2023 Graduate Program Assessment Summary Report

Dear Colleagues,

The Graduate School is pleased to share the attached 2023 Graduate Program Assessment Summary Report, which documents the assessment activities and use of assessment data that graduate programs accomplished during the 2023 academic year.

In 2020, the Graduate School implemented an alternating-year cycle to regularly collect and review graduate program assessment data. The cycle alternates between a comprehensive assessment report, completed every two years, and a shorter attestation assessment report completed in the interim year. This alternating schedule minimizes program workload while meeting Graduate School and Northwest Commission for Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) annual reporting requirements through ongoing assessment.

Key findings from the 2023 Summary Report include

  • All WSU graduate programs (66/66) submitted a 2023 attestation assessment report to the Graduate School.
  • 100% of graduate programs have a graduate assessment plan in place with student learning outcomes that they use to guide the collection and use of assessment data at the degree or program level.
  • Substantially all graduate programs (97%) publish their student learning outcomes on their website or in their graduate student handbook.
  • 85% of graduate programs conducted at least one program assessment-related activity during the interim year.
    • 80% of graduate programs collected assessment data during the interim year.
    • 67% of graduate programs conducted program-level assessment activities or assessed one or more graduate student learning outcomes.
    • 36% of graduate programs made a documentable change or improvement to the graduate program based on faculty review of assessment data.
    • 14% of graduate programs approved, revised, or made changes to their graduate assessment plan or graduate student learning outcomes.
  • The Top 5 Uses of Graduate Assessment Data reported by graduate programs were 1) changes to the graduate student handbook, 2) course content revisions, 3) professional development opportunities for graduate students, 4) addressed student climate issues, and 5) changes in the mentoring or advising of graduate students.
  • The Top 5 Program Goals for Graduate Assessment are 1) collect and analyze assessment data, 2) share graduate assessment results with administrators and others, 3) use graduate assessment to improve student learning outcomes or student success measures, 4) meet with faculty to discuss assessment results, and 5) use graduate assessment to support program planning and decision-making.

These are noteworthy achievements, and the majority of graduate programs are collecting and using assessment data on a regular basis. We sincerely appreciate the time and effort that graduate faculty and staff members spend on program assessment and the work that they do to continuously improve the quality and effectiveness of their graduate programs.

Thank you for your support!

Sincerely,

Scott Avery
Director of Data Management and Assessment
Graduate School
Washington State University
E-mail: scottavery@wsu.edu
Tel: 509-335-1574