Academic Assessment

Email:
Academic.Assessment​@nau.edu

Academic Assessment at NAU

What is assessment?

NAU’s assessment process is designed to help faculty gather meaningful evidence of student learning, reflect on what the results tell us, and use that information to strengthen our programs. There is no single right way to assess—faculty are the experts in their disciplines, and Academic Assessment is here to help develop an approach that works for each program.

Why do we assess?

Assessment helps programs understand what students are learning, identify what is working well, and use evidence to strengthen curriculum and teaching. At NAU, assessment is faculty-driven, meaningful, student-centered, and ongoing.

Our Assessment Approach

Assessment is ongoing

Assessment Cycle diagram showing a continuous four-step process: Plan, Collect, Reflect, and Improve. Planning identifies program student learning outcomes (PSLOs), evidence, methods, and benchmarks; collection gathers student learning evidence; reflection analyzes and interprets results; improvement uses findings to enhance curriculum, instruction, and assessment. The cycle is ongoing and supports continuous improvement of student learning.

Assessment is not a one-time report or an activity. Programs engage in an ongoing cycle of assessing student learning, interpreting results, and using evidence to inform improvement.

What Do I Need to Do This Year?

Nothing else is due during the academic year. Assessment is intended to be integrated into your program’s normal teaching and learning activities. View the Faculty Quick Start Guide for more information

Academic Program Profile 

Establishes the foundation.

  • Program Purpose
  • PSLOs
  • Curriculum Design

Evidence of Learning Plan 

Documents the assessment cycle.

  • What are you assessing?
  • How will you assess it?
  • What did you find?
  • What will you improve?

Annual Improvement Brief 

Captures what you learned and what’s next.

  • What did you assess?
  • How will you use the results?
  • What are your plans for future assessment?

Programs assess at least one PSLO each year. 

The new reporting structure is housed in Teams.  Please contact Academic Assessment for more information about how to access and complete the reports.

Need Support?

Academic Assessment can help you with:

  • PSLO development
  • Curriculum mapping
  • Assessment planning
  • Building rubrics
  • Interpreting assessment results
  • Annual Improvement Briefs

ACID Team can support:

  • Canvas implementation
  • PSLOs and assessment tools in Canvas
  • Alignment of outcomes, assignments, and rubrics
  • Faculty training
  • Canvas and other NAU data reports
  • Ongoing technical support

Contact Academic Assessment to schedule a meeting to discuss your assessment needs.