the consequences of their actions. They will apply these judgments, using collaboration and leadership skills, to promote social justice in their local, national, and global communities.

In the fall of 2011, the GU Faculty Senate requested that OAQ establish the Institutional Outcomes Assessment Committee (IOA), charged with developing a process for assessing institutional student learning outcomes at mid-career and graduation.

The IOA began its consideration of assessment of SLO's by referring to other models for assessment of students as they prepare to graduate. The Association of American Colleges and Universities (AACU's) Greater Expectations Project on Accreditation and Assessment Capstone Assessment Project within their Taking Responsibility for the Quality of the Baccalaureate Degree initiative was the main model. The goal is to develop assessments in which (1) general education outcomes and major outcomes are assessed together, and (2) general education and major outcomes can be assessed at the highest levels of undergraduate education (i.e., in the senior year). Following AACU's principles for good assessment, the intent is to promote assessments that demonstrate good practices in assessment.

By 2014 all UG programs have a draft written senior assessment plan that describes the following:

  1. The institutional and program-specific outcomes that are required to be integrated by the student in performing this assessment activity
  2. Disciplinary standards for the outcomes
  3. The ways in which students, in explicit and cumulative ways, are prepared for senior assessments in prior semesters
  4. The ways in which the senior assessment(s) are a learning experience for students
  5. The breadth of faculty collaboration in the assessment activity

Timeline of the Senior Assessment Plan

  • Fall 2012 Senior Assessment Project Implementation Plan submitted to CUE
  • Fall 2012-Fall 2013 Developing and program exploration of good practices in senior assessment
  • Jan 30, 2014 All UG programs submit a draft written senior assessment plan to OAQ
  • Spring 2014 Feedback and revisions to draft senior assessment plan; development of assessment tasks in programs
  • Fall 2014 Senior Assessment for all outcomes begins in all UG programs. (from the OAQ 3-30-12 proposal to the Council for Undergraduate Education on institutional assessment)
  • June 2015 Inaugural Senior Assessment reports were submitted then feedback were returned

Progress reports are due annually in June.

Additional Documentation

  1. The Faculty Senate Approval of Senior Assessment (May 2012)
  2. The AACU Models of Senior Assessment Capstones

Review materials from Dr. Kathy Doherty's Senior Assessment workshop.

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