ASSESSMENT

Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at Shreveport (LSUHSC-S) is committed to continuous improvement based on evidence from ongoing systematic assessment. The cornerstone of this approach is the annual planning and assessment process, which continues to evolve, and is the central practice for informing change

Assessment involves gathering information and documenting results on a continual basis to identify successes and potential areas of improvement. In higher education, assessment can refer to processes at the classroom, course, academic program, or institutional levels. Assessment is an iterative ongoing five-step process:

  1. setting goals, objectives, and expected outcomes,
  2. assessing current performance,
  3. collecting results,
  4. analyzing and reflecting,
  5. implementing actions for improvement.

To provide structure and maintain consistency for the documentation of the assessment process, LSUHSC-S licenses Weave, a web-based assessment planning and reporting system. Weave is used by faculty and staff to document continuous quality improvement in key areas across the institution, including educational programs, administrative support services, and academic/student support services.

To login to Weave, click here. To request access as a new user, email Jeffrey Howells at jeffrey.howells@lsuhs.edu.

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) requires outcomes assessment of all educational programs, administrative support services, academic and student services, and general education competencies.

As explained in Section 7: Institutional Planning and Effectiveness of the 2018 SACSCOC Resource Manual for the Principles of Accreditation:

An institutional planning and effectiveness process involves all programs, services, and constituencies; is linked to the decision-making process at all levels; and provides a sound basis for budgetary decisions and resource allocations.”

Specifically, SACSCOC Standards 7.3, 8.2a, 8.2b, and 8.2.c outline assessment requirements for academic programs, administrative support services, and student and academic support services respectively:

Standard 7.3 The institution identifies expected outcomes of its administrative support services and demonstrates the extent to which the outcomes are achieved. (Administrative effectiveness)

Standard 8.2.a The institution identifies expected outcomes, assesses the extent to which it achieves these outcomes, and provides evidence of seeking improvement based on analysis of the results for student learning outcomes for each of its educational programs. (Student outcomes: educational programs)

Standard 8.2.b The institution identifies expected outcomes, assesses the extent to which it achieves these outcomes, and provides evidence of seeking improvement based on analysis of the results for student learning outcomes for collegiate-level general education competencies of its undergraduate degree programs. (Student outcomes: general education)

Standard 8.2.c The institution identifies expected outcomes, assesses the extent to which it achieves these outcomes, and provides evidence of seeking improvement based on analysis of the results for academic and student services that support student success. (Student outcomes: academic and student services)