Welcome
This is the UW Colleges’ Assessment web site. There are links to a number of resources and sources of information.
The mission of the University of Wisconsin Colleges includes the preparation of students for success at the baccalaureate level by providing the first two years of a liberal arts general education. An important aspect of fulfilling this mission is the meaningful assessment of student learning. The goal of the UW Colleges’ assessment program is enhance the quality and effectiveness of the curriculum, programs, and services of the institution. This program includes measuring curricular and co-curricular experiences and activities that nurture students’ intellectual development. The Office of Academic Affairs and the Senate Assessment Committee involves faculty, instructional and professional academic staff, students, and administrators in the development and implementation of assessment measures.
Meaningful Assessment of Student Learning
A major focus of this program is the institution-wide assessment of student learning. In preparing students for success in baccalaureate programs, the UW Colleges regards the following areas of proficiency to be of primary importance in the education of our students: Analytical Skills, Quantitative Skills, Communication Skills, and Aesthetic Response. To assess student learning in these four areas, instructors measure student proficiency using common standards applied across the academic disciplines. The accumulated results are then used as the basis for implementing changes in teaching and curriculum.
In addition to the assessment of institution-wide proficiencies, each academic department within the UW Colleges assesses discipline-specific proficiencies. When assessing student mastery of these discipline-specific proficiencies, instructors use common standards developed within each department. The results from these assessment activities are used to improve student learning and teaching within the department.