Assessing Both Institutional and ABET SLOs in One Platform

Measurement of student learning outcomes is one of the key academic activities that higher educational institutes employ to ensure accountability and assess what knowledge and skills students acquire form their academic work. Such activities are also important for maintaining accreditation with recognized accreditation organizations. Savannah State University (SSU), a SACS (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools) accredited higher educational institute, measures six Institutional Student Learning Outcomes (ISLOs) each academic year. Thus, all degree awarding programs at SSU obligatorily assess these six ISLOs every year. In addition to measuring the six ISLOs, Engineering Technology Department faculty members at SSU are also required to assess the ABET a-k Student Outcomes (SOs) as a part of the accreditation requirement. Assessment of the ISLOs and ABET SOs in two different platforms are sometimes reparative, time consuming, and might be cumbersome for some faculty members. Therefore, Engineering Technology Department of SSU has been implementing an assessment process that utilizes only one platform to measure both the ISLOs and ABET SOs. This process has led to the development of an exemplary format of annual assessment report. The main focus of the paper is to describe how the implementation of the direct assessment takes place in one platform that serves both SACs and ABET. This paper will also highlight how the assessment culture in the department plays a big role in the continuous improvement of the programs offered.