Assessment, Accountability, and Student Learning Outcomes

In the last fifteen years two trends have gained prominence throughout higher education: assessment and accountability. For various historical reasons, and the source of considerable confusion, both are erroneously referred to as "assessment." The first, "assessment for excellence," is an information feedback process to guide individual students, faculty members, programs, and schools in improving their effectiveness. Assessment instruments are designed to answer a wide range of self-evaluative questions related to one larger question: how well are we accomplishing our mission?