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Excelsior College School of Liberal Arts

Assessment Plan for the Bachelors, Associate and Masters Degree Programs
2013-2015
School of Liberal Arts Mission Statement
The School of Liberal Arts is a community of Students, Staff and Faculty whose mission is to enhance
and maintain the quality and integrity of the general education curriculum for all Excelsior College
students, as well as the curriculums for the associate, baccalaureate and masters degree programs.
Furthermore, this community supports the integration of knowledge across disciplines, and the acquisition
of skills necessary for lifelong learning.
Introduction
The Excelsior College School of Liberal Arts (SLA) includes 12 bachelors degree programs, one
masters degree program and three associates degree programs. Each program is subjected to an in-depth
review on a 5 year cycle as required by the Excelsior College Institutional Assessment Plan for Student
Learning (2012) It may be noted that programs undergo a program evaluation once every five years,
intended to guide and support a culture of continuous quality improvement. (IAPSL, p.9) Developing an
assessment plan which can be applied across all programs, addresses the needs of all stakeholders and can
be a rigorous and enlightening guide to continuous quality improvement is an on-going and evolving task.
The Institutional Assessment Plan for Student Learning (2012) formulated by the Excelsior College
Office of Institutional Effectiveness and overseen by the Institutional Effectiveness (IE) Steering
Committee provides the guiding framework for the development of the School of Liberal Arts
Assessment Plan. The SLA has used this framework to formulate the development of the ongoing review
process which includes multiple distinct sources of data on student success, including both indirect and
direct measures. The SLA final assessment report for the programs will include both the data compiled by
the IE as well as the data collected by the school focused on the student learning outcomes.
The School of Liberal Arts has developed a plan for the assessment of student learning that integrates and
supports the Excelsior College Institutional Assessment Plan, so that the goals of the School are closely
aligned with the institutional goals. This Assessment Plan outlines the process of program performance
evaluation. The direct measure uses the students ability to demonstrate mastery of each of the student
learning outcomes at the associates, bachelors and masters degree level. The indirect measure utilizes
the results from student survey responses as an additional informational element in the evaluation of each
programs performance. Together these two measures support the data driven process of continuous
program quality improvement. Establishing benchmarks to use when evaluating program performance
within the School of Liberal Arts is an evolving process that will continue to be improved and modified
as information is gathered. The benchmarks or metrics were up-dated for the 2012-2013 assessment cycle
based on the results from the previous two years. These metrics have proven to be a useful and accurate
tool in evaluating program performance and will remain in place for the next two years.
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Learning Outcomes
Associate of Art and Associate of Science
Students who successfully complete an Associate degree from the School of Liberal Arts will be able to:
1. Critical Thinking: Demonstrate an ability to use appropriate terminology, define concepts and apply
skills across a range of contexts and areas of knowledge to identify and solve problems.
2. Communication: Interpret various types of written, visual and/or oral information; organize ideas and
communicate precisely and clearly to express complex thoughts.
3. Diversity: Identify similarities and contrasts among cultures, times and environments, demonstrating an
understanding of cultural pluralism and knowledge of global issues.
4. Ethics: Explain ethical issues and conflicts, indicating actions appropriate to the issue and the range of
potential consequences.

Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science in Liberal Studies
Students who complete any Baccalaureate degree from the School of Liberal Arts will be able to:
1. Critical Thinking: Students will be able to engage in advanced critical thinking skills, including:
demonstrating the ability to remember information, understand key concepts, apply these concepts
appropriately, analyze phenomena, evaluate and justify positions, create coherent arguments in the
students chosen field of study.
2. Communication: Students will demonstrate: advanced written communication skills, advanced oral
communication skills, be able to express complex ideas with clarity and precision.
3. Diversity: Students will be able to articulate the significance of diversity as a fundamental principle of
understanding life.
4. Ethics: Students will be able to apply concepts of: ethical conduct in decision making, ethical conduct
in action, social responsibility in decision making, and social responsibility in action.

Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science in History
Students who complete the major in History will be able to:

1. Synthesize the broad outlines of European and non-Western history.

2. Explain the foundation and evolution of the United States as a nation.

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3. Apply and assess methods of historical inquiry and historiography through research using primary
and secondary sources.

Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science in Psychology
Students who complete the major in Psychology will be able to:
1. Construct a coherent written explanation of the historical development of psychology
including the development of its subfields.

2. Analyze peer-reviewed papers in psychological research that incorporate quantitative and
qualitative methods, comparing the research design, statistical tools and results.

3. Analyze a behavior from biological/physiological, evolutionary, developmental, cognitive,
social and abnormal/maladaptive perspectives.

4. Explain how the study of cognition and behavior can facilitate cultural competency and
personal and social ethical awareness.
Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science in Sociology
Students who complete the major in Sociology will be able to:
1. Summarize the core concepts of sociology and recognize and explain the sociological
imagination when viewing social phenomena and their own lives.

2. Analyze social phenomena utilizing theoretical frameworks.

3. Compare and contrast social science research that uses qualitative and quantitative methods,
including statistics, appropriate to the social application, with demonstrated awareness of any
ethical dilemmas involved in the research process.

4. Identify social arrangements interpreted as unjust and articulate the implications for social policy
and action.







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New Degree Programs in SLA
Four new SLA bachelors degree programs were recognized in 2012 by the NY State Education
Department. The Military Studies program is now part of the new School of Public Service.
The learning outcomes for each program are:


Bachelor of Arts in Humanities
Students who complete the major in Humanities will be able to:
1) Articulate the role of at least two of the humanities disciplines in framing a view of society.
2) Analyze and present a coherent explanation of a humanities question or issue integrating two
humanities disciplines.

Bachelor of Science in Natural Sciences

Students who complete the major in Natural Sciences will be able to:

1) Describe and explain the fundamental concepts of two natural science disciplines.

2) Analyze and present a coherent explanation of a natural science question or issue integrating
two natural science disciplines.

Bachelor of Science in Social Science
Students who complete the major in Social Science will be able to:
1. Analyze a social science question or issue using appropriate theory and method and
recommend possible solutions to the problem.

2. Articulate ethical principles in the context of a specific social problem and describe how they
can help formulate social policy or research.










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Methods of Data Collection
Direct Measure - Capstone Courses:
Capstone courses are currently offered in 8 areas: History (LA498HIS), Humanities (LA498HU), Liberal
Arts (LA498 & LA498M), Judaic Studies (LA498JS), Natural Sciences (LA498NS), Psychology
(LA498PSY) and Social Sciences (LA498SS). There is one capstone course LA298 for the Associates
degrees. Each student who completes a capstone course will receive a letter grade as they would for any
other course at Excelsior College. Additionally, the students work is evaluated for demonstration of the
appropriate learning outcomes and scored using the outcomes evaluation scoring rubrics. Outcomes
scoring rubrics are attached in Appendix A.

Indirect Measure Student Surveys
The SLA Assessment Team recognizes the limitations of this data since it is self selected and self
reported.
1. The IE conducts an exit survey of students at the time of their graduation.
2. The IE conducts a one year survey of graduates.
a. These two surveys use a 6 point Likert scale to ask students to evaluate the degree to which
they feel they have been prepared for and achieved each of the 4 degree outcomes and any
program specific outcomes that may apply.
Evaluation Instruments:
1. The instructors will use the approved outcome scoring rubrics (Appendix A) for all student work that
constitute capstone projects which focus on the outcomes; these may include: written assignments,
multimedia projects and presentations. Instructors receive training in using these rubrics. The rubric
allows for 5 levels of achievement; No clear evidence of criterion =0, Criterion attempted at an
elementary level =1, Criterion is adequately displayed =2, Criterion is completely, thoroughly displayed
=3, and Exceptional, unique/superior demonstration =4.
2. The Excelsior College Exit Survey, (Appendix B).
3. The Excelsior College One Year Post-Graduation Survey, (Appendix C).










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Methods of Data Evaluation

All Associates and Bachelors Degrees

2013-2015 Based on the results from the past two years, the rubrics will remain the same for the coming
years and the metrics for the capstone outcomes score evaluation that were adjusted slightly last year will
remain unchanged. The assessment process has been refined and improved and it is now time to collect
multi-year data using these same assessment tools.
Direct Measure
The 4 SLA degree student learning outcomes (AA/AS and BA/BS) will be evaluated using the students
written assignments and other projects submitted during whichever capstone course is required for those
students. Course instructors will use the rubrics for outcomes evaluation scoring that are specifically
focused on the degree and any applicable program level learning outcomes and imbedded within the
grade book for that course.
Levels of Achievement
The program performance will be based on the student learning outcomes evaluation scores determined
through the use of a rubric that has 5 identified student performance levels:
1. No clear evidence of criterion=0
2. This criterion is attempted at an elementary level =1
3. This criterion is adequately displayed=2
4. This criterion is completely, thoroughly displayed =3
5. Exceptional, unique and superior demonstration =4
The program performance will be determined using a metric that has 3 performance levels:
1. Program Exceeds Expectations
2. Program Meets Expectations
3. Program Does Not Meet Expectations


Associates and Bachelors Degree Program Performance Standards

Direct Measures Metrics:

For each of the SLA degree and program level outcomes assessed within the capstone course-
A program will be considered to have successfully met the Exceeds Expectations level if 90%
or more of the students completing the Capstone Course during the evaluation period score at or
above the 'Meets Expectations' level for this outcome and 60% or more of these are at the
'Exceeds Expectations' level. Additionally, no more than 10% of the students will receive a score
of Does Not Meet Expectations'.

A program will be considered to have met the Meets Expectations level if at least 85% of the
students completing the Capstone Course during the evaluation period score at or above the
'Meets Expectations' level and no more than 15% of the students score at 'Does Not Meet
Expectations'.
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A program will be evaluated as Does Not Meet Expectations if fewer than 85% of the students
completing the Capstone Course during the evaluation period score at or above 'Meets
Expectations' level for this outcome and if more than 15% of the students score at 'Does not Meet
Expectations'.

Individual student metrics to determine program performance: In order to determine where the any
particular program falls within the levels established for program performance, it was necessary to more
precisely define student performance scores using the 5 levels built into the rubrics and translate these
student scores into program performance scores. Several of the learning outcomes have multiple criteria
to be scored. In properly evaluating an individual student, there is a broad range of possible scores any
one student could achieve. If a program is to be appropriately evaluated on having 90% of the students
scored at or above "meets expectations" it is important to accurately define the total point scores for each
outcome that are required for achieving each program performance level. After discussions with the
Dean, the Associate Deans and Faculty Program Directors the following scoring formula was approved
for individual student's outcomes performance evaluation for this assessment cycle.

Individual student parameters for the SLA degree outcomes:
Students' scores for each outcome will be determined by adding the scores for each individual criterion
for a total score for that outcome.
When approximately 50% or more of the criteria for that outcome are rated at the 4.00 level and none at
or below the 2.00 level, the student will be considered to have "Exceeded Expectations" for that outcome.
The score range for each of the outcomes is:

When approximately 50% or more of the criteria for that outcome are rated at the 3.00 level and none
below the 2.00 level, the student will be considered to have "Met Expectations" for that outcome. The
score range for each of the outcomes is:

Students' whose scores for any single criterion is rated as 0 the student will evaluated as "Does Not Meet
Expectations", as well as the score range for each of the outcomes is:

Table 1: Converting individual student scores to AA/AS program performance scores:
Outcome (best possible student score) Does Not
Meet
Expectations
Exceeds
Expectations

Critical Thinking: Demonstrate an ability to use appropriate terminology, define
concepts and apply skills across a range of contexts and areas of knowledge to
identify and solve problems. (16)
0-6 14-16
Communication: Interpret various types of written, visual and/or oral
information; organize ideas and communicate precisely and clearly to express
complex thoughts. (12)
0-4 10-12
Ethics: Explain ethical issues and conflicts, indicating actions appropriate to the
issue and the range of potential consequences. (8)
0-3 7-8
Diversity: Identify similarities and contrasts among cultures, times and
environments, demonstrating an understanding of cultural pluralism and
knowledge of global issues.
(8)
0-3 7-8





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Table 2: Converting individual student scores to BA/BS program performance scores:
Outcome (best possible student score) Does Not
Meet
Expectations
Exceeds
Expectations

Critical Thinking: Students will be able to engage in advanced critical thinking
skills, including: demonstrating the ability to remember information, understand
key concepts, apply these concepts appropriately, analyze phenomena, evaluate
and justify positions, create coherent arguments in the students chosen field of
study. (16)
6 or less 13,14,15,16
Communication: Students will demonstrate: advanced written communication
skills, advanced oral communication skills, are able to express complex ideas
with clarity and precision. (12)
4 or less 10, 11, 12
Ethics: Students will be able to apply concepts of: ethical conduct in decision
making, ethical conduct in action, social responsibility in decision making, and
social responsibility in action. (16)
6 or less 13, 14,15,16
Diversity: Students will be able to apply concepts of: ethical conduct in decision
making, ethical conduct in action, social responsibility in decision making, and
social responsibility in action. (4)
1 or less 4


Individual student parameters for the program/major outcomes:
Students' scores for each outcome will be determined by adding the scores for each individual criterion
for a total score for that outcome. Most program level outcomes have only one criterion each; a few have
two criteria for each outcome. The conversion for these student scores for the program level outcomes
into program performance scores follows the format used for degree level outcomes.
A program will be considered to have exceeded expectations for this outcome when the score is 4
out of possible 4; or at least 7 out of 8.
A program will be considered to have met expectations for this outcome when the score is 2 or 3
out of 4; or 4, 5, or 6 out of 8.
A program will be considered to have not met expectations for this outcome when the score is 1
or 0 out of a possible 4; or 0, 1, 2 or 3 out of 8.

Direct Measure of the Sociology major program outcomes:

Students who are enrolled in the Sociology major will take the Social Sciences capstone (LA498SS) and
will be evaluated on their major/program specific outcomes using their work from this course.
Designated assignments will focus on the appropriate major/program outcomes for each student and these
assignments will be evaluated using an outcomes evaluation scoring rubric which is the same in design to
the other outcomes scoring rubrics: 5 performance levels for each individual criterion. This evaluation is
completed by the Faculty Program Director for Sociology. Program performance is evaluated using the
same student to program conversion table which is applied to the other majors/programs.
Indirect Measures
The Excelsior College Office of Institutional Effectiveness oversees the construction, distribution and
reporting of the graduate surveys. These surveys are distributed at the time a student graduates, the Exit
Survey, after one year post graduation and after three years post graduation. The Exit and One-Year
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Surveys ask the students to evaluate both the preparation they received and their attainment of the student
learning outcomes.


Indirect Measures Metrics:

1. The Excelsior College Exit and One-Year Surveys:
The program will be evaluated by examining the mean of the graduates perceptions of their preparation
for and achievement of the degree and any applicable program student learning outcomes:
The program will be considered to have achieved "Exceeds Expectations" when the results of the
survey, show the mean of the graduates' perceptions of their achievement of this outcome as 5.00
or higher on a 6 point Likert scale.

The program will be considered to have achieved "Meets Expectations" when the results of the
survey show the mean of the graduates' perceptions of their achievement of this outcome is at
least 4.00 up to and including 4.99 on a 6 point Likert scale.

The program will be considered to have underachieved at the "Does Not Meet Expectations" level
when the results of the survey show the mean of the graduates' perceptions of their achievement
of this outcome as 3.99 or less on a 6 point Likert scale.


Master of Arts in Liberal Studies
Learning Outcomes Master of Arts in Liberal Studies Program
The faculty has defined the following as desired outcomes of the MALS. The student who completes the
program would be able to:

1. Demonstrate the integration and application of knowledge in two or more liberal arts and science
disciplines.

2. Evaluate written or spoken hypotheses utilizing data and drawing on prior knowledge.

3. Create connections between issues and their historical and/or social context.

4. Demonstrate an understanding of cultural differences and knowledge of contributions from various
cultures.

5. Demonstrate critical and analytical thought in the examination of a range of issues by designing and
implementing a substantive research investigation.


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Program Levels of Achievement
The program performance will be based on the student learning outcomes evaluation scores determined
through the use of a rubric that has 5 identified student performance categories:
6. No clear evidence of criterion=0
7. This criterion is attempted at an elementary level =1
8. This criterion is adequately displayed=2
9. This criterion is completely, thoroughly displayed =3
10. Exceptional, unique and superior demonstration =4
The program performance will be determined using a metric that has 3 performance categories:
4. Program Exceeds Expectations
5. Program Meets Expectations
6. Program Does Not Meet Expectations

Performance Standards
Direct Measures
The process will include evaluation of the students written thesis submission for the first formal review
by designated reviewers using the rubrics that are specifically focused on the 5 MALS degree learning
outcomes. Starting in the May, 2012 term these same rubrics were also incorporated into the core courses
that support the learning of these outcomes. This evaluation of student performance early in the program
will allow data to be collected in a longitudinal process where improvement in performance over time
can be tracked. This will also allow the MALS Administration and Faculty to evaluate the performance of
these new core courses in improving students ability to master the program learning outcomes.

For each of the 5 MALS Program Learning Outcomes:
Thesis Review Metric:
A program will be considered to have successfully met the Exceeds Expectations level if 95%
or more of the students completing the thesis first formal review process receive a score of
"Meets Expectations" for this outcome and 25% or moreof these are at the achieve Exceeds
Expectations on the outcome. Less than 5% of all the student work submitted will score at the
Does Not Meet Expectations level.

A program will be considered to have met the Meets Expectations level if at least 90% of the
students completing the thesis first formal review process score at or above the "Meets
Expectations" level for this outcome, and 10% or less of all the student work submitted is scored
as Does Not Meet Expectations.

A program will be evaluated as Does Not Meet Expectations if fewer than 90% of the students
completing the course score at or above the "Meets Expectations" level for this outcome and or
more than 10% of the student work submitted is scored as Does Not Meet Expectations.


Core Course Metric:
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A program will be considered to have successfully met the Exceeds Expectations level if 85%
or more of the students completing the course receive a score of "Meets Expectations" for this
outcome and 15% or moreof these are at the achieve Exceeds Expectations on the outcome.
15% or less of all the student work submitted will score at the Does Not Meet Expectations
level.

A program will be considered to have met the Meets Expectations level if at least 80% of the
students completing the course score at or above the "Meets Expectations" level for this outcome,
and 20% or less of all the student work submitted is scored as Does Not Meet Expectations.

A program will be evaluated as Does Not Meet Expectations if fewer than 80% of the students
completing the course score at or above the "Meets Expectations" level for this outcome and or
more than 20% of the student work submitted is scored as Does Not Meet Expectations.

Individual student metrics for the MALS program outcomes:
Students' scores for each outcome will be determined by adding the scores for each individual criterion
for a total score for that outcome. Student scores will be translated into program performance levels using
the following criteria and the reference table below.
When approximately 50% of the criteria for that outcome are rated at the 4.00 level and none
at or below the 2.00 level, the student will be considered to have "Exceeded Expectations" for
that outcome.
When approximately 50% of the criteria for that outcome are rated at the 3.00 level and none
below the 2.00 level, the student will be considered to have "Met Expectations" for that
outcome.
Students' whose scores for any single criterion is rated as 0 the student will evaluated as
"Does Not Meet Expectations".

Table 3: Converting individual student scores to MALS program performance scores:
MALS Outcomes Does Not Meet
Expectations
Meets
Expectations
Exceeds
Expectations
1. Demonstrate the integration and application knowledge in two
or more liberal arts disciplines.
0-2 3-6 7-8
2. Evaluate written or spoken hypotheses utilizing data and
drawing on prior knowledge.
0-1 2-3 4
3. Create connections between issues and their historical and/or
social context.
0-1 2-3 4
4. Demonstrate an understanding of cultural differences and
knowledge of contributions from various cultures.
0-2 3-6 7-8
5. Demonstrate critical and analytical thought in the examination
of a range of issues by designing and implementing a substantive
research investigation.
0-6 7-12 13-16
Metric:
2. The Excelsior College Exit and One Year Surveys:
The program will be evaluated by examining the mean of the graduates perceptions of their achievement
of the related program and 4 degree SLA outcomes and the program/major outcomes:
The program will be considered to have achieved "Exceeds Expectations" when the results of the
survey, show the mean of the graduates' perceptions of their achievement of this outcome as 5.00
or higher on a 6 point Likert scale.
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The program will be considered to have achieved "Meets Expectations" when the results of the
survey show the mean of the graduates' perceptions of their achievement of this outcome is at
least 4.00 up to and including 4.99 on a 6 point Likert scale.

The program will be considered to have underachieved at the "Does Not Meet Expectations" level
when the results of the survey show the mean of the graduates' perceptions of their achievement
of this outcome as 3.99 or less on a 6 point Likert scale.



































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Excelsior College School of Public Service
Assessment Plan for the Bachelors and Masters Degree Programs
2013-2015

Introduction
The Excelsior College School of Public Service (SPS) includes 2 bachelors degree programs, one
masters degree program and one certificate program. This new school incorporates the Criminal Justice
programs which were such a success in the School of Liberal Arts. New programs and majors are
anticipated as this school grows and explores additional opportunities in the public service higher
education arena.
Each program is subjected to an in-depth review on a 5 year cycle as required by the Excelsior College
Institutional Assessment Plan for Student Learning (2012) It may be noted that programs undergo a
program evaluation once every five years, intended to guide and support a culture of continuous quality
improvement. (IAPSL, p.9) Initially the assessment plan for this new school with its focus on career
oriented programs will be based on what was done for these programs in the School of Liberal Arts. Over
the next few years, the SPS can be expected to identify unique areas where the SPS Assessment Plan will
diverge from that of the SLA Assessment Plan.
The Institutional Assessment Plan for Student Learning (2012) formulated by the Excelsior Office of
Institutional Effectiveness and overseen by the Institutional Effectiveness (IE) Steering Committee
provides the guiding framework for the development of the School of Public Service Assessment Plan.
The SPS has used this framework to formulate the development of the yearly review process which
includes multiple distinct sources of data on student success, including both indirect and direct measures.
The SPS final assessment report for the programs will include both the data compiled by the IE as well as
the data collected by the school focused on the student learning outcomes.
The School of Public Service has developed a plan for the assessment of student learning that integrates
and supports the Excelsior College Institutional Assessment Plan, so that the goals of the School are the
same as the institutional goals. This Assessment Plan has been developed to outline the process of
program performance evaluation. The direct measure focuses on the students ability to demonstrate
mastery of the learning outcomes at the bachelors and masters degree level. The indirect measure
utilizes the results from student survey responses as an additional informational element in the evaluation
of program performance. Together these two measures inform the process of continuous quality
improvement for all programs in the school.


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Learning Outcomes
Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
Students who complete the major in Criminal Justice will be able to:
1. Describe the various components - Legislative, Enforcement, Judicial, and Correctional - and
their interactions within the criminal justice system.

2. Identify and explain the major legal, criminological, and sociological theories underlying the
criminal justice system.

3. Explain and apply the ethical issues involved in the decision-making process of the criminal
justice system.

4. Explain and critically evaluate contemporary literature in the field of criminal justice.

5. Identify and analyze the various forms of diversity (social, racial, religious, age, socioeconomic
status, etc.) and their relationships to the criminal justice system.

Bachelor of Science in Military Studies
Students who complete the major in Military Studies will be able to:
1. Differentiate and explain the application of military knowledge in full spectrum operation such
as counterinsurgency, major combat, and operations other than war.

2. Using appropriate theories of leadership with historical perspective, analyze characteristics and
leadership traits that contribute to the individual leaders success in meeting the demands of the
evolving global-geo-political environment.

3. Discuss the importance of at least one other field of study-- history and politics, foreign
language skills and cultural understanding, or national security strategies--to the success of
military operations.


Master of Science in Criminal Justice
Students who complete the Masters in Criminal Justice will be able to:
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1. Integrate the evolution of important criminological theories with the development of
contemporary criminal justice policy.

2. Critique the criminal justice system including the legal, theoretical and public policy issues that
impact it.

3. Compare and contrast contemporary CJ issues through the application of current theories and
literature as they impact the American CJ system.

4. Construct and evaluate research designs and methods that evaluate agency programs, or
investigate empirical or theoretical issues relating to criminal justice.

5. Articulate knowledge and appreciation for diversity (including, but not limited to, race, culture,
ethnicity, gender, religion) and its effects within the context of the criminal justices system.




Methods of Data Evaluation
Direct Measures:
For the first few years, the Master of Science in Criminal Justice (MSCJ) program will use the same data
evaluation approach as is used in the Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice (BSCJ) and Bachelor of
Science in Military Science (BSMS) programs. The students are required to take the appropriate capstone
course BSCJ-CJ498, BSMS-LS498MS (MS498) or MSCJ-MCJ900, and they will be evaluated on the
program level outcomes within the capstone using the same approach as is currently used for the degree
and program level outcomes in the School of Liberal Arts. Rubrics are imbedded within the course grade
book and instructors are asked to evaluate student performance on each outcome.

Metric:
A program will be considered to have exceeded expectations for this outcome when the score is 4
out of possible 4; or at least 7 out of 8.
A program will be considered to have met expectations for this outcome when the score is 2 or 3
out of 4; or 4, 5, or 6 out of 8.
A program will be considered to have not met expectations for this outcome when the score is 1
or 0 out of a possible 4; or 0, 1, 2 or 3 out of 8.

A program will be considered to have successfully met the Exceeds Expectations level if 90%
or more of the students completing the Capstone Course during the one year period score at or
above the 'Meets Expectations' level for this outcome and 60% or more of these are at the
'Exceeds Expectations' level. Additionally, no more than 10% of the students will receive a score
of Does Not Meet Expectations'.
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A program will be considered to have met the Meets Expectations level if at least 85% of the
students completing the Capstone Course during the one year period score at or above the 'Meets
Expectations' level and not more than 15% of the students score at 'Does Not Meet
Expectations'.

A program will be evaluated as Does Not Meet Expectations if fewer than 85% of the students
completing the Capstone Course during the one year period score at or above 'Meets
Expectations' level for this outcome and if more than 15% of the students score at 'Does not Meet
Expectations'.



For each of the Learning Outcomes-
Levels of Achievement
The program performance will be based on the student learning outcomes evaluation scores determined
through the use of a rubric that has 5 identified student performance categories:
11. No clear evidence of criterion=0
12. This criterion is attempted at an elementary level =1
13. This criterion is adequately displayed=2
14. This criterion is completely, thoroughly displayed =3
15. Exceptional, unique and superior demonstration =4
The program performance will be determined using a metric that has 3 performance categories:
7. Program Exceeds Expectations
8. Program Meets Expectations
9. Program Does Not Meet Expectations

Individual student parameters for the BSCJ, BSMS and MSCJ program level outcomes:
Students' scores for each outcome will be determined from the scores provided by the instructors in the
rubric. Students' scores for each outcome will be determined by adding the scores for each individual
criterion for a total score for that outcome. Most program level outcomes have only one criterion each; a
few have two criteria for each outcome. The conversion for these student scores for the program level
outcomes into program performance scores follows the format used for degree level outcomes.
A program will be considered to have exceeded expectations for this outcome when the score is 4
out of possible 4, or at least 7 out of 8.
A program will be considered to have met expectations for this outcome when the score is 2 or 3
out of 4 or 4, 5, or 6 out of 8.
A program will be considered to have not met expectations for this outcome when the score is 1
or 0 out of a possible 4 or 0, 1, 2 or 3 out of 8.


Indirect Measures
Metric:
1. The Excelsior College Exit and One Year Surveys:
The program will be evaluated by examining the mean of the graduates perceptions of their achievement
of the degree and the program/major learning outcomes:
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The program will be considered to have achieved "Exceeds Expectations" when the results of the
survey, show the mean of the graduates' perceptions of their achievement of this outcome as 5.00
or higher on a 6 point Likert scale.

The program will be considered to have achieved "Meets Expectations" when the results of the
survey show the mean of the graduates' perceptions of their achievement of this outcome is at
least 4.00 up to and including 4.99 on a 6 point Likert scale.

The program will be considered to have underachieved at the "Does Not Meet Expectations" level
when the results of the survey show the mean of the graduates' perceptions of their achievement
of this outcome as 3.99 or less on a 6 point Likert scale.






























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Using Assessment Data
1. The data collected will continue to be used to improve the assessment process itself. The Office of
Information & Technology Services (OITS) has developed a system to extract the outcome evaluation
scores from each student in each capstone course collected from the Blackboard grade book and insert
this data into a spreadsheet. This system using the QlikView software would assure that the data is
complete and accurate before data analysis is begun.
2. The assessment data will be used to improve the curriculum across the program and across the school.
The capstone course outcomes evaluation data will be sorted so that the performance of students from
separate programs can be examined. The results from the capstone courses, will inform decisions about
improving existing courses or creating additional courses to strengthen the performance on any poorly
performing learning outcomes. The analysis will also inform curriculum decisions across multiple
programs within the school (s). This is especially true for degree and school level outcomes which apply
across the programs and are deemed critically important for all students to achieve.
3. The assessment data will be used to re-examine the curriculum content of individual courses within a
program. The data may indicate performance differences for students who have taken a specific course
with EC before attempting the capstone. Currently the SLA programs have very few required courses that
students must take from Excelsior College. Assessment data may indicate that performance is impacted
by the quantity of EC courses taken. When a sufficient number of students have taken the capstone
courses, the data can be used to identify courses which are particularly good as preparation for the
capstone and those which need to be re-designed to better address preparation for the learning outcomes
performance.
4. The assessment data will be used to examine the development of specific skills by SLA graduates. Two
of the learning outcomes focus on the skills of critical thinking and communication. The data can also be
used to examine the students understanding and awareness of diversity issues. The examination of the
students performance on the ethics learning outcome has already impacted the SLA requirements for all
students. We will continue to monitor the results for the students who will make up the cohort who will
be held to this new ethics course requirement. The data collected can show the SLA faculty and
administrators if the students have adequate time and experience to develop these skills at an acceptable
level before graduation.
5. The assessment data will be used to improve pedagogy. The School of Liberal Arts faculty will be
given yearly reports on the results of the data analysis and how this reflects on student learning at EC.
Using this information as a guide, the faculty will be able to participate in development activities that
target any critical need identified for improving teaching and student learning. By basing the faculty
development activities on sound research, these targeted events will have greater meaning to the faculty
participants, be cost effective and provide an opportunity to evaluate the value of the faculty development
activities.
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6. The assessment data will be used to re-evaluate the learning outcomes themselves. Learning outcomes
which are easily being met by the vast majority of students may need to be examined in light of higher
expectations for student learning. New learning outcomes may be created as deficiencies and new areas of
concern are identified.
7. The assessment data will be used to improve student satisfaction with their learning. Raising the
awareness of students and instructors about the utility of learning outcomes should give an opportunity to
generate a dialog around the learning outcomes. Especially in dealing with adult learners, it is vitally
important to engage the students as active learners who can guide their individual learning. Student
satisfaction and drive to succeed are better supported by a system where the focus of the entire school is
on enabling students to understand the complexity of the educational process and assume increased
responsibility as they transition from students to lifelong learners.
8. Assessment results will be shared with the college community through yearly reports, TracDat and
other avenues. The results may also be shared with other stakeholders such as students and potential
employers through the SLA web page.
9. The MALS program will be collecting outcomes scores from each of the core courses that include one
or more of the program level outcomes. These scores will be compared to the scores from the thesis
review. It is hoped that we will be able to track the progress of students as they master the learning
outcomes throughout the program. It is anticipated that these redesigned core courses will enable the
students to improve their ability to demonstrate these required learning outcomes for this program. Any
deficiencies identified can be used to target course and program changes that will increase student
performance.