A11: Reporting and Use of Assessment Results

Responsibility for Maintenance: Office of Institutional Planning, Research and Assessment

Date of most recent changes: January 25, 2010

I. Policy Statement  

Assessment of student learning outcomes is not evaluation, nor is it competition. Assessment is a process, first and foremost, for understanding and improving student learning. To ensure that assessment results are used appropriately, the College has adopted the following rules for the reporting and use of assessment data:

• All outcome assessment information shall be maintained in confidentiality and shall be disclosed within the College on a “need to know” basis.
• Assessment results shall not be used to punish, publicly compare, or embarrass students, faculty, courses, programs or departments, either individually or collectively, or to make public comparisons among groups of students based on gender, race, ethnicity, or other demographic factors.
• The College shall publicly disseminate assessment data, if at all, only through aggregate reporting for the institution as a whole, or by school or program.

II. Reason for Policy  

This policy is intended to ensure efficient and productive use of outcome assessment data and to comply with requirements of the State University of New York’s General Education Assessment Review Initiative.

III. Applicability of the Policy  

All personnel involved in the assessment process should be familiar with this policy.

IV. Related Documents  

• State University of New York Procedure regarding Assessment of General Education
• Onondaga Community College Policy C1 Compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy 

V. Contacts  

Approved by OCC Board of Trustees April 3, 2006

Updated and approved by the President January 25, 2010