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Institutional Assessment

Enhancing Institutional Assessment

Our dedicated faculty and staff work tirelessly to review learning outcomes, aligning them with our mission and goals. By implementing best practices in assessment planning, we gather valuable data to inform decision-making and ignite continuous growth. We are proud participants in the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), benchmarking our performance regionally and nationally. This valuable feedback helps us refine and strengthen our interactions with students, fostering an environment of collaboration, diversity, and inclusion.

At Nevada State University, we understand the importance of student services in the holistic development of our students. Our divisions have metrics to measure success and provide exceptional learning and service outcomes. By ensuring updated visions, missions, and learning outcomes, our directors spearhead initiatives that empower students to thrive. 

Our Program Assessment Resources can offer information to aid our faculty and staff in their assessment endeavors. Together, we pave the way for improving student outcomes, increasing retention, and advancing program enrollment. 

Contact NS Assessment for Information

Reach out if you have any questions about the assessment procedures, practices, data, and/or faculty development opportunities.

Institutional Assessment

At Nevada State University, we require a systematic reporting process to integrate college-wide information under a common reporting model that both contains and organizes key information. A basic assessment format provides the viewer with specific, relevant, and concise information filed within a consistent organization. The approach adopted by Nevada State has been developed to provide a simple, straightforward, low-tech approach to accomplish these goals; and thus, it provides an excellent resource for the college’s current need to establish a systematic process. This process will provide a seamless method for internal and external audiences interested in tracking the hard work and dedication devoted to improving teaching and learning at Nevada State. Starting in Fall 2023, institutional, program, and student affairs assessment have established best practices in reporting procedures for annual, outcomes reports, and assessment planning.

Academic Program Assessment

At Nevada State University, each major program will be responsible for assessment document that helps to improve their program by systematically review learning outcomes, mission, and goals of their unit. In each program, they will be responsible to showcase the following documents to inform the institution about their ongoing assessment efforts: 

NS Program Learning Outcomes and Course Map Document. This form can be updated with any changes to the program learning outcomes or course sequencing or alignment map.  This form is required to be reviewed at the start of every 10 year program review cycle; however, this document can be changed and reviewed at any time for adjustments, if need be.     

NS Assessment Plan. In this form, each major program completes an assessment plan focusing on approved program learning outcomes. As required by NSHE, each program conducts at least one outcomes assessment on each program learning outcome within a 10-year period. The program assessment plan will outline the appropriate outcomes assessment implementation information over this program review period. The learning outcomes must be assessed in meaningful ways; therefore, the programs will work with Assessment office or CTLE to build appropriate rubrics, criteria, surveys, or measurements to assess the plan. The program assessment plan, which is created by a small academic faculty committee formed from each program, is reviewed and approved by the Provost, Dean and Provost Assessment Team.  Although this plan can be approved for a 10 year period, oftentimes, assessment plans can be evolving with needs for adjustments frequently throughout the cycle period. 

NS Annual Reporting Template. In addition, each major program will complete an annual assessment report which will have program data information, such as enrollment and faculty statistics, and an outcomes assessment report.  The outcomes assessment report is a review of the program-run assessment activities that the unit performed that academic year.  Within this report, the program will focus on one outcomes assessment that will be reviewed within the program. Every year, the program will make data-informed decisions based on information from these annual reports in order to make continuous improvements and goals.

NS Ten-Year Program Review. At the end of the ten-year program cycle, the program will complete a ten-year program review report in preparation for the ten-year NSHE required information. The information for this review can be found on NS Policies and Procedures (AA 11).  After this review is completed, the information will be sent to NSHE for review and a one year review will be completed to discuss the process. 

Annual Assessment Retreat & Other Assessment Faculty Resources.  All programs will collectively discuss their outcomes assessment successes and challenges at our annual assessment retreat.  Within this retreat, the Director of Assessment will also summarize the impacts of assessment and review data-informed practices or new faculty development procedures.  In additions, more faculty development resources and workshops will be offered in the semester for additional support for new assessment activities or technologies.  Assessment will work closely with Department of Institutional Effectiveness to ensure the latest dashboards are available for the faculty to be able to use these for data-informed practices.   

Current Assessment Resources, including any current professional development opportunities, can be found in the link at the bottom of the page.  

Student Services Assessment

Student services divisions have each developed relevant learning and service outcomes and clear metrics for measuring them, based on the CAS Professional Standards for Higher Education. The metrics emphasize data sources other than student self-reports in order to provide external, objective verification of how well each division achieves its outcomes. Each division director will be responsible for making sure that the have updated vision, mission, and learning outcomes for their unit.  They will also supply an assessment plan to Provost, Student Affairs, and Assessment detailing the next three years of assessment measurements. Each division director submits an annual assessment report that summarizes their success at meeting annual goals as well as recommendations for improvements.

National Survey of Student Engagement

Nevada State College annually participates in NSSE, which provides campus-level data on students’ experiences at the College as well as regional and national benchmarking data for comparisons. In 2019, 490 NSC students participated. Highlights from our first-year students include:

  • 70% rated the quality of their interactions with faculty as “high.”
  • 82% said faculty clearly explain course goals/requirements “quite a bit” or “very much.”
  • 74% said faculty give prompt and detailed feedback on their assignments.
  • 83% frequently have discussions with someone from a different race or ethnicity.
  • 96% rate their entire educational experience at NSC as “good” or “excellent.”

Our first-year students’ ratings were significantly better than peer institutions on nine out of ten indicators. They are significantly more likely than similar students at other Far West Public institutions to have taken part in a high-impact practice (HIP) in their first year.

Institutional Assessment Resources