Student Learning Outcome Statements

Undergraduate Learning Outcomes

The five University Undergraduate Learning Outcomes (UULOs) define what all UNLV undergraduate students should know and be able to do when they graduate.

The UULOs are as follows:

  1. Intellectual breadth and lifelong learning
  2. Inquiry and critical thinking
  3. Communication
  4. Global/multicultural knowledge and awareness
  5. Citizenship and ethics

Graduate Learning Outcomes

The three Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs) define what all UNLV graduate students should know and be able to do when they graduate.

The GLOs are as follows:

UNLV Graduate students will engage in:

  1. Research, scholarship, creative expression and/or appropriate high-level professional practice
  2. Activities requiring originality, critical analysis, and expertise
  3. The development of extensive knowledge in the field under study

Current Assessment Activities

The UULOs are assessed through General Education assessment reports, two student surveys, and via examination of program-level assessment reports.

General Education Assessment Reports

General Education assessment and are collected from First Year Seminar coordinators and from Gen Ed Core coordinators annually.

Learning Outcomes Survey

The Learning Outcomes Survey (LOS) is administered to students enrolled in First-Year Seminars (FYS) each fall semester. The purpose of the Learning Outcomes Survey is to measure student perceptions of various aspects related to their academic experiences at UNLV and in their First Year Seminar courses. For the purposes of institutional UULO assessment, items related to students’ perceived UULO attainment are analyzed and tracked over time.

UNLV Graduating Senior Exit Survey

The UNLV Graduating Senior Exit Survey is administered each year by the Office of the Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs. The VPAP surveys UNLV seniors as they file their applications for graduation each semester. Students are asked to report the extent to which they agree they have made progress towards reaching a broad range of academic goals during their time at UNLV. For the purposes of institutional UULO assessment, items related to students’ perceived UULO attainment are analyzed and tracked over time.

Program-Level Assessment Reports

Program-level Assessment Reports are collected annually by the Office of Academic Assessment. These reports cover all assessment activities within each program. Program faculty are asked to assess at least one UULO or GLO per year and report their findings. Each year in Academic Assessment Committee meetings, program-level reports are read by committee members and UULO assessment information is extracted and input into a Qualtrics form. The Office of Academic Assessment compiles the extracted information and creates a report that summarizes UULO assessments across campus.

Starting in the 2019-2020 academic year, program-level assessment reports will be analyzed to extract information about GLOs in addition to the UULO activity listed above.

Timeline

General Education Assessment Reports Collected annually, each May
Learning Outcomes Survey Distributed and analyzed at the end of each fall semester
Graduating Senior Exit Survey Distributed continuously as students apply for graduation; analyzed each summer
Program-level Assessment Reports Collected annually, each December; examined to extract UULO information each spring. Starting in the 2019-2020 academic year the same process will apply to GLO information found in program assessment reports

Use of Student Learning Evidence

General Education Assessment Reports

Each Gen Ed assessment contains information about how the results are used to improve student learning.

Learning Outcomes Survey

Results of the LOS are shared with FYS instructors and posted on the Academic Assessment website. Mean ratings on items related to students’ perceived attainment of written communication and critical thinking skills are reported separately as Top Tier metrics and Core Theme indicators to measure institutional mission fulfillment. Items that are aligned with the Graduating Senior Exit Survey are regularly compared to obtain an indication of progression from freshmen to seniors.

Graduating Senior Exit Survey

Results of the Senior Exit Survey are analyzed each summer and posted on the Academic Assessment website. Individual reports are created and given to units as requested. Mean ratings on items related to students’ perceived attainment of written communication and critical thinking skills are reported separately as Top Tier metrics and Core Theme indicators to measure institutional mission fulfillment. Items that are aligned with the Learning Outcomes Survey are regularly compared to obtain an indication of progression from Freshmen to Seniors.

Program-Level Assessment Reports

The Office of Academic Assessment analyzes extracted information about UULO assessments, then compiles and summarizes the information in an annual report. This report includes recommendations based on the findings of the report. The report has been shared with Academic Assessment Committee members and used internally as a tool for communication between with program assessment coordinators and the Director of Academic Assessment.

Starting in the 2019-2020 academic year the same process will apply to GLO assessments found within the program assessment reports.

Future Planned Activities

Expansion of UULO Extraction Assessment

Currently, program-level assessment reports are analyzed by Academic Assessment Committee members during planned meeting times. This limits the number of reports that are able to be examined, due to manpower and time constraints. Starting in October 2019, more faculty will be included in this process. During the fall Academic Assessment Workshop day, time will be set aside for more faculty members from across campus to participate in this process. There are multiple benefits to expanding this process

  • More reports can be analyzed, giving more data points to consider
  • More faculty will have an opportunity to participate in assessment activities, increasing our community of practice
  • Faculty members will have an opportunity to look at examples of assessment activities from other disciplines on campus

Graduate Learning Outcomes Assessment

As mentioned above, the Office of Academic Assessment plans to begin analyzing program-level assessment reports to extract information about the GLOs in the same manner with which the assessment reports have been treated to find information about the UULOs. It is expected that this process will begin in the 2019-2020 academic year, beginning with Academic Assessment Committee members and eventually spreading to a broader working group of faculty members across campus.

Partnership with Decision Support

The Office of Academic Assessment has recently teamed with the Office of Decision Support to link survey data sources with Decision Support’s analytics warehouse. This link will allow the Office of Academic Assessment to verify the accuracy of the survey demographic information and engage in research projects that can more meaningfully impact student learning.