The Academic Assessment Plan

With the merger of Garland County Community College and Quapaw Technical Institute on July 1, 2003, the Academic Assessment Committee made the decision to revisit the 2001 Academic Assessment Plan that was approved and published for Garland County Community College. The revised plan for National Park Community College reflected the assessment activities of the merged institutions in both direct and indirect measures which included general education and program assessment. The Plan was a result of the commitment of the faculty and the Academic Assessment Committee to ensure that the college community maintained high standards to enhance student learning. The revised plan was submitted with a monitoring report to the Higher Learning Commission in November 2004. Both were accepted and approved by the Higher Learning Commission in December 2004 with no further follow-up reports required.

The revised plan specified the process each department followed in using assessment to improve student learning and clearly illustrated the College's commitment to assessment as an on-going cycle of feedback and improvement of teaching and student learning. The Plan incorporated the review areas of General Education Assessment and Program Assessment.

The Assessment plan reinforced the College's use of quantitative and qualitative assessment tools - such as standardized achievement tests, surveys, summary reports and annual reviews - and provided a framework for feedback loops. The information collected through these assessment components relates to the institution's mission, goals and objectives as well as providing feedback to faculty, academic programs, College commitees and administrators.

The plan is currently being revised to reflect the on-going changes to the Assessment Process beginning with the Spring 2011 and Fall 2011 semesters. The latest revision will provide evidence of the College's commitment to contiuously reevaluate processes and procedures to assess student learning.

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