Assess when students have fulfilled most of a program degree requirements. When we know our students have learned our course material and graduate with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the workforce, we are adding value to an already affordable education. However, another way to determine value added is to compare learning between students just beginning a program with those who are near the end. This approach depends entirely on the program’s needs and resources to assess.

Assessment helps us identify excellence in learning and teaching as well as “trouble spots” in learning. It also helps highlight when students are having difficulty learning course material. By identifying where and when this happens, we can pool the expertise of our faculty to make changes to pedagogy and curriculum.

Having participation from across all of our programs is important. This gives us the big picture of how well Northeastern students are learning our course material.