The University of Texas of the Permian Basin 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.

The University of Texas of the Permian Basin

Assessment of Educational Programs

The University of Texas of the Permian Basin maintains an institutional effectiveness system that gathers information on student learning outcomes, their assessment, and the improvements that are made based on the assessment results for every major program. Faculty members establish the learning goals for each degree and develop the student learning outcomes that they intend to measure. The faculty members discuss the results of the assessments and decide what actions need to be taken to maintain the quality of the degree program.
The general education program is evaluated by individual faculty members using a set of indicators developed by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Each of the indicators used as the basis for assessment in a class has been evaluated by the disciplinary faculty and outcomes specific t the course have been established. The outcomes are evaluated most frequently through embedded test questions in examinations and rubric driven evaluations of student work. The extent to which the outcomes have been attained is ascertained by the faculty member and reviewed by the General Education Oversight Committee, a committee of the Faculty Senate.

Assessment of Other Programs and Services

All administrative and support programs must also participate in the institutional effectiveness program. Student Services offices frequently also assess student learning outcomes, and their results and improvements based on results are kept in the centralized database maintained by the institution. Other offices and services also develop and implement assessment plans.

National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)

The university participates in the NSSE as a part of the University of Texas System. The survey seeks to understand how students take advantage of the opportunities that a college education provides both in the classroom and outside the classroom. A sample of freshmen and seniors is selected each year by the sponsor of the questionnaire and invited to participate. The results of the assessment are shared throughout the university and with the Board of Regents of the University of Texas System. Results of this assessment at UTPB are available from the Institutional Research, Planning, and Effectiveness website at http://aa.utpb.edu/institutional-research-planning/.

Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA)

Each year a selected group of freshmen and seniors are invited to participate in the CLA as part of the University of Texas System. The CLA is a measure of critical thinking and writing. Results are shared throughout the university and with the Board of Regents of the University of Texas System. As a result of the scores on the CLA the university has initiated a plan to enhance the critical thinking skills of students beginning in September 2011.

Noel Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory

The survey is given to students at all levels. It evaluates the extent to which students are satisfied with the academic and student support programs available at the university. Results are shared within the university community and used to make improvements to a variety of offices, services, and programs on campus.

The University of Texas of the Permian Basin is committed to an intensive and wide ranging program of assessment in order to provide the highest possible educational and service quality. Every office, department, discipline, school, college is charged with evaluating the quality of their programs and services and making improvements to what they do and how they do it. For more information on the institutional effectiveness program, contact Dr. Denise Watts, Director of Institutional Effectiveness at watts_de@utpb.edu.

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

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 below what would be expected at an institution testing students of similar academic abilities.

Freshman Score: 988
Senior Score: 995
CLA score range: 400 to no maximum score.

Average EEA scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 995
Senior Score: 986

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: 1009
Senior Score: 1124
CLA score range: 400 to no maximum score.

Average EEA scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 995
Senior Score: 986