The Office of Assessment and Accreditation provides our campus community with leadership, expertise, consultation, and support services to advance evidence-based continuous improvement in student learning; ensure our university meets established standards of academic program and institutional quality and effectiveness; support program and other accreditations; and inform institutional strategic decision-making and resource allocation.
Mission
The Office of Assessment and Accreditation empowers our campus community via tools, resources, and support to collaboratively advance educational excellence through systematic and best-practice evaluation and assessment, continuous improvement initiatives, and accreditations.
Vision
Educational excellence via a campus culture of continuous improvement and innovation.
Strategic Priorities
Cultivate a campus culture of improvement and innovation
Advance continuous improvement in student learning
Foster academic program quality
Ensure compliance with institutional accreditation standards
The Council for Assessment of Student Learning is a panel of faculty and staff that provides advice on the university’s efforts to evaluate and enhance curricular and co-curricular student learning. It offers recommendations on assessment of student learning policies and processes; it provides counsel on implementation strategies; and it advocates for and facilitates initiatives that nurture a campus culture of continuous improvement and innovation. This council is to be initiated soon.
Explore Our Resources
Assessment of Student Learning
Assessment of student learning is a systematic and iterative process designed to understand and improve student learning related to defined outcomes for Our Husky Compact, our Liberal Education Program (LEP), academic programs, and co-curricular programs. Resources are available to support the assessment of and continuous improvement proposals for enhanced student learning.
Academic Program Review is a mechanism to evaluate the health and vitality of academic degree and certificate programs within our academic program portfolio; and to develop and implement initiatives for continuous improvement of these programs. Resources are available to support the academic program’s self-study, external review, and improvement initiative proposal.
Institutional accreditation is validation that St. Cloud State University meets the Higher Learning Commission’s (HLC) rigorous standards of quality and effectiveness.
Program and other specialized accreditations certify programs, units, or services at St. Cloud State University meet the accrediting entity’s defined standards of quality and effectiveness. Resources are available to support the initial and ongoing work associated with accreditations.
The Academic Planning and Improvement Process (APIP), is a campus-developed framework designed to intentionally and systematically integrate assessment of student learning, academic program review, academic portfolio management, strategic priorities, and resource allocations. Resources are available to guide the implementation of this multi-year process.
The Office of Assessment and Accreditation team is available to provide expertise, consultation, and support with your assessment, program review, accreditation, and academic planning endeavors. We welcome you to contact one of our team members or stop by our office in Administrative Services Building (AS), Room 210.
St. Cloud State University is committed to assessment at all levels. Assessment data is used to understand, achieve, and improve student learning outcomes in support of SCSU’s commitment to continuous improvement. Additionally, assessment activities at SCSU should meet criteria and core components defined by the Higher Learning Commission.
