Institutional Effectiveness (IE) Planning Resources

"An assessment plan captures agreement about what matters, gives direction for actions, and provides a means to determine if progress is being made."
Banda & Palomba, 2015, p. 20

What is IE Planning?

Institutional Effectiveness (IE) Planning is a vital component of meeting the mission of the university. Through the IE planning and review process, programs, departments, and offices gain a clear picture of their overall performance related to desired outcomes and use data to make informed decisions. Some benefits of IE Planning include:

• Data-informed decision making
• Meaningful conversations with colleagues about our work, rooted in shared goals
• Potential improvements in student performance and student success metrics, such as retention and completion
• Identification of strengths to share with stakeholders for recruitment, community engagement, and similar efforts
• Increased quality in academic programs and university services
• Support for accreditation and strategic planning efforts

Key Terms for IE Planning
Additional terms can be found in the print version of this guide.

• Student Learning Outcome (SLO) – SLOs are statements of the knowledge, skills, abilities, and/or values demonstrated by students upon completion of a degree, program or experience.
  • A program or office assesses SLOs to evaluate and improve its effectiveness in designing and delivering its intended educational objectives.
• Administrative Unit Outcome (AUO) – AUOs focus on improvement in the unit’s operations and services in support of the Strategic Plan or University Mission, apart from student learning.
  • A unit assesses AUOs to evaluate and improve its effectiveness in meeting strategic and operational goals.
  • Involves concepts such as efficiency, accuracy, effectiveness, client satisfaction, quality, comprehensiveness, compliance, or employee learning.
• Direct Measures – For SLOs: Direct Measures utilize actual student products or performances (exams, essays, reports, projects, oral performance); For AUOs: Direct Measures gather feedback or data directly from stakeholders engaging with the service or office (surveys, focus groups, exit interviews).
• Indirect Measures – For SLOs: Indirect Measures rely on students’ perceived or self-reported learning (surveys, reflections, self-assessments, focus groups, interviews), or provide proxy information about student learning (enrollment trends, grades, graduation rates). For AUOs: Indirect Measures include secondary metrics or data collected about a service or office, rather than directly from users.

IE Planning Process at APSU

The Office of IEA at APSU has categorized units that participate in the IE Planning process into 3 groups based on SACSCOC standards. These groups, and their IE Planning requirements are as follows:

• Degree and Certificate Programs* – includes all academic programs that are defined by the institution as a credential, such as a degree with a defined major. Note that different levels of a degree (i.e., BBA and MBA) should be assessed as separate programs. (SACSCOC Standard 8.2.a)
  • IE Planning Requirements:
    • Articulate a set of program-level Student Learning Outcomes (recommended: 3-8 outcomes per program)
    • Identify 2 Assessment Measures for each SLO (at least one of these must be a direct measure of student learning)
    • Assess at least 2 SLOs in each academic year
  • Results Report Requirements:
    • Reported results for each measure
    • Reflective analysis of results for each measure
    • Identified improvement actions based on the results of each measure
• Academic and Student Support Services – units that provide direct support to faculty and students as related to their education programs, indirect support for student learning, or a specific co-curricular mission that supports the college experience. Examples of units included in this category are the library, learning/information resources, tutoring, writing centers, financial aid, residence life, admissions, etc. (SACSCOC Standard 8.2.c)
  • IE Planning Requirements:
    • Articulate a minimum of 2 unit-level outcomes (recommended: 1 outcome for each major service or function in the unit) – may be either SLOs or AUOs
    • Assess 2 outcomes each fiscal year – may be either SLOs or AUOs
    • Identify at least 1 Assessment Measure for each outcome
  • Results Report Requirements
    • Reported results for each measure
    • Reflective analysis of results for each measure
    • Identified improvement actions based on results of each measure
• Administrative Units – units that serve the educational mission of the institution in a more indirect, yet still critical, manner. (SACSCOC Standard 7.3)
  • IE Planning Requirements:
    • Articulate a minimum of 2 unit-level administrative unit outcomes (recommended: 1 AUO for each major service or function in the unit)
    • Identify at least 1 Assessment Measure for each outcome
    • Assess at least 2 AUOs each fiscal year
  • Results Report Requirements
    • Reported results for each measure
    • Reflective analysis of results for each measure
    • Identified improvement actions based on results of each measure

*Degree and Certificate programs are currently engaging in a three-year reset cycle wherein multi-year assessment plans will be developed. Click here for more information. 

A full list of units that participate in IE Planning and their unit types can be found here. Please note that this list is for IE planning purposes only. For a list of all degree programs and concentrations, including implementation dates, please refer to the Academic Program Inventory.

For IE Planning timelines, visit our IE Planning Timelines webpage. 

For additional help with the IE Planning process, please reach out to the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment. We offer individual meetings with departments and units to assist with the planning and development of outcomes. Please complete the online form to request services from our office.

IEA Service Request Form: www.apsu.edu/institutional-effectiveness/iea-service-form