Academic Assessment
The Office of Accreditation and Assessment (OAA) is committed to continuous improvement and alignment with best practices in higher education for academic assessment. The OAA is focused on streamlining the assessment process by aligning it with Kean’s new department chair model. This alignment will lead to improved data collection, reporting, and accountability mechanisms, ultimately fostering a culture of assessment excellence across the institution.
The OAA facilitates the academic assessment process by providing training and access to assessment tools for those tasked with academic assessment. The OAA oversees and coordinates the assessment of the individual academic programs/departments, annual assessment reports and the five-year program reviews using the Watermark Assessment Management System.
The OAA oversees the accreditation of the University and its programs by state and other specialized accreditation agencies.
The OAA coordinates with the University Senate’s Assessment Committee to plan, implement, and evaluate professional development workshops, seminars, panels, and online assistance which focuses on student learning outcomes and institutional effectiveness.
Academic Assessment - Important Dates
- The deadline to submit the 2024-2025 Annual Academic Plan is September 30, 2024.
- The deadline to submit the 2024-2025 Annual Academic Report is June 30, 2025.
- Please note, if your department is up for Program Review (2020-2025), you will submit the Program Review document by June 30, 2025 in lieu of the 2024-2025 Annual Academic Assessment Report.
- The deadline to submit the AY 2024-2025 Dean’s Report to Provost – due by July 31, 2025.
Academic Program Assessment Resources
- Watermark Assessment Management System for Planning and Self-Study
- Watermark - Identify Ways to Improve, Evolve and Empower Student Learning Outcomes
- Please click on the link to view: Watermark - Video
OAA’S NEW INITIATIVES:
- The Program Assessment System (PAS): This new initiative offers a centralized, proactive approach to academic assessment, providing academic a standardized framework for area-specific assessments. For more information, contact Dr. Colin Anderson (coanders@kean.edu) and click the links below for additional details.
- P.A.S Overview
- P.A.S Template
- The OAA has introduced a new initiative to streamline the collection of student achievement data through the Canvas LMS. This process enhances data collection, analysis, and reporting for academic assessments and accreditation, with no additional effort required from students or faculty. For more information, contact Dr. Susan Aher (sahern@kean.edu) and click the link below for more details.
- Using Canvas for Effective Assessment of SLOs