CAR maintains clear, systematic, and sustainable processes for planning, collecting, and assessing academic areas and operations within the college. We work closely with faculty, staff, and administrators to employ a continuous improvement cycle where assessment results are used to improve the quality of programs and units and aid in achieving the College’s mission and goals.
Student learning assessments are conducted on a continual and sustainable basis for all programs offered by the college, including the General Education program. The systematic process allows the college to assess all student learning outcomes within a program on a four-year cycle. The results of assessments are used to improve the quality of educational programs and the services that support the educational experience, provide validation to internal and external audiences, and aid in achieving the college’s mission and goals.
The academic program review process serves as to ascertain the strengths and challenges of the college’s academic programs. This internal, peer-reviewed process is designed to encourage meaningful cross-departmental conversation. The result is a final report that includes purposeful recommendations and a measurable action plan.
All units within the college conduct operational unit assessments on an annual basis. The process allows for assessing one or more unit goals linked to an institutional goal. The results of the assessments are evaluated to determine ways to improve the quality and effectiveness of services and support and aid in achieving the college’s mission and goals.
Operational unit reviews are in place to foster excellence by looking closely at key areas, including the unit’s mission and goals, organization and leadership, quality of services provided, resource use and needs, and use of assessment results toward continuous improvement. The process promotes conversation within the unit that capitalizes on strengths and formulates solutions for challenges. Peer-review consultancy provides rounded feedback, while overarching findings are shared with the RCBC leadership to encourage institutional support and dialogue.