When units are effective, the College is effective. This leads to improvements in student success. Therefore, the Administrative Unit Annual Planning and Evaluation reports provide evidence of unit advancement and effectiveness. To further College effectiveness, units measure areas requiring improvement and develop outcomes that align with the NOVA’s strategic plan.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Purpose
Strategic Plans identify areas the College wants to improve to advance its Mission. NOVA’s Strategic Plan follows 5 goals:
- Access
- Retention
- Completion
- Transfer
- Employment
Assessing Expected Outcomes
Expected Learning Outcomes focus on the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and habits that students, faculty, and/or staff gain from a learning experience. Expected Operational Outcomes focus on how well the operational aspects of a unit are functioning.
All units should have expected outcomes that should align to one or more of the five strategic plan goals.
All units should assess at least 1-3 outcomes.
Outcomes should be assessed annually, but reported every three years based on the schedule.
The Evaluation Process
Evaluation measures can be either direct or indirect. A direct measure (e.g., assignment/quiz, pre-test and post-test, email log) supplies tangible and visible evidence, while an indirect measure (e.g., satisfaction survey, comment cards, focus groups) provides data based on perceptions, reflections, and/or observations.
Yes but be mindful that you must compare 3-5 years of data to determine trends or specific factors that have affected the outcomes over time. Make sure also that the time period you select is appropriate for future reviews.
Yes.
Writing the Report
Campus units will submit a report for each campus; however, units will report on the same expected outcomes.
Campus units’ reports may vary. Ideally, units should have similar expected outcomes, but they can have different measures and targets. Units should have similar outcomes and measures if they intend to make accurate and representative comparisons across Campuses.
If the threshold is not met, please check “No” and explain why your unit’s target or threshold was not met