The Office of Assessment and Accreditation provides leadership and coordination for college-wide assessment activities, including program and unit assessment, general education assessment, and program review initiatives. At FTCC, assessment is an ongoing process that is student-centered and faculty-driven. Assessment supports the College’s Mission and Strategic Plan. It is about determining areas where students are succeeding and where they are struggling in order to seek continuous improvement in teaching and learning.
Accreditation is an external review process by which the college is recognized as offering a quality education that meets certain standards. It is like receiving a stamp of approval on a periodic basis by an accrediting body. Along with assessment, accreditation plays an important role in ensuring the quality of higher education.
Program and Unit Assessment Cycle
The assessment cycle is an ongoing process that involves evaluating the quality of educational programs and units in order to ensure that they meet the needs of students and other stakeholders. It begins with the identification of goals and objectives, followed by the development of assessment plans and strategies. These plans and strategies are then implemented and evaluated, and the results are used to inform decision-making and improvement. The cycle is completed by reflecting on the results and making changes to the assessment plans and strategies as needed. This cycle is essential for ensuring that higher education institutions are providing quality education and services that meet the needs of their students.
FTCC utilizes a two-year assessment cycle. The first year involves the creation of student learning outcomes (SLOs) that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound (SMART). Each outcome has related measures for evaluation purposes attached to it. After the outcomes and measures are created, a data collection period follows, as well as an analysis of the data collected. An action plan is put in place based on the results of this analysis. The purpose of this action plan is the continuous improvement of the academic program or educational unit. The process repeats in the second year with one major addition- at the end of the second year, the assessment loop is closed, and the data from the entire cycle is analyzed. At the end of the cycle, a clearer picture has been painted of what steps are necessary to improve both teaching and learning.
The 2023-2025 FTCC Assessment Cycle
The 2021-2023 FTCC Assessment Cycle