Undergraduate Program Assessment

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) describe the knowledge, skills, competencies, and behaviors students are expected to demonstrate as a result of completing an academic program. Program-level SLOs should reflect the most important learning expectations of the discipline and the level of achievement expected of students completing the degree.

SLOs guide curriculum, instruction, and assessment by making expected student learning explicit. Faculty review and interpret assessment results to determine whether students are achieving the intended outcomes and to identify curricular, instructional, or other improvements when warranted.

Each SLO is mapped to the learning component of FIU’s Institutional Learning and Administrative Outcomes (ILAO) Framework using the most relevant domain and competency.

The Institutional Learning Outcome domains are:

• Cognitive & Analytical
• Communication & Interpersonal Skills
• Innovation & Professional Practice
• Civic & Ethical Citizenship
• Digital & Technological

Within these domains, SLOs are mapped to the competency that best reflects the knowledge, skills, or abilities demonstrated by students. SLOs are also identified, as applicable, with Community Engagement, Leadership for Public Purpose, and Sustainability indicators to support institutional data collection for the Carnegie elective classifications pursued by FIU.

Assessment of Learning Outcomes

SLOs should be assessed using methods that are clearly aligned with the learning described in the outcome.

At least one direct measure is required for every SLO report outcome:

Direct measures provide evidence of what students know or can demonstrate and should serve as the primary evidence for assessing achievement of SLOs. Examples may include examinations, projects, papers, portfolios, presentations, performances, clinical demonstrations, or other student work evaluated using established criteria.

Each assessment method should include a clearly defined criterion for success that identifies the expected level of student performance. Assessment methods, criteria, and sampling strategies should provide sufficient and appropriate evidence to support interpretation of student achievement and improvement decisions.

Progressive Learning Expectations

Undergraduate degree programs are expected to demonstrate progressively more advanced knowledge, skills, competencies, and learning expectations as students advance through the curriculum. Program-level SLOs should represent the level of achievement expected upon completion of the degree, while course-level learning expectations should reflect the academic level, content, and role of each course within the curriculum.

FIU follows Florida's Statewide Course Numbering System (SCNS), which provides a common system for identifying postsecondary courses and their academic level. Within undergraduate education:

• 1000–2999 courses represent lower-division undergraduate coursework.
• 3000–4999 courses represent upper-division undergraduate coursework.

Course and program learning expectations should therefore demonstrate appropriate progression in depth, complexity, specialization, and disciplinary expectations as students advance from lower-division to upper-division study and toward completion of the degree.

This progression supports FIU's expectation that undergraduate degree programs provide learning experiences and outcomes appropriate to the content and level of the credential. It is also consistent with expectations that institutional learning goals and outcomes reflect rigor appropriate to both program level and program content.

Program Outcomes (POs) assess important aspects of program effectiveness that are distinct from students' direct demonstration of learning.

Each PO is mapped to the Program and Administrative Outcomes component of FIU’s ILAO Framework using the most relevant domain and outcome area.

The Program and Administrative Outcome domains are:

• Assessment, Planning & Continuous Improvement
• Student Success & Learning Environment
• Workforce & Career Readiness
• Organizational Sustainability & Resource Management
• Human Capital & Workplace Environment
• External Partnerships & Public Impact

POs are also aligned, as applicable, with the FIU Strategic Plan. In addition, POs are identified with Community Engagement, Leadership for Public Purpose, and Sustainability indicators, as applicable, to support institutional data collection for the Carnegie elective classifications pursued by FIU.

Assessment of Program Outcomes

Program Outcomes may address areas such as:

• retention, persistence, and graduation;
• time to degree;
• licensure or certification outcomes;
• employment or continued education;
• student or graduate satisfaction;
• academic advising and student support;
• curriculum or program quality;
• experiential or professional opportunities; or
• other indicators of program effectiveness aligned with the program's mission and priorities.

POs may also include indirect or aggregate indicators related to student learning, such as licensure pass rates that do not provide competency-level results or surveys of students' perceptions of their learning or preparation.

Indirect measures provide complementary information about students' perceptions, experiences, or reflections related to learning. Examples may include surveys, interviews, focus groups, and self-assessments.

Programs should identify POs that provide meaningful information about important aspects of program effectiveness rather than attempting to assess every administrative or operational component of the program.

POs may vary across programs based on program mission, priorities, student populations, disciplinary expectations, and specialized accreditation requirements.

To demonstrate that the rigor and quality of each educational program are consistent regardless of modality, location, or other differentiating factors, FIU assesses student learning and program effectiveness across the methods of delivery (e.g., online, hybrid) and instructional locations (e.g., downtown, FIU I-75) through which undergraduate programs are offered. 

As aggregate results alone may conceal meaningful differences among these groups, disaggregating assessment results by program location and method of delivery enables faculty to determine whether students are achieving the same program learning outcomes across face-to-face, online, hybrid, main-campus, and off-campus offerings. When differences are identified, faculty can evaluate their causes and determine whether targeted curricular, instructional, technological, staffing, or student-support improvements are appropriate. 

Disaggregation does not require programs to establish different learning outcomes for each location or modality. Rather, it provides evidence that common program expectations are being met consistently wherever and however the program is delivered. When subgroup sizes are too small to support a reliable or privacy-protective comparison, the program may document the limitation and combine data across appropriate assessment cycles, with the approval of the Institutional Effectiveness team. 

When separate reporting is required, programs assess the applicable Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) and Program Outcomes (POs) for that method of delivery or instructional location. The same degree program should maintain the same or equivalent program-level learning expectations regardless of method of delivery or instructional location, while the assessment results provide evidence of achievement for the students represented in each report. Assessment methods should also be the same or equivalent, when appropriate, so that achievement of the program's outcomes can be meaningfully evaluated across the ways in which the degree is delivered. Programs should review results across applicable methods of delivery and instructional locations to identify meaningful differences in student learning or program effectiveness and determine whether targeted improvement strategies are warranted. 

This practice also ensures FIU remains in compliance with applicable State of Florida requirements, as separate assessment reporting is required when 50% or more of the required upper-division coursework for an undergraduate degree program is offered through a particular method of delivery or instructional location. 

Separate assessment reporting may therefore apply to:

• Face-to-Face
• Online
• Online LIVE
• Hybrid
• Off-Campus instructional locations, including locations such as FIU at I-75 and Downtown at Brickell
• Offshore programs

Representative Assessment Evidence

When assessment evidence is drawn from selected courses, sections, students, participants, or artifacts, the sample should appropriately represent the methods of delivery and instructional locations included in the assessment. 

Even when separate reporting is not required, programs should avoid relying exclusively on a single section or location when other modalities or locations are part of the program. For example, if an assessed course is offered online, face-to-face, or at multiple locations, the sampling plan should account for those populations as appropriate. 

Programs using sampling should consult FIU's Sampling Guidelines for Assessment for guidance on selecting, documenting, and interpreting samples.

All undergraduate degree programs follow the academic assessment cycle and are required to maintain an assessment plan that provides systematic evidence of student learning and program effectiveness.

Direct and Indirect Measures

SLOs must include direct evidence of student learning. Indirect measures, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, and self-assessments, are incorporated into Program Outcomes when they assess students' perceptions, experiences, preparation, satisfaction, or other indicators of program effectiveness. Indirect measures do not substitute for direct assessment of an SLO. Each measure must include a clearly defined criterion for success indicating the expected level of student achievement, performance, or benchmark.

Specialized and Professional Accreditation

Programs subject to specialized or professional accreditation may align their assessment of student learning with the competency requirements established by their disciplinary accreditor when those requirements differ from FIU's standard minimum of four SLOs.

These programs should assess the competencies, standards, and learning expectations required by the applicable accreditor and provide systematic evidence of student achievement. Programs remain responsible for assessing program effectiveness through POs unless an approved alternative assessment structure addresses FIU's institutional assessment expectations.

Use of Results and Follow-Up

For both SLOs and POs, faculty and program leaders are expected to:

• analyze assessment results in relation to the established criteria for success;

• identify strengths and opportunities for improvement;

• document improvement strategies informed by the findings; and

• follow up on prior strategies to document implementation and, when appropriate, evaluate their effectiveness.