Program Assessment

Similar to course-level outcomes, all academic programs at Glen Oaks have Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) defined by full-time faculty who are experts in that field – the knowledge, skills, and abilities that students should possess when they complete the program. And just as it is with courses, program assessment tries to determine how students in a program can successfully show that they have “mastered” these outcomes. The College currently uses a combination of in-class assignments, capstone projects and courses, and external tools (such as state-level or national exams and certifications) to assess program outcomes. With the completion of curriculum mapping, linking specific courses Common Course Outcome (CCOs) to each PLOs, GOCC will be moving towards using CCO assessment data for program-level assessment.

A related, but more comprehensive process at GOCC is Program Review, where the administration and faculty outside the discipline look at academic programs on a five-year rotating schedule. This review is much more comprehensive, including analysis of the structure, processes, and outcomes of the program – including such items as program enrollments, community need/student demand, degrees awarded, costs, and how successful students are at finding employment in their field, as well as student learning outcomes (i.e. what students know and can do at the completion of the program). A systematic review and analysis of assessment findings and the PLOs by faculty teaching in the program is conducted in the year leading up to the scheduled Program Review.

The College follows the schedule below for Program Assessment and Program Review: