Institutional Effectiveness
Institutional effectiveness at Kutztown University involves multiple levels and processes and is defined by the University’s mission and goals. It is purposeful, transparent, and fosters student success and achievement. Guided by the principles of quality and institutional improvement, institutional effectiveness represents the integration of activities and work from all campus constituents toward desired results in enhancing and improving programs and services.
Assessment of institutional effectiveness involves the systematic, organized, and sustained collection and analysis of data (i.e. continuous improvement in academic programs, general education, technology, student support services, and other administrative offices). Monitoring involves a variety of assessment mechanisms under the leadership of four groups: the Institutional Effectiveness Team, the Academic Assessment Council, the Administrative Unit Assessment Council, and the General Education Assessment Committee.
Overseeing and monitoring institutional effectiveness, the Institutional Effectiveness Team is primarily responsible for:
- contributing to the development of a strong and comprehensive institutional culture of assessment and continuous improvement.
- coordinating the assessment work of all University divisions.
- ensuring that individual units and assessment committees are informed about the assessment processes and outcomes of other units.
- identifying common assessment-based institutional needs and goals and using this information to guide professional development and improve educational effectiveness through planning, budgeting, and resource allocations.
- tracking, organizing, and guiding the completion of documents critical to institutional effectiveness (i.e. Middle States Self-Study, Midpoint Peer Review, and Annual Institutional Update; Annual Institutional Assessment Report).
The Academic Assessment Council is responsible for:
- developing and implementing procedures for annual program student learning outcome assessments and supporting the use of these annual assessments in five-year program reviews.
- reviewing program student learning outcome assessment plans and providing feedback on their efficacy and appropriateness.
- ensuring that student learning outcomes developed by programs are in alignment with the University mission and are used for continuous improvement.
- preparing an annual report for the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs on the state of program student learning outcome assessments and sharing the findings with the campus community.
- facilitating conversations with stakeholders about assessment results.
The Administrative Unit Assessment Council is responsible for:
- coordinating administrative program outcome assessments and providing support for the use of these annual assessments in five-year self-studies and external reviews.
- reviewing administrative program outcome assessment plans and providing feedback on their efficacy and appropriateness.
- ensuring that outcomes developed by administrative programs are in alignment with the University mission and are used for continuous improvement.
- preparing an annual report on the state of outcomes assessments and sharing those findings with the campus community.
- facilitating conversations with stakeholders about assessment results.
The General Education Assessment Committee is responsible for:
- collecting and analyzing assessment data from Kutztown University’s General Education Program.
- preparing Fall and Spring semester reports for the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs as well as the General Education Committee on the state of general education student learning outcome assessments and sharing the findings with the campus community.
- submitting data-informed recommendations to the Division of Academic Affairs, the University Curriculum Committee, and the General Education Committee on ways to improve the structure and content of the General Education Program.
For more detailed information on assessment at Kutztown University, please see the Office of Assessment website.
Information about Middle States Commission on Higher Education accreditation.
Annual Reports can be found here.