Strategic planning is the process in which organizations develop goals and objectives that drive actions for the purpose of fulfilling their institutional mission. This paper addresses how strategic planning can be utilized at community colleges. A review of relevant literature is also included. A qualitative case study research methodology was…

One of the many new directions to explore in ePortfolio practice is the relationship between ePortfolio as a classroom pedagogy and its potential to advance general education outcomes assessment. This direction is especially urgent in relation to the increasing demands by employers for competency-focused, higher-order skills, as well as demands by…

This chapter introduces the Borough of Manhattan Community College's Institutional Effectiveness Assessment Plan and the Shults Dorimé-Williams Taxonomy as resources for the enhancement of assessment within administrative, educational, and student support units.

Over the past 10 to 15 years, as the nation has discussed the high cost of a college education and the worth of the college degree and experience, community college has become a first-choice experience for many traditional college-aged students. Assessment and accountability occupy center stage in current discussions of higher education, and…

Assessment, accountability, and transparency represent a greater focus than ever in higher education. Community colleges are not exempt from these requirements, though they are overlooked in the creation of state and national assessment instruments. Therefore, we designed and distributed the Perceptions of Community College Assessment (PCCA)…

Tensions, lack of knowledge, and poor perceptions of the colleagues they support, plague the work of assessment professionals throughout the world. This explanatory sequential, mixed-methods study examined the relationships of employee classification (administrator, faculty, staff) and experience levels (overall institutional experience and…

In 2016, Union County College began a four-year experiment with corequisite developmental mathematics as part of a grant from the U.S. Department of Education's First in the World (FITW) program. In this experiment, students assessed as needing to take developmental mathematics courses would be eligible to receive a waiver from their developmental…

The data above provide insight into the range of student outcomes for colleges participating in the American Association of Community Colleges's (AACC's) Voluntary Framework of Accountability (VFA), a national system of metrics designed by community colleges for community colleges to better describe the outcomes of their students. As the data…

This phenomenological study examined the lived experience of community college faculty champions of learning outcomes assessment. This study sought to elucidate the experiences of faculty champions of assessment by exploring both what the participants experienced as well as how they experienced their roles in leading assessment work on their…

This narrative research study was conducted to explore the experiences of full-time community college faculty members involved in student learning outcomes assessment. Prior research documented the need for more community college faculty involvement with assessment at the program and institutional levels (Grunwald & Peterson, 2003; Kinzie,…

This issue of "Assessment Update" presents the following articles: (1) University of North Carolina at Charlotte: Using the EIA [Excellence in Assessment] Application as a Catalyst for Intentional Improvement (Christine Robinson and associates); (2) Editor's Notes (Stephen P. Hundley); (3) Northern Arizona University's Journey to…

This document analysis synthesized student learning outcomes (SLOs) and assessment methods from a sample of 36 student government associations in the California Community College system. Student learning outcomes were grouped according to "governance, ethical and civic behavior", and "experiential learning functions." Using…

The topic of specialized accreditation is considered in relationship to its impact on the quality of community college business education. As higher education has entered into an era of enhanced accountability research is necessary to understand what factors may influence quality student learning and competency. This study examines the impact of…

Swings in enrollment and funding caused by the most recent recession have reminded community college leaders that the ups and downs of the economy can have a significant impact on their institutions. While the impact on enrollment and funding is well documented, lesser known impacts can be also be found on things such as student persistence,…

The Voluntary Framework of Accountability (VFA) is the principal institutional accountability and improvement framework for community colleges with measures defined to encompass the full breadth of the community college mission and the diversity of students' goals and educational experiences. The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC)…