University Decision Support
Academic Assessment and Review
Assessment and review of academic programs across the University are coordinated by Academic Assessment and Review team
Mission
The mission of Academic Assessment and Review is to plan, deploy, and continually evolve the program assessment and review ecosystem at the university, including ensuring that effective resources are in place to support the development of assessment plans for all university academic programs. The goal is to implement and nurture a highly effective and responsive continuous improvement culture throughout Northeastern University’s complex educational environment.
The scope of assessment activities includes supporting regional and specialized program accreditation requirements, program assessment and review of all graduate and undergraduate programs, assessment of NUpath core curriculum, experiential learning including co-op, and co-curricular opportunities. As more flexible credentials and customized learning opportunities are created, assessment processes will be created to support new modalities and pathways to student learning.
Academic Program Assessment
Program assessment is the ongoing process of evaluating the direct evidence of student achievement of the program learning outcomes.
- Direct evidence is based on evaluating student work produced for key courses in the program in terms of program learning outcomes.
- Program learning outcomes:
- Define what students should learn, know, or be able to do upon completion of the program
- Set the intention of the curriculum and assessment measures if those intentions were met
- Can be mapped to relevant course learning outcomes and to discipline-specific accreditor outcomes or standards
Program
The primary purpose of the assessment of student learning outcomes is the ongoing, iterative improvement of curriculum, teaching, and learning. A robust continuous improvement process provides evidence and documentation of student learning for institutional and discipline-specific accreditation reporting, and meets other needs for external accountability.
Scope
All academic degree programs conduct program assessment. Assessment data can be disaggregated by network campus, course modality, and student characteristics to understand patterns of performance. Program and college action plans leverage data to improve the experience and achievement of all students.
Faculty role
As the stewards of their programs, faculty define program learning outcomes and are instrumental in continuous program improvement using data on the assessment of program outcomes. Program assessment extends faculty reflection on teaching and learning into a systematic and shared process and community of practice.
Academic Program Review
A periodic quality review of each academic program is one step in ensuring the continued high quality of Northeastern’s academic programs and its ongoing pursuit of excellence. Reviews are designed to provide a comprehensive evaluation of each academic program in order to assist with continuous improvement efforts in meeting program learning outcomes, program delivery, student success, and impact in the program’s discipline.
Northeastern uses a continuous two-part cycle designed to make program reflection manageable and meaningful:
Annual Program Quality Report
(APQR)
A yearly check-in to track progress, monitor key indicators, and identify emerging patterns based on a dashboard of program quality metrics. Annual action items specify areas for improvement.
Cumulative Program Quality Review
(CPQR)
A comprehensive five-year review that brings together multiple years of evidence to assess overall program quality, examine trends, and plan for the future. This deeper analysis includes external perspectives and results in strategic recommendations.
Dashboard of Program Learning Outcomes
