Assessment at Quincy College

Assessment at Quincy College primarily focuses on student learning. It is important to know that we are meeting the needs and expectations of our students, and it is important to understand how we can improve in doing so. Assessment of student learning focuses on College-wide, Program-specific, and Course-specific outcomes that are developed by faculty as content experts. It is important that these outcomes reflect what our students can expect to get from one course, a degree or certificate program, and an overall experience at Quincy College.

Please use this webpage to access resources on student learning outcomes assessment, creating valid student learning outcomes, mapping program curricula, best practices in the field of assessment, choosing assessment instruments, and examples of assessment from other colleges and universities.

More data available on the Institutional Research and Assessment page>>

Data Available through Institutional Research and Assessment

Individual Student Data:

Enrollment data – all years and terms enrolled, progression of students through their program of study
Demographic Data – gender, race, international student, date of birth, first time student, degree-seeking student, part time or full time student, where our students live (by city)
Grades for individual courses and overall GPAs
Financial Aid data – years/terms awarded, amount awarded, type of aid awarded
Major
Where a student enrolled prior to coming to Quincy College and after leaving Quincy College (available through National Student Clearinghouse student tracker)
Whether a student graduated with a degree from another institution (for example, if they left QC but enrolled at UMass and obtained a degree from them) (available through the National Student Clearinghouse)
Post-graduation data – whether or not the student is employed, who their employer is, salary/wages, self-assessment of skills learned, feedback about their program of study

Student Satisfaction:

Student Satisfaction Survey administered to a sample of students every April
Comments on faculty course evaluation forms
Ad hoc surveys about different QC services – parking, student tutoring, financial aid, etc.
Student Engagement and Satisfaction (through CCSSE data – 2010, 2014, 2017 available)

Data for Program Reviews:

Program enrollment trends (for example, enrollment over the past 6 years)
Program retention rates and graduation rates
Demographic information for students in program

Comparison Data:

How Quincy College measures up to other colleges in a variety of variables (through IPEDS data) – such as retention rates, graduation rates, cost of tuition and fees, faculty salaries, institutional expenditures, etc.
Comparison data on national surveys that we administer (CCSSE, etc.)

Other sources may be available. PLEASE DON’T HESITATE TO CONTACT IR AND ASK ABOUT DATA AVAILABILITY! We can also always brainstorm to collect any additional data that you may need.

Learning Outcomes

Student Learning Outcomes specify what our students will be able to know, what they will be able to do, and/or what they will be able to create or demonstrate once they have completed a Quincy College Certificate or Degree program. Student Learning Outcomes should be carefully created as a map and guide to the curriculum in each program, creating a thoughtful, organized pathway for students to learn. These outcomes drive assessment’s basic question: Are students learning what we want them to learn?

Resources below include information on how to craft effective Student Learning Outcomes (also called learning goals, program objectives, etc.) using Bloom’s Taxonomy, as well as how to review or update current Student Learning Outcomes and map your outcomes to your program’s curriculum.

Curriculum Mapping

Bloom’s Taxonomy

Assessment Resources

Student Learning Outcomes Assessment may seem daunting, but the truth is that there are many effective ways to assess student learning. The most important thing to remember is that not all assessments are the same – and they should not be! Assessments should be true to do the discipline for which they are meant to assess. For example, it may be difficult to assess a student’s writing ability with a math problem, just as it may be difficult to assess a math problem with an essay and a rubric.

The resources here include articles around what assessment is, how assessment changes based on the discipline, definitions of commonly used assessment terms, and guides on how to choose an assessment that is right for you – at your college, in your academic division, in your field, with your students.

General Assessment Information

Assessment Methods

Assessment Templates

Half the battle in beginning Student Learning Outcomes Assessment may be just getting started. Use these templates to get started and get thinking!

Assessment Goals

Getting Started on Assessment

Assessment Presentations

As we continue to formalize Student Learning Outcomes Assessment at Quincy College, our collection of resources will grow. Available below are presentations that were presented by members of the Quincy College faculty or administration, as well as presentations prepared by assessment consultants and/or facilitators and presented on the Quincy College campuses.

QC Assessment

Assessment at Quincy College Spring 2017 Faculty Non-Instructional Days

Guest Speaker, Ray Shaw at QC

National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA)

Helpful Links

Additional Links for Creating Rubrics and Assessment Instruments

Quincy College’s recent rankings and designations highlight the successful outcomes of Quincy College students, the primacy of the teaching and learning relationship and reflects the outstanding value beyond the classroom for all learners, regardless of age, of a Quincy College education.