Academic Assessment - University of South Florida

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Our Mission

The mission of the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment at USF is to promulgate good assessment and data analysis practices across all programs at the university and to align these activities with other quality improvement initiatives to include the Strategic Plan, program review, annual reporting, institutional research, and all requirements of the Board of Governors (BOG) and external accrediting agencies. However, the primary purpose of the office remains the continuous improvement of student performance by providing faculty and staff with methodologically sound information regarding student learning and program planning in areas targeted by the curriculum so that programmatic adjustments may be made most effectively.

This represents an ongoing effort at USF and is linked to the broader enterprise of continuous quality improvement. External forces have shaped the direction of and impetus for data analysis and assessment over the past decade including the planning and evaluation requirements of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and new requirements by the BOG for the development of general-education competencies by each undergraduate academic program at public institutions of higher education. The BOG requires all undergraduate programs at public institutions assess on an ongoing basis learning outcomes in three competency areas known as Academic Learning Compacts (ALC): critical thinking, written communication skills, and knowledge in the major.

Important Links

Graduate Assessment Plan Rating Scale

Undergraduate Assessment Plan Rating Scale

Scanning Services

Online Student Rating of Instruction

Student Rating of Instruction Schedule