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Office of Institutional Effectiveness

Assessment at Fresno State

The assessment of student learning, student development, and program outcomes is essential to the health and vitality of academic programs at California State University, Fresno. The primary purpose of assessment at the course, program, and institutional level is to further student engagement and student learning. However, assessment results are also used by programs to advance student learning through improved instruction and curricula. Accreditation agencies for various professional areas as well as the institution itself all have assessment standards that require the connection of student performance to a program’s stated mission, goals, and outcomes.

Planning at the programmatic level to assess student learning outcomes is reflected in the program’s SOAP. The SOAP which should be maintained at the department/program level and should be updated periodically to reflect assessment activities and results and changing circumstances.

Since every academic program has a SOAP, and has carried out on-going assessment, the emphasis now is on how programs can use assessment results in order to either demonstrate that students are achieving the designated learning outcomes or to make adjustments to the curriculum and program in order to assist student's in achieving proficiency in the required learning outcomes. Program level assessment is also directly connected to institutional values and outcomes which can be reviewed by clicking on the link below.

Fresno State Institutional Student Learning Outcomes

Director of Assessment at Fresno State

If you have any questions, especially while revising your department SOAP or while planning and implementing assessment activities you can reach out to your college assessment coordinator or e-mail the Director of Assessment at universityassessment@mail.fresnostate.edu

Dr. Douglas Fraleigh has been appointed as the second Director of Assessment at Fresno State effective August 20, 2020. Dr. Fraleigh has served as the college assessment coordinator since these positions were created in 2013. Dr. Fraleigh served as the Chair of the ad hoc oral communication core competency committee during the 2015-2016 AY. Dr. Fraleigh has served as a member of the Learning Assessment Team since 2014 and has worked to advance effective assessment at the University. Dr. Fraleigh and will now lead assessment efforts at Fresno State. The previous Director of Assessment, Dr. Melissa Jordine, accepted a position at Central Washington University beginning in Fall 2020.

Learning Assessment Team and College Assessment Coordinators

The Learning Assessment Team (LAT) aims to strengthen outcomes assessment across the campus. The LAT reviews all major assessment reports on an annual basis. The coordinator of this team communicates with departments regarding their reports. Members also provide an overview of the status of programs' assessment to the Deans, Provost, and departments on the status of programs' assessment.

College Assessment Coordinators: The Provost, Vice-Provost and Deans worked to together to create College Assessment Coordinator positions. One faculty member in each College was designated to work with every department to facilitate the planning and implementation of annual assessment activities. Current Assessment Coordinators are as follows

CAH - Prof. Matthew Hopson-Walker, MFA

CHHS -- Dr. Kara Zografos

COSS -- Dr. Monica Summers

CSB -- Dr. Jennifer Miele

CSM - Dr. Paul Price

JCAST - Dr. Serhat Asci

KSOEHD -- Dr. Jessica Hannigan

LCOE -- Dr. Ching Chiaw Choo

Library -- Ms. Sarah McDaniel, MA, MLIS

Resource Links

Campus Links