Student Achievement Goals embedded in Program Assessment

Program Assessment (both Annual Assessment and Decennial Program Review) now requires that each undergraduate program set a Student Achievement Goal – a goal related to student outcomes like course success, retention, graduation, and post-graduation job placement. These goals must also attend to closing existing equity gaps in student achieving positive outcomes Therefore, Student Achievement Goals embed a process for identifying and addressing equity gaps into existing annual UO processes and provides an opportunity to act to support academic programs in closing equity gaps. 

Defining Equity: In relation to Student Achievement Goals, equity means achieving parity in student outcomes regardless of student race, ethnicity or other identities. The addition of equity-focused student achievement goals also aligns a range of priorities across campus. Specifically, equity in student outcomes is prioritized in:

  • Faculty Senate Resolution Against Racism and Systemic Oppression US19/20-18 (Section 2.5)
  • UESS Next Generation Student Success (especially priorities 3 and 4) – institutionalizing processes to achieve equitable outcomes
  • President’s University Priorities and strategic framework - embedding equity and inclusion in each of our programs and addressing disparities in student outcomes.
  • NWCCU Regional Accreditation standards (Standard 1.D) related to disaggregating student achievement data and allocating resources to close equity gaps.
  • UO’s commitment to inclusive teaching as an evaluation standard for all instructional faculty.

Process

In AY21-22 the Office of the Provost developed new disaggregated data tools for academic departments including dashboards with disaggregated graduation and retention outcomes and a new grade equity dashboard highlighting equity gaps in specific courses and departments. In Fall 2022, we re-launched program assessment, which includes a prompt to reflect on these data and identify student achievement goals. We will support departments in using the data through workshops and consultation, and undergraduate programs will submit a student achievement goal by April 2023.

Opportunity

In Spring 2023, newly submitted departmental student achievement goals will be presented back to OtP, Deans, and UESS leadership to strategize supports for units to act on their goals and identify areas for collaboration between units. For example, identifying aligned priorities between academic departments, deans supporting specific projects that align with college-level goals, allocating TEP and UO Online support for enacting course and curricular improvements and supporting faculty learning communities.In future years, academic programs will track their progress and report on actions and results of their work in annual assessment reports. These reports will help us identify promising practices at UO, barriers for success in departments, and help us re-strategize how to support academic programs.