Assessment Resources and Documents Repository
Log in to view current and historical assessment reports, usage data, and program review documents. The Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) Standards and Self-Assessment Guides are also available.Design of Work and Intended Outcomes
- Guide the development of annual assessment reports and related documents to provide transparency of each unit’s focus on its unique purpose, its intentional design of work to achieve the purpose, evidence of the effectiveness of the work, and continuous improvement.
- Engage units in systematic program review to inform improvement, using a process of unit self-study, external expert review, and improvement action planning and implementation.
- Improve the quality of, and access to, student affairs data by cataloging the educational purpose and design of, and systematically recording student participation in, student engagement in SAAS programs, services, events, and activities in Beyond The Classroom Matters.
Assessment is about being clear on the results an organization intends to produce and design of the organization's work to achieve these results.
To be effective, a unit must first have a clear understanding of its purpose and the unique results it exists to produce. To improve, it must have two kinds of information: first, it must have a method for examining the extent to which the organization is currently producing the expected results and second, it must be able to examine the design of its system – the work it is doing - that is producing current results. To achieve better results in the future, it must change the system – the design of its work.
The process of preparing an annual assessment report is intended to produce and document these results, under the leadership of the unit director:
- Shared understanding among staff of the unique role of the unit, its primary purpose, and the results it exists to produce
- Information about how the unit intentionally designs its work to produce the intended results.
- Examination of the current results (metrics/indicators) of the extent to which intended outcomes were achieved.
- Analysis of factors that contributed to the current results achieved and identification of action for improvement in the upcoming year.
- Evidence of a division continuous improvement process, required for reaffirmation of accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
Student Affairs and Academic Support Program Review builds on the annual assessment reporting process, encouraging deeper reflection on the work of the unit over time. A review comprises conducting a unit self-study following a prescribed format, engaging the expertise of external peers to review the unit by interacting with staff and campus constituents, and implementing an action plan for improvement informed by insights gained through the review process.
SAAS Program Review documents provide additional evidence of the division's continuous improvement process, required for reaffirmation of accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
Beyond The Classroom Matters collects defined official records of student engagement in experiential courses and non-credit-bearing, educationally purposeful programs, services, events, and activities, primarily provided to students by SAAS. The records collected in BTCM are integrated with students’ academic and demographic records to create a more holistic record of each student’s learning experiences at USC.
BTCM provides additional evidence of a division continuous improvement process, required for reaffirmation of accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
- Beyond The Classroom Matters Engagement Catalog and Toolbox – view the Engagement Catalog of programs, services, events, and activities recorded in BTCM. Login to access the BTCM Toolbox that holds resources for cataloging new Engagements, modifying existing Engagements, and methods for submitting records of student participation in cataloged Engagements.
- Beyond the Classroom Matters Engagement Provider Access and Participant Numbers – log in to view Engagement catalog entry proposals associated with your name, and to view Engagement participant reports. Use report filters to view participant numbers in a specified term and/or those provided by a unit or division. To request report access, please send an email request to [email protected].
- Student Resources for Beyond the Classroom Matters/My USC Experience – view student-facing information about My USC Experience records collected in BTCM.
Anthology’s Baseline is licensed to the division and provides survey and reporting tools that can be used by division staff. To request assistance or to add or modify users to a unit account, please contact [email protected].
- Anthology Survey Tool – log in to view and use the Baseline assessment survey platform.