Student Learning Assessment

As part of KU Core Goal recertification, our accreditor, the Higher Learning Commission, requires assessment of student learning based on student artifacts that demonstrate the achievement of learning outcomes associated with each KU Core Goal. The recertification process is being paused for the 23-24 academic year while work is completed to align the KU Core with the Kansas Board of Regent's systemwide general education requirements. However, faculty teaching within the KU Core should continue to collect student artifacts (e.g. assignments, papers, projects, etc.) that demonstrate students are meeting the objectives outlined by each KU Core goal.

Read more about Accreditation

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Please work with instructors to identify graded student work from each course that will be recertified that specifically assesses the learning outcomes from the associated KU Core goal.
  • Selected student work should be summative or work that synthesizes learning over the span of the semester and is already archived digitally.
  • Once the relevant assignment is selected, it is important that every student’s work is submitted versus a sample of artifacts to ensure the Student Learning Assessment Committee has a large enough sample size to achieve statistically significant outcomes.
  • Additional information about submitting the artifacts will be provided when recertification resumes.. Please be advised: Courses will not be recertified if student artifacts are not submitted.
  • The Student Learning Assessment Committee will review an anonymized sample of assignments from the repository of artifacts to assess student learning at the institutional level. You do not need to anonymize work and these activities are not in violation of FERPA per KU’s Office of University Counsel.
  • Scoring will be performed using the Association of American Colleges and Universities VALUE rubrics.  
  • Please note: the Student Learning Assessment Committee is only provided the anonymized student work and does not have the context of the assignment itself or course details.
  • Results will be reported as a percentage of students who attained the learning goal at one of four levels of mastery as defined by the VALUE rubric.
  • No formative feedback will be given to individual instructors/courses.
  • General feedback from the committee, including relevant resources for best practices, will be reported to all instructors.