Academic Assessment

The Awards, established in 2022 by the Office of Academic Assessment and Program Review and Provost Mary Beth Walker recognizes excellence in academic program-level and college-level assessment and improved student learning outcomes.

The awards are about commitment to best practices in assessment. The College Assessment Leads will select each year’s award winner. Nominations are limited to the pool of faculty and colleges participating in academic assessment for the year who most strongly exhibits the award criteria. To qualify for the award, faculty, and colleges must earn the highest marks on the outcomes assessment forms demonstrating learning and pedagogical improvement, gap mitigation, and JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) excellence in learning. 

Award Criteria

The Provost’s Award will recognize two faculty for superior performance in assessment and improvement. Each faculty will receive $1200 and a certificate. Funding will support faculty conference participation, training, workshops, and research. The Provost’s Award will also recognize colleges whose undergraduate and graduate student learning results earn the highest ratings. A certificate will be submitted to the Dean of the College.

Once a faculty member or college has won an award, it is not eligible to be nominated for the same award for another three years. When funds are used, faculty and programs must submit a 1-page report on how the funds helped to further student success in achieving learning outcomes.

 

Provost Award for Pedagogical Learning Improvements

This award is for superior performance in assessing learners and improving pedagogy/instruction. The award is based on the following criteria: accurate assessment of learner artifacts, classroom assessments that provide multiple opportunities for students to achieve the learning outcomes, and reports demonstrating how results are used to make pedagogical changes.

 

Provost Award for Excellence in Learning Improvements

(1 annually)-This award is for superior performance in reflecting on outcomes and program improvement by all departments. The award is based on the following criteria: Reflections must involve an examination of outcomes not met by learners, closing the loop activities, and improvements made to classes and programs as a whole.

Provost Award for Equity Gap Mitigation

(1 annually)-This award is for colleges that apply evidence of assessment results to address equity gaps in learning outcomes. The award is based on the following criteria: Reaching beyond individual courses to mitigate gaps across the program, identifying equity gaps in the program, and reflecting on best practices for equity gap mitigation.

Provost Award for the JEDI Award for Excellence in Learning

(1 annually)- This award is for superior performance in reflecting inclusivity in the assessment of student learning. The award is based on the following criteria: Reflections that identify groups of students that need to be better supported, systems of power and oppression that might impact learning, and involve learners as participants in the assessment and a plan for developing a more culturally responsive curriculum/environment.