To align with state and federal obligations, ODU has an assessment plan that meets SCHEV requirements for Student Learning Assessment and SACSCOC accreditation standards (8.2.b Student Achievement - General Education), while continuing to be authentic and faculty driven. General Education Assessment takes place across a five-year cycle and has four phases: planning, assessing, reporting and improving. ODU's culture of assessment relies on faculty-driven assessment practices and is overseen by the General Education Assessment Committee.
The planning phase provides an opportunity for faculty to have focused conversations about the general education outcomes and draw on prior assessment data, prior experiences, or changes to the outcomes.
Faculty are asked a series of questions to ensure the outcomes are still relevant and appropriate:
- Are these outcomes still relevant and appropriate for our field?
- Are these the skills, knowledge, values, or behaviors we want students to gain from these courses?
- If applicable, what changes should be made?
Faculty discuss types of assignments or artifacts that would align with the outcomes and the support needed for assessment.
The assessing phase uses embedded, authentic assessments in general education courses. Within each course and across courses faculty agree to assignments that align with the General Education outcomes. At the end of the academic year, faculty gather to read and rate assignments using a common rubric at ODU's annual general education assessment summit.
The reporting phase shares and distributes assessment results as well as faculty recommendations with Faculty Senate Committee A, the General Education Assessment Committee, department chairs, and course coordinators. Reports are posted to the public on ODU's website and maintained by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment.
The improving phase provides faculty, programs, and departments an opportunity to use assessment results and faculty recommendations to implement changes. These changes are designed to improve student learning. Programs use results to inform faculty development efforts, promote revisions to course assignments, enhance the assessment process, and/or strengthen the student learning outcomes.
The planning phase provides an opportunity for faculty to have focused conversations about the general education outcomes and draw on prior assessment data, prior experiences, or changes to the outcomes.
Faculty are asked a series of questions to ensure the outcomes are still relevant and appropriate:
- Are these outcomes still relevant and appropriate for our field?
- Are these the skills, knowledge, values, or behaviors we want students to gain from these courses?
- If applicable, what changes should be made?
Faculty discuss types of assignments or artifacts that would align with the outcomes and the support needed for assessment.
The assessing phase uses embedded, authentic assessments in general education courses. Within each course and across courses faculty agree to assignments that align with the General Education outcomes. At the end of the academic year, faculty gather to read and rate assignments using a common rubric at ODU's annual general education assessment summit.
The reporting phase shares and distributes assessment results as well as faculty recommendations with Faculty Senate Committee A, the General Education Assessment Committee, department chairs, and course coordinators. Reports are posted to the public on ODU's website and maintained by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment.
The improving phase provides faculty, programs, and departments an opportunity to use assessment results and faculty recommendations to implement changes. These changes are designed to improve student learning. Programs use results to inform faculty development efforts, promote revisions to course assignments, enhance the assessment process, and/or strengthen the student learning outcomes.
2021 - 2026 Assessment Timeline
GEAC Assessment Plan
Click the button to read the full details of the General Education Assessment Committee's Assessment Plan 2021-2026.