Outcomes Assessment and Planning

Miramar College has adopted a three-year cycle for both its Program Review process and the assessment of Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) and Support/Service Unit Outcomes (SUOs) at the course, program, support and service unit level.  Outcomes Assessment is on a three year cycle.  The focus of the 2021-2024 plan is on quality assessment and supporting faculty and staff in the quality assessment process.  In an effort to focus on quality assessment and increase opportunities to support faculty and staff, in 2021, a campus wide Program Review and Outcomes Assessment Committee was formed under Planning and Institutional Effectiveness and a newly conceived Program Review and Outcomes Facilitator position was added as well.

As an ACCJC accredited institution, Miramar College is committed to quality in its efforts to collect and analyze assessment data.  Miramar assesses at the institutional level (ISLO) and SLOs & SUOs at the program, course, support and service unit levels.  The results of the assessments are used to inform instruction, to aid in quality improvement and to provide validation to internal and external constituencies on the achievement of the College’s mission and Institutional Learning Outcomes (ISLOs).  The Dean of Planning, Research and Institutional Effectiveness, the Program Review and Outcomes Assessment Facilitator and the Program Review and Outcomes Committee function together to achieve these goals.

As an institution, Miramar College is committed to student success and evaluating students' experiences both inside and outside the classroom. Outcomes assessment serves to impact continuous quality improvement of services, courses and programs which help to inform the overall college-wide planning framework. 

Miramar's Mission Statement

San Diego Miramar College's mission is to prepare students to succeed by providing quality instruction and services in an environment that supports and promotes success, diversity, inclusion, and equity with innovative programs and partnerships to facilitate student completion for degrees/certificates, transfer, workforce training, and/or career advancement.

Miramar's 2020-2027 Strategic Goals & Plans

• Pathways – Provide student-centered pathways that are responsive to change and focus on student learning, equity, and success
• Engagement-Enhance the college experience by providing student-centered programs, curriculum, services, and activities that close achievement gaps, engage students, and remove barriers to their success
• Organizational Health -Strengthen Institutional Effectiveness through planning, outcomes assessment, and program review processes in efforts to enhance data-informed decision making
• Relationship Cultivation - Build and sustain a college culture that strengthens participatory governance, equity efforts, and community partnerships
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) - Build an environment that embraces diversity, equity, inclusion, anti-racism, and social justice for the benefit of the college community.

Assessment Plan Process

The process of outcomes assessment is a continuous process to measure knowledge, skills, and abilities which in turn helps programs, courses, and services focus on continuous quality improvement.  Assessment provides answers to the following : (ASU University Office of Evaluation and Educational Effectiveness)

• What do students need to know to successfully graduate?
• What do graduates need to know to be successful professionals?
• What programmatic changes can be made to continuously improve quality, increase student success, and build required knowledge and skill sets for program completion?

The results of asking these questions:

• Strengthen programs and service areas
• Students can better articulate and apply knowledge inside and outside class
• Students know what is expected and how it will be evaluated

Three Year Assessment Cycle Timeline

The table below provides a visual example of both assessment activities and program review activities that will occur during a three year cycle.  Each course, program, and service area, must be assessed at least once during the three year period.  

ID:  Instructional Division
SS:  Student Services
ISS:  Instructional Support Services

Developing an Effective SLO/SUO