II.A.3. The institution identifies and regularly assesses learning outcomes for courses, programs, certificates and degrees using established institutional procedures.  The institution has officially approved and current course outlines that include student learning outcomes.  In every class section students receive a course syllabus that includes learning outcomes from the institution’s officially approved course outline.

The College has defined SLO for all of its courses and programs offered as documented on Course Approval Forms (CAF) and course syllabi. All CAF are routed for signature approval and are filed with the Office of Academic Affairs to ensure the integrity of all its courses and programs.¹ ASCC faculty are required to submit course syllabi for all courses taught on a semester basis.  All syllabi are reviewed by academic chairpersons and administrators to ensure inclusion of SLO showing alignment to course objectives and program learning outcomes (PLO) as listed on the course syllabi topical outline. ² All students are provided with a course syllabus at the beginning of the semester for each course taken at ASCC. The Office of Academic Affairs monitors submission of course syllabi, with the assistance of department chairpersons, to ensure students are provided with current course syllabi at the beginning of each semester.

Certificate and degree competencies are categorized according to CLO embedded in courses that are aligned to either/or General Education Outcomes (GEO), PLO, and the impact these courses have towards achieving ASCC’s ILO.

ASCC General Education Program emphasizes the 1st year competencies assessing qualities in Communication, Information Technology Literacy, Critical Thinking, Global Awareness and Cultural Competence, and Personal Responsibilities.  Program Learning Outcomes are assessed under each Academic Degree/Certificate Program based on curriculum mapping of CLO to PLO as identified by each program.  ILO Qualities are assessed through General Education 1st year CLO Qualities and Competencies.  The 2nd year CLO Qualities and Competencies are assessed through Core and Co-Foundational Area Courses.³

All courses offered at ASCC are assessed following an assessment cycle. All General Education courses are assessed each semester.  The assessment planning committee has approved a two-year assessment cycle for all General Education, Co-Foundational Area courses, Core Foundational Area courses, and developmental/pre-collegiate courses. The assessment cycle is divided into four semesters, to ensure that all courses offered at ASCC are being assessed within two years. ⁴

The assessment of all General Education Outcomes (GEO) began in fall 2012. The review cycle was completed in the summer of 2014. All data that was collected from fall 2012 to summer 2014 was compiled by the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs. The GEO Analysis was shared with each GEO faculty in fall 2014. Each GEO faculty made recommendations on how to improve the Closing of the Assessment Loop when the GEO matrices were submitted.  Core and Co-foundational courses are assessed following the approved cycle as well as the developmental/pre-collegiate courses. 

The following diagrams summarize assessment cycle for all ASCC courses.
ASSESSMENT CYCLE: Gen Ed, Core, Co-Foundational Area, and Developmental /Pre-Collegiate courses

GENERAL EDUCATION QUALITIES	ASSESSING GE QUALITIES 1ST & 2ND YEAR
	SEMESTER 1	SEMESTER 2	SEMESTER 3	SEMESTER 4	SEMESTER 5
	COURSES	COURSES	COURSES	COURSES	COURSES
GE 1	SPH 153 ENG 150 ENG 151			SPH 153 ENG 150 ENG 151
GE 2	ICT 150			ICT 150
GE 3		PHSCI 150 MAT 151		PHSCI 150 MAT 151
GE 4		HIS 150 HIS 151 HIS 170 HIS 171 HIS 162	HIS 150 HIS 151 HIS 170 HIS 171 HIS 162
GE 5		HEA 150 PSY 150	HEA 150 PSY 150

Approved Spring 2015

Co & Core Foundational Area Course Assessment Cycle	ASSESSING CO and CORE FOUNDATIONAL AREA  QUALITIES 1ST & 2ND YEAR
	SEMESTER 1	SEMESTER 2	SEMESTER 3	SEMESTER 4
	Course Numbers	Course Numbers	Course Numbers	Course Numbers
	100-150	151-199	200-250	251-299
	300-400	401-499

Approved Spring 2015

Developmental/ Pre-Collegiate  Course Assessment Cycle	ASSESSING DEVELOPMENTAL COURSES
	SEMESTER 1	SEMESTER 2	SEMESTER 3	SEMESTER 4
	Courses	Courses	Courses	Courses
	ENG 70	ENG 71	ENG 70	ENG 71
	ENG 80	ENG 81	ENG 80	ENG 81
	ENG 90	ENG 91	ENG 90	ENG 91
	MAT 80	MAT 80	MAT 80	MAT 80
	MAT 90	MAT 90	MAT 90	MAT 90

Assessment results through closing of the loop discussions involving all academic departments and programs allow departments to evaluate themselves and reach consensus on needed improvement of learning outcomes at the course and program level. Seventy percent of ASCC courses have been assessed and thirty percent have not due to cancellation.⁵Academic departments and programs, through assessment discussions and scheduled meetings, provided recommendations to improve SLO, assessment instruments, curriculum alignment, facilities, educational resources, and teaching methodologies. ⁶

Assessment of SLO at the course, program and institutional levels is faculty driven, through their participation in departmental, curriculum and assessment committees. The Curriculum Committee oversees the College curriculum to ensure quality of courses, programs, degrees and certificates. The Academic Assessment Committee consists of faculty representatives from each academic department/division. The committee reviews and monitors dialogue, discusses learning outcomes, identifies strengths and weaknesses of SLO, reviews data for APR, presents a workable assessment plan, monitors ongoing assessment, and reviews ASCC’s mission according to SLO findings. ⁷ The Assessment Planning Core Committee (APCC) advises on assessment instruments, analyzes data, and provides recommendations that will secure SLO alignment at all levels of assessment with an emphasis on the mission of the ASCC.  ⁸

Faculty are required to submit General Education, Co-Foundational, Core Foundational, and Developmental/Pre-Collegiate data sheets for each course they teach by the end each semester to the Office of Academic Affairs for compilation. The Director of Curriculum and Assessment then compiles all data and disseminates the results to the academic departments/programs for analysis, summaries and findings. The Director of Curriculum and Assessment then schedules one on one meetings with academic departments/programs. This allows faculty to analyze data and provide recommendations for improvement of SLO, teaching methodologies, assessment instruments and teaching pedagogy. ⁹

The following diagram provides a summary of assessment methods use by faculty as recorded on course syllabi on a semester basis.

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 - ASCC website: http://www.amsamoa.edu/academicprograms.html
2 - Academic Affairs Division Standard Operating Procedures Manual, SOP #002-AA, Course Syllabus
3 - Participatory Governance Manual p, 22-24
4 - Assessing Student Learning Achievement Manual, pg. 20-21