Welcome to Samford’s University Assessment webpage.
University Assessment leads, strengthens, and documents Samford University’s academic assessment and institutional effectiveness. We provide oversight and coordinate assessment processes, planning, and data reporting for all programs and units. We also serve as one of the university's institutional resources for the improvement of student learning.
In addition to guiding Samford to continuous improvement through annual assessment, University Assessment also holds primary responsibility in collaboration with the office of Accreditation, Online & Professional Studies for the university's efforts to maintain national accreditation through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
Purpose
The purpose of University Assessment is to support Samford University’s mission by establishing, maintaining, and refining the university’s institutional effectiveness and assessment processes.
Mission
The mission of University Assessment is to guide Samford University towards continuous improvement through academic and non-academic assessment.
University Assessment helps to document the successes and history of growth as one continuous narrative contributing to the fulfillment of the overall mission of Samford University. The goal of University Assessment at Samford University is to empower each academic program and administrative unit to better tell their story. Assessment is a tool that can be used to highlight all the wonderful success stories of student learning and meaningful initiatives that are happening at Samford annually. It is also a tool that helps units, both academic and non-academic, identify areas of growth in an effort to continually improve their practices and procedures.
Academic Program Review (APR)
Academic Program Reviews and annual assessment are complementary processes. In collaboration with Deans and Department Chairs, University Assessment guides individual academic programs to perform an in-depth analysis into program goals, student learning outcomes, measures, and findings. The purpose of APRs is to enable Deans and Department Chairs to continually improve their academic units. In years where an academic unit performs an APR, their annual academic assessment report is included in and considered as part of their larger APR report and a separate annual assessment report is not required.
Assessment and Accreditation Committee
The Assessment and Accreditation Committee (AAC) serves as an advisory body on assessment and institutional effectiveness in support of the work of academic units. The committee is comprised of at least one representative from each of Samford University’s ten schools, and representatives from the University Library, Office of Institutional Effectiveness, and Office of Professional Studies. The committee is chaired by the Director of University Assessment. The AAC supports the process of continual self-evaluation and improvement. The purpose of the AAC is to support ongoing academic assessment efforts and ensure quality assessment that leads to continued improvement.
AAC Members
School of the Arts
Howard College of Arts and Sciences
Brock School of Business
Beeson Divinity School
Orlean Beeson School of Education
School of Health Professions
Cumberland School of Law
Moffett & Sanders School of Nursing
McWhorter School of Pharmacy
School of Public Health
University Library
Office of Institutional Effectiveness
Office of Professional Studies
Assessment Calendar
Academic Units
October 1- All units must have their initial assessment findings for the previous academic year and assessment plan for the current academic year submitted to their AAC representative.
November 15- All assessment findings and assessment plans must be finalized and entered into Taskstream for final review.
Administrative / Non-academic Units
October 1- All administrative/non-academic units must have their initial status report for the previous year and operational plan for the current year submitted to the director of University Assessment for review.
November 15- All status reports and operational plans must be finalized and entered into Taskstream for final review.
Demonstration of Quality Assessment Report
May 15- Each member of the AAC will nominate an academic unit from their respective school that exemplified quality assessment demonstrating “closing the loop” from the current academic year.
