LRSC Assessment

Assessment

2025-2026 Assessment Plan

Assessment is a systematic process educators use to evaluate, measure, and document student knowledge to improve programs and learning outcomes. Implementing student learning assessment plans is a key component of the Higher Learning Commission’s (HLC) accreditation criteria and assumed practices. As an accredited institution, LRSC commits to clear goals for student learning and effective assessment processes to measure achievement. The college uses assessment information to improve learning and connect assessment with evaluation, planning, and budgeting.

LRSC's assessment plan aligns its assessment strategies at the institution, program, and course levels with its mission and strategic plan. It also aligns with general education objectives and HLC standards of quality. It provides information for faculty, academic administrators, and academic support staff about assessment practices. The goal is to create an assessment culture that promotes reflection, action, and sustained efforts.

Assessment Process

Assessment is a continuous process. Faculty and staff will follow these steps: identify goals and outcomes, develop assessment tools, gather evidence, and analyze results. They will implement changes, document their impact, and report efforts to LRSC stakeholders.

LRSC has identified four levels of assessment: institutional, program, course, and cocurricular. The institutional assessment uses the institution’s goals as the basis for assessment. It answers the overall question of institutional effectiveness; how well is LRSC achieving its mission and goals. Program assessment uses the program’s mission, goals, and outcomes as the basis for assessment. Course assessments are the methods developed by individual faculty based on their teaching approach, students, and learning outcomes. Cocurricular assessment measures the contribution that programs and activities outside of the classroom have on student learning.

Assessment Committee

The Assessment Committee organizes and structures the assessment process. It promotes evaluating goals and outcomes as a means of continuous improvement. The members of the Assessment Committee include:

     Dr. Cindy Brown, Professor of Marketing
     Tammy Riggin, Associate Professor of Fitness Trainer Technician
     Dr. Betsy Bannier, Professor of Chemistry
     April Duchscher, Assistant Professor of Mathematics 
     Dr. Randy Fixen, Professor of Psychology
     Jade Erickstad, Director of Academic Affairs
     Casey Zehrer, Vice President of Student Affairs
     Lloyd Halvorson, Vice President of Academic Affairs - Chair

The committee’s responsibilities are to:

  1. Establish timelines for assessment activities, plans, and reports.
  2. Create procedures and templates for assessment plans and reports.
  3. Oversee implementation of assessment plans by program and individual faculty.
  4. Provide training and consultation with faculty regarding assessment.
  5. Promote campus discussion on assessment.
  6. Coordinate with the Administrative Council and Faculty Senate to develop links between institutional priorities, assessment, program review, and general education.
  7. Disseminate assessment results.


Levels of Assessment

Course Assessment

Course Assessment Report

Course assessment measures the difference between students’ existing knowledge and the intended learning outcomes. The goal of course assessment is to monitor student progress and ensure learning meets expected outcomes. Instructors will analyze the results from course assessments to make curricular changes that will improve teaching and student learning. They will re-assess outcomes to determine the effect those changes had on learning.

Once per academic year, all instructors will complete the Course Assessment Report to address the following:

  1. Identify course objectives and student learning outcomes that are meaningful and measurable.
  2. Align the student learning outcomes with general education goals.
  3. Determine what assessment techniques will be used to measure learning.
  4. Describe the system used to compile and analyze the data.
  5. Identify the changes implemented in the curriculum and/or teaching methods to improve learning.
  6. Detail how the assessment data was used to improve student learning.

Faculty report the results from their assessment to their peers at meetings during fall and spring in-service.

Program Assessment

Program Assessment Report 

Program assessment measures how students are learning as they progress through a specific program. The goals of program assessment are to ensure the program’s mission, goals, and outcomes are met across the curriculum. It also identifies improvements and informs faculty of issues affecting the program and student learning.

Every fall, faculty review their program’s mission and student learning outcomes to ensure alignment with the curriculum and LRSC’s mission. The Program Assessment Report will be completed to address the following:

  1. Identify the program’s mission and goals.
  2. Identify the program’s student learning outcomes.
  3. Discuss the relationship between the program’s goals and LRSC’s mission.
  4. Determine what assessment methods will be used to measure learning.
  5. Describe the system used to compile and analyze the data.
  6. Identify the changes that were or will be implemented to improve student learning.
  7. Detail how the assessment data was used to improve student learning.

Faculty report the results from this assessment to their peers at meetings during fall and spring in-service.

Annual Program Enrollment Report
Every fall semester, the Director of Academic Affairs prepares the Annual Program Enrollment Report. The report details career and technical education enrollment by program and academic division enrollment by subject area. It also includes total students enrolled and credit hours produced by benefitted faculty. 

Programs with fewer than nine full-time students per faculty, and academic departments with fewer than 20, are reviewed as low enrollment. A comprehensive evaluation is conducted.

Low Enrollment Comprehensive Evaluation
Before a program is officially designated low enrollment, the Director of Academic Affairs and program faculty conduct a comprehensive review. The review identifies key indicators of program strength related to enrollment. These indicators may include ending enrollment numbers for the past three terms and verification of all students in the program. They also include changes in program faculty, the budget (excluding salaries and benefits), and courses taught by part-time instructors. Additional indicators are prior marketing efforts, employer partners or the lack thereof, and industry strength and hiring trends.

The Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs shall recommend to the President whether the program is considered low enrollment. This recommendation is made only after the comprehensive review is completed for the current academic year. Faculty in a program officially designated as low enrollment will review their program and complete an action plan for improvement in collaboration with the Director of College Relations, the Director of Student Affairs, and the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs. Programs listed on low enrollment status for two consecutive years will be notified in writing that the program may be considered for restructuring or closure during the next academic year.

LRSC Program Review
LRSC conducts comprehensive program reviews to assess each program’s strengths and identify areas for growth and improvement. In years ending in 3, 6, and 9, the vice president of academic and student affairs, in collaboration with the faculty senate president, appoints a committee to lead the program review process. The program review report is submitted to the faculty senate and administrative council for evaluation, review, and action.

NDCTE Program Review
A program review is completed for each career and technical education (CTE) program. On a five-year rotating schedule, LRSC’s CTE programs are evaluated by North Dakota CTE (NDCTE). The purpose of the review is to ensure the commitment to quality CTE programs, compliance with federal Carl Perkins legislation, and compliance with the North Dakota State Board for CTE policies.

The evaluation process consists of a self-evaluation completed by all CTE program faculty and an on-site evaluation and review. During the on-site evaluation, evaluators meet individually with program faculty to discuss the self-evaluation. The evaluators meet with LRSC administrators, staff, and students. In addition, they review facilities, equipment, and curriculum. The team provides commendations, suggestions, and recommendations for improvement.

Employer Satisfaction Survey
Several CTE programs administer satisfaction surveys to employers of LRSC graduates. The survey measures employer satisfaction with graduates’ knowledge of job responsibilities and expected employee qualities. It also assesses general skills, specialized skills, and work readiness.

Exams, Certification
Students in the American Sign Language, Automotive Technology, Fitness Trainer Technician, Marketing, Information Technology, Precision Agriculture, and Wind Energy Technician programs can choose to take industry certification exams. Faculty report the results of first-time pass rates each year to the Director of Academic Affairs. These exams are often used as a career and technical education program assessments.

Exams, Licensure
The Licensed Practice Nurse, Associate Degree Nurse, and Peace Officer Training programs prepare students to sit for national exams that are required for employment in the industry. Faculty report the results of first-time pass rates each year to the Director of Academic Affairs. These exams are used as career and technical education program assessments.

Placement Rates
The Academic and Students Affairs Program Coordinator calculates job placement rates on an annual basis. The placement rate shows the percentage of program graduates working in their field or pursuing further education. The data is collected six months after the end of the academic year to allow students time to obtain employment.

Cocurricular Assessment

Cocurricular Assessment Report 

Cocurricular assessment refers to improving student learning outside the classroom through activities that support LRSC's curricular programs and institutional goals.

Student learning is not exclusive to the classroom. Many of LRSC’s general education outcome goals are achieved through experiences outside of the classroom. Cocurricular activities at LRSC include: athletics, first-year experience courses, new student orientation, student clubs and organizations, student life and intramurals, and student success services.

Each co-curricular activity has clearly stated student learning outcomes that align with LRSC’s mission and general education goals. The success of these activities is assessed using standardized and custom assessment tools. It is measured through enrollment trends, persistence, retention, and graduation rates.

Once per year, co-curricular supervisors review their activity’s mission and student learning outcomes to ensure alignment with LRSC’s mission. The Cocurricular Assessment Report will be completed to address the following:

  1. Identify the student learning outcomes assessed during the co-curricular activity that were meaningful and measurable.
  2. Specify the General Education Goal(s) assessed during the activity.
  3. Indicate the assessment technique used to measure the success of the activity.
  4. Describe the system used to compile and analyze the data.
  5. Identify the changes that were or will be implemented in the curriculum and /or teaching methods to improve learning.
  6. Detail how the assessment data was used to improve student learning.

Activity supervisors report the results from this assessment to their peers annually, as detailed in their assessment plan.

Institutional Research

Institutional assessment measures LRSC’s effectiveness in achieving general education goals and outcomes that support its mission. The goal of institutional assessment is to utilize continuous methods for the improvement of educational quality and student learning. It is a cyclical process in which faculty and staff plan, assess, and improve student learning through research-based evaluation. The responsibility of institutional assessment rests with the faculty and is supported by LRSC’s administration. Campus planning guides the integration of the strategic plan, linking student learning assessment with evaluation, planning, and budgeting.

General Education Goals Assessment Inventory
Every five years, the faculty assessment committee will report on the general education goals assessed throughout the academic year. This institution-wide assessment will identify goals needing further evaluation and those being evaluated thoroughly. It will also provide evidence that graduates have achieved the intended general education curriculum.

Student Self-Assessment
In spring 2019, a survey was conducted for liberal arts graduates or students with 30+ credits who were transferring. It is administered every fall and spring semester on the Learning Management System Blackboard to these students. The survey was constructed based on the essential learning outcomes (ELO) that the State General Education Council adopted in 2016. Students are provided with a definition of the ELO. They then rate themselves from 1 (low) to 5 (high) on how well they demonstrate that outcome. Students then provide examples of how they demonstrated that outcome while attending LRSC.

At academic division meetings during faculty in-service, faculty review student input and discuss areas needing improvement. They also plan curricular changes to support improvement.

Multiple Delivery Modes, Consistent Outcomes
In 2015, LRSC joined HLC's Assessment Academy and launched a project to assess student learning in English, math, and science. The project evaluated whether learning was consistent across different delivery methods.

The project has three clear outcomes. First, to demonstrate the extent of consistency in achieving the predetermined course outcomes across delivery modes. To achieve this, instructors of the same general education courses using different delivery modes collaborate within their departments. They work together to develop and administer a common course assessment. Instructors then collaborate in interpreting the resulting data and correcting possible inconsistencies on a semester-by-semester basis. Assessment results are analyzed for both reliability and validity. Instructors continuously update assessment tools and rubrics to ensure they measure student learning in each general education course.

Second, is to provide evidence of student learning. The project intends to show that courses provide equal rigor regardless of delivery mode. To achieve this outcome, the assessment team will conduct a comprehensive analysis of the resulting data.

Third, participation in the Multiple Delivery Modes, Consistent Outcomes: Assessing Student Learning project will be documented over time. Instructors will meet to evaluate their assessment method and use the results to improve each individual course. Part-time instructors will work closely with full-time faculty to create more consistent instruction among courses. Ideally, this would lead to improved communication across disciplines as a culture of assessment begins to form. We add general education courses from new departments to the project each semester. This helps strengthen institution-wide perceptions of the value of student assessment.

Persistence, Retention, and Graduation Rates
The persistence, retention, and graduation rates for varying cohorts are calculated as measures of student success. LRSC reports these rates using guidelines from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and Student Achievement Measure (SAM). Since IPEDS and SAM cover only a small student population, LRSC has implemented additional "homegrown" strategies. These strategies calculate persistence, retention, and graduation rates for all degree-seeking students and specific cohorts. These strategies are published on the institutional research page of the LRSC website.

CCSSE
The Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) provides information on student engagement. Student engagement is a key indicator of learning and the quality of community colleges. The survey assesses institutional practices and student behaviors strongly correlated with learning and retention. It serves as an outcome measure for various institutional and co-curricular assessments.