Institutional-Level Outcomes

Assessment of student learning outcomes follows standards that are consistent with New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).

In 2012, the College unveiled its new undergraduate Core Curriculum. The nine mission-related learning goals for the Core Curriculum directly link the College’s Catholic and Dominican identity and intellectual tradition to specific teaching and learning goals. Working collaboratively with the Core Curriculum Committee (CCC), the College is cycling through a deep level of assessment of the Core Curriculum’s mission-related learning goals. On a related note, the CCC has been charged with monitoring the implementation of the Core and has been slowly progressing through each of the core attributes to ensure that objectives are being met by approved courses.

Schedule of Core Curriculum Assessment Review
Based upon the Core’s mission-related goals, the College continues to cycle through assessments of each. Below is a timeline of this assessment work to date.

• 2010-2012: Writing
• 2014-2015: Deep Reading
• 2015-2016: Oral Communication
• 2017-2018: Diversity
• 2018-2019: Moral & Ethical Reasoning
• 2019-2021: Civic Engagement
• 2021-2022: Quantitative Reasoning
• 2022-2023: Natural World Awareness
• 2024-2025: Aesthetic Appreciation and Development 

Method of Assessment
Joint faculty/administration committees and institutional effectiveness staff (e.g., the CCC) hold responsibilities for monitoring the alignment of Core courses with Core objectives, and for ensuring the ongoing assessment of students’ learning in the Core Curriculum.

• Various measures and processes used to assess learning include adapted AAC&U VALUE Rubrics for writing, oral communication, deep reading, and moral & ethical reasoning, along with comprehensive portfolio assessments for the Classes of 2017, 2022, and 2026. Diversity and cross-cultural understanding were deeply assessed through community climate focus groups, surveys, and the adapted Openness to Diversity & Challenge Scale. Civic engagement was primarily assessed using a self-developed instrument and case study exercise. Quantitative reasoning was largely measured by the E-Proficiency Profile (EPP) exam, administered biennially to first-years and seniors, covering reading, writing, mathematics, and critical thinking. Natural science assessment data included scales administered at the beginning and end of courses and faculty feedback. For aesthetic appreciation and development, two questionnaires were distributed in courses that meet the fine arts Core Curriculum requirement, allowing instructors to choose the most suitable scale, with both unique and common questions, supplemented by faculty feedback. In all of this work, while primary assessment instruments are used to capture necessary data, the college also integrates related information from campus-wide assessments to ensure comprehensive data triangulation.
• Data are analyzed, summarized, and compiled into an assessment report for each goal assessed.

Closing the Loop
Assessment reports are distributed to the provost’s office, the CCC, and posted to the internal campus portal website which is available to the entire campus community. Meetings may be held for faculty to discuss ways of improving the level of student achievement in Core courses. As part of the assessment process, faculty are asked to reflect on the assessment results and share any pedagogical changes they plan to make in their classes.