West Texas A&M University College Portrait

Learn More

Students
Find out more about the characteristics of students who attend WTAMU.
Admissions
See how many students applied, accepted, and enrolled at WTAMU. Learn more about students’ high school preparation and test scores.
College Costs & Financial Aid
Learn about costs to attend WTAMU and how much financial aid is typically awarded.
College Cost Estimator
Estimate your cost to attend WTAMU in a few simple steps.
Classes and Campus Life
Learn more about professors, where students live, and campus safety at WTAMU.
Student Experiences
Discover ways to be actively involved in your education at WTAMU – inside and outside the classroom.
Majors, Graduation and Next Steps
See which majors are most popular at WTAMU and what recent graduates plan to do after earning their bachelor's degree.
Student Success & Progress
Discover how many students who start at WTAMU 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 WTAMU.

Student Learning at West Texas A&M University

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.

Student Learning Outcome Assessment is a vital part of West Texas A&M University efforts to become a first choice institution. West Texas A&M University is committed to the assessment process and using assessment results in planning and budgeting decisions that reflect the University mission. Faculty share primary responsibility for the development, implementation, maintenance, and review of assessment activities. Faculty also explicate learning outcomes for each class and the academic program as a whole. West Texas A&M University uses the Student Learning Outcome Assessments to make continuous improvements in program structure, course content, and pedagogy.

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 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; WTAMU 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.

2010 - 11 Results from the College Assessment of Academic Proficiency (CAAP)

The Collegiate Assessment of Academic Proficiency (CAAP) measures critical thinking and written communication using two test modules -- critical thinking and a writing essay. The critical thinking and writing scores are reported separately below.

Test Administration Process

Test Information

Critical Thinking Results for First-time, Full-time Students

The increase in critical thinking skills is above what would be expected at an institution testing students of similar academic abilities.

Freshman Score: 58
Senior Score: 62
CAAP score range: 40 to 80

Average ACT scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 21
Senior Score: 22

Writing Essay Results for First-time, Full-time Students

The increase in written communication skills is above what would be expected at an institution testing students of similar academic abilities.

Freshman Score: 2
Senior Score: 3
CAAP score range: 1 to 6