Academic Assessment

Overview

Academic assessment supports the College’s work and efforts to provide evidence that our students are reaching their educational goals. This is done by partnering with faculty to design and implement effective and meaningful assessments of student learning and working with administrative departments to collect, synthesize and utilize qualitative and quantitative data to assess their processes and departmental goals that support student learning and student success. 

Framework for Academic Assessment

At NCC assessment of student learning outcomes includes three components:

• Discipline-specific learning outcomes as articulated by each department’s assessment plan
• SUNY’s General Education Requirements assessment based on the SUNY system-wide general education goals
• Assessment of NCC General Education Requirements that are infused throughout each program’s curriculum

Each course within a program has its own explicit student learning goals and student learning outcomes (SLOs) that describe and quantify the learnings and skills students receive or will be able to demonstrate upon completing a course. Quantitative and qualitative measures are then identified to reliably assess the specified learning outcomes. Cross-listed courses may utilize similar or the same measures to evaluate student learning outcomes. 

While student learning outcomes are course-specific, they are closely aligned with the goals and learning outcomes of the overall program, department, and must connect to the College’s mission. 

Student learning outcome assessments at the program level are constructed around the knowledge and skills students must demonstrate in order to be awarded a degree or certificate. If a program is accredited by an outside body, learning outcomes are set by the accreditor, which requires valid and reliable evidence that students are achieving these outcomes.

Degree and certificate granting programs with external accreditation currently available at NCC include:

• Civil Engineering Technology, AAS
• Electrical Engineering Technology, AAS
• Health Information Technology, AAS and Certificate
• Medical Laboratory Technician, AAS
• Mortuary Science, AAS
• Nursing, AS
• Paralegal Studies, AAS and Certificate
• Physical Therapy Assistant, AAS
• Radiation Therapy, AAS
• Respiratory Care, AAS
• Surgical Technology, AAS

Programs not accredited by an external accreditor set learning outcomes based on disciplinary norms as interpreted by the program’s faculty. Faculty may consult with OIESP ahead of adding learning outcomes to PaSS to ensure they are aligned and adequately reflect the program’s goals. Program curriculum maps identify the courses which are relevant to the program outcomes, and data is gathered to measure learning outcomes. Annual review of all assessment outcomes is done by OIESP and results are published in the annual assessment report. This report and the results of a program’s assessment efforts should be used to improve student learning outcomes as well as success outcomes associated with the program. 

Assessment Plans

Each program develops their assessment plans based on a three (3) year cycle. These plans, are based on the department/program’s goals and the action plan developed as part of the external program review process (see the Program Review section for additional details on action plans). Additionally, assessment plans should reflect the program’s work relating to the SUNY and NCC General Education Requirements. Faculty uses SUNY-designated learning goals and outcomes as the basis for designing assessments. For non-General Education courses, faculty identify appropriate learning goals and outcomes around which their assessments are built.  At the end of each academic year, departments are required to report on assessment activities and results, as well as evidence-based modifications in assessment implementation, pedagogy or other aspects of courses or programs that are designed to improve student outcomes.

SUNY General Education Framework (SUNY GE)

Nassau Community College adheres to the SUNY General Education Framework (also referred to as SUNY GE) for general education assessment. This requires evidence of competency in two (2) core competencies and four (4) knowledge and skills areas for all degree programs offered at NCC. Competencies, knowledge and skills areas are provided below.

Core Competencies:

• Critical Thinking and Reasoning
• Information Literacy

Knowledge and Skills Areas:

• Communication – Written and Oral
• Diversity: Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice
• Mathematics (and Quantitative Reasoning)
• Natural Sciences (and Scientific Reasoning)

Additionally, AA and AS degree program are to assess at least three (3) of the following six (6) areas:

• Humanities
• Social Sciences
• The Arts
• US History and Civic Engagement
• World History and Global Awareness
• World Languages

Each program is charged with ensuring that their general education outcomes meet the standards for curriculum and assessment that have been described by SUNY. Standard grading rubrics for each general education competency are used college-wide to assist in aggregating findings across disciplines, and every department provides data regarding the assessment of these general education outcomes as part of their regular assessment plans.

The schedule for assessing each SUNY GE is outlined below:

Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

Prior to Fall 2023, NCC also assessed institutional learning outcomes. However, with the adoption and implementation of the new SUNY GEs, Academic Senate Assessment Committee aligned the NCC ILOs with the SUNY GEs. With this alignment, there is no longer a need to collect separate data and complete parallel assessments of student learning pertaining to the ILOs.

The SUNY GE-NCC ILO mapping is provided below.

NCC General Education Requirements (NCC Gen Eds) 

For information about NCC’s General Education Requirements please see General Education at Nassau Community College.  All programs are required to assess the NCC Gen Eds on the scheduled outlined, below.