Eastern Connecticut State University College Portrait

All colleges and universities use multiple approaches to measure student learning. Many of these are specific to particular disciplines, many are coordinated with accrediting agencies, and many are based on outcomes after students have graduated.

Assessment at Eastern Connecticut State University is a process intended to ensure that we are achieving the objectives that we have set for ourselves as Connecticut's public liberal arts institution. Ultimately, assessment at Eastern serves several purposes:

1) Improving learning and the learning environment inside and outside the classroom;

2) Ensuring the quality and integrity of an Eastern degree;

3) Demonstrating accountability to our stakeholders.

First and foremost, we need to ensure that our students are learning what we hope they are learning. By establishing clear goals and evaluating success via a valid process, departments can build upon successes and improve areas in need of additional support. Our goals as a liberal arts institution are broad yet focused.

The Liberal Arts Program sets in place a foundation upon which the academic departments build. Maintaining the strength and integrity of this foundation is also facilitated by the assessment process. The classroom is just one part of the learning environment at a university. Other areas of the university, such as housing, student activities, advisement, and others play an integral role in maintaining a positive learning environment. As such, they also need to demonstrate that the services that they provide are integral to the complete learning experience at the university.

The quality and integrity of an Eastern degree is critically important not only to our students, but to their parents and others. State legislators and taxpayers also need to know that the funds earmarked for public education are being used wisely. Effective assessment yields the evidence that allows us to demonstrate confidently that we are achieving our stated goals.

Learning Assessment Examples

Colleges and universities participating in the College Portrait measure the typical improvement in students' abilities to think, reason, and write using one of three tests. This is part of a 4-year pilot project to better understand and compare what students learn between their freshman and senior years at different colleges and universities.

As the pilot project comes to a close, it is important to evaluate the effectiveness of the pilot project within the College Portrait and to disclose the results to the public. All VSA participating institutions are encouraged to report their results; Eastern reported results from one of the VSA-approved value-added SLO assessments below. Institutions who have not posted SLO results from one of the three VSA approved value-added pilot measures by the end of September 2012 are required to report their results here.

2009 - 10 Results from the Collegiate Learning Assessment

The Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) measures critical thinking, analytic reasoning, problem solving, and written communication using a performance task and an analytic writing task. The scores from the tasks are reported separately below.

Test Administration Process

Test Information

Performance Task Results for First-time, Full-time Students

The increase in learning on the performance task is at or near what would be expected at an institution testing students of similar academic abilities.

Freshman Score: 1025
Senior Score: 1144
CLA score range: 400 to no maximum score.

Average EAA scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 979
Senior Score: 1014

Analytic Writing Task Results for First-time, Full-time Students

The increase in learning on the analytic writing task is at or near what would be expected at an institution testing students of similar academic abilities.

Freshman Score: 1088
Senior Score: 1165
CLA score range: 400 to no maximum score.

Average EAA scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 979
Senior Score: 1014