Assessment Cycle Characteristics

Regardless of whether the assessment cycle is annual or periodic and regardless of operational/administrative goal or student learning outcome, the basic steps to the cycle are similar (see graphic below).  The results from the assessment plan for each cycle should inform the selection of, planned data collection, and reporting of goals or outcomes for the following cycle in order to demonstrate that the institution is seeking continuous improvement.  

The timeframe of the cycle can be annual, multiple years, or periodic such as 5-year or 10-year, depending on the level of the organization, the goal or outcome timeframe, or the length of an initiative.  Regardless of the timeframe of the cycle, annual reporting of progress is expected.

Annual documentation of the assessment cycle is collected from responsible parties annually (see Introduction).  Please review the Annual Reporting Requirements, Timeline, and Help sections for more information. 

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