The University of Texas-Pan American College Portrait

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Students
Find out more about the characteristics of students who attend UTPA.
Admissions
See how many students applied, accepted, and enrolled at UTPA. Learn more about students’ high school preparation and test scores.
College Costs & Financial Aid
Learn about costs to attend UTPA and how much financial aid is typically awarded.
College Cost Estimator
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Classes and Campus Life
Learn more about professors, where students live, and campus safety at UTPA.
Student Experiences
Discover ways to be actively involved in your education at UTPA – inside and outside the classroom.
Majors, Graduation and Next Steps
See which majors are most popular at UTPA and what recent graduates plan to do after earning their bachelor's degree.
Student Success & Progress
Discover how many students who start at UTPA finish their bachelor's degree and how long it takes.
Student Learning Outcomes
Figure out what learning gains to expect in critical thinking, writing, and other important subjects at UTPA.

Student Learning at The University of Texas-Pan American

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.

The University of Texas-Pan American is a comprehensive, public co-educational institution moving toward becoming a learner-centered research university. Teaching and research are equally important to the achievement of this goal. UTPA uses multiple assessment tools to gauge the effectiveness of undergraduate programs. Student learning outcomes in the general education (core curriculum) are assessed through the use of the Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA). In addition, internally developed instruments are used to assess outcomes in the areas of writing, mathematics, visual and performing arts and social and behavioral sciences. Other measures of student success include assessment of student learning outcomes in the majors, academic program review, licensure and certification pass rates, retention and graduation rates, and accreditation by professional organizations.

Learning Assessment Examples

Pilot Project to Measure Core Learning Outcomes

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 pilot project to better understand and compare what students learn between their freshman and senior years at different colleges and universities.

2010 - 11 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 above what would be expected at an institution testing students of similar academic abilities.

Freshman Score: 997
Senior Score: 1158
CLA score range: 400 to no maximum score.

Average EEA scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 931
Senior Score: 940

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: 1000
Senior Score: 1111
CLA score range: 400 to no maximum score.