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Frequently Asked Questions about Institutional Effectiveness

This section provides answers to common questions about the processes and practices that ensure the effectiveness of our institution.

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Questions from the Assessment Database

This section highlights key questions from our Assessment Database, designed to guide the evaluation and improvement of academic programs, services, and administrative functions.

Click here to go to Nuventive Improve. Use your webID as your username and webID password.

Click on the “Reports” tab in Nuventive Improve. Use the “Assessment Plan” report to see the Outcomes, Means of Assessment and Criteria for Excellence. See View Existing Plans for options to select. Use the “Unit Assessment Report – Four Column” report to see the plan, results, and uses of results. See View Existing Reports for options to select.

Please do NOT delete or modify previous information stored in Nuventive Improve. This database is used to demonstrate each unit’s current and history of assessment. Instead simply add a new outcome, means of assessment or result. For older outcomes, edit the status to “not currently assessing” or “no longer an outcome”. For previous means of assessment, mark as inactive (i.e., uncheck box next to “active”). Leave older results in the database.

Click the green plus symbol (“+”) by the means of assessment you would like to add a result from the results tab.  Provide a summary of the data in the box provided, mark whether the criterion was met, and the status of the use of results.  

Questions from the Assessment Cycle

This section features key questions from the assessment cycle, aimed at guiding the ongoing evaluation and enhancement of academic programs, services, and administrative processes.

Consult the list below to find your program. 

A

Accountancy, BAccy Multi-site ~ A
Accountancy, MAccy and Taxation, MTx Multi-site ~ B
Accountancy, PhD ~ B
Accountancy and Data Analytics, MACDA ~ B
Accounting ~ B
Admissions ~ B
African American Studies, BA ~ A
Air & Space Law, Graduate Certificate ~ A
Air & Space Law, LLM ~ A
Allied Health Studies, BA ~ B
Alumni Affairs ~ B
Anthropology, BA ~ B
Anthropology, MA ~ B
Applied Gerontology, BS ~ B
Arabic, BA ~ B
Art History, BA ~ A
Art, BA ~ A
Art, BFA ~ A
Art, MFA ~ A

B

Banking & Finance, BBA ~ A
Biochemistry, BA ~ B
Biological Sciences, BA/BS ~ A
Biological Sciences, MS ~ A
Biological Sciences, PhD ~ A
Biomedical Engineering, BS ~ A
Bursar ~ A
Business Administration, MBA Online ~ A
Business Administration, MBA Oxford Campus ~ A
Business Administration, PhD ~ A

C

Campus Mail Service ~ A
Campus Recreation ~ B
Career Center ~ B
Center for Archeological Research ~ B
Center for Biodiversity and Conservation Research ~ A
Center for Excellence in Literacy Instruction ~ B
Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning ~ A
Center for Health and Sports Performance ~ A
Center for Health Behavior Research ~ A
Center for Inclusion and Cross Cultural Engagement ~ B
Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship ~ A
Center for Intelligence & Security Studies ~ A
Center for Manufacturing Excellence ~ B
Center for Math/Science Education ~ B
Center for Multi-messenger Astrophysics ~ B
Center for Population Studies ~ B
Center for Research Evaluation ~ B
Center for Student Success and First-Year Experience ~ B
Center for the Study of Southern Culture ~ A
Center for Water and Wetland Resources and University Field Station ~ A
Chemical Engineering, BSChE ~ A
Chemistry, BA ~ B
Chemistry, BS ~ B
Chemistry, DA ~ B
Chemistry, MS ~ B
Chemistry, PhD ~ B
Chinese, BA ~ B
Cinema Studies Minor ~ B
Civil Engineering, BSCE ~ B
Classics, BA ~ B
College of Liberal Arts – Office of the Dean ~ B
Communication Sciences & Disorders, BS ~ A
Communication Sciences & Disorders, MS ~ A
Computer Science, BA/BSCS ~ A
Conflict Resolution and Student Conduct ~ B
Contractual Services ~ A
Counselor Education Clinic for Outreach & Personal Enrichment ~ B
Counselor Education, Eds – Play Therapy Track, Online ~ B
Counselor Education, MEd Multi-site ~ B
Counselor Education, PhD ~ B
Creative Writing, MFA ~ A
Criminal Justice, BSCJ Multi-site ~ A
Criminal Justice, MCJ Multi-site ~ A
Curriculum and Instruction, EdS ~ B
Curriculum and Instruction, MEd – Elementary Education, Multi-site ~ A
Curriculum and Instruction, MEd – Secondary Education, Multi-site ~ A
Curriculum and Instruction, MEd – Special Education, Multi-site ~ A

D

Department of Writing and Rhetoric ~ B
Dietetics & Nutrition, BS ~ A
Documentary Expression & Southern Studies, MFA ~ B

E

Early Childhood Education, BA ~ B
Early Childhood Education, MEd ~ B
East Asian Studies, Minor ~ B
Economics, BA/BBA ~ B
Economics, BS ~ B
Economics, MA/PhD ~ B
Education, EdD – Educational Leadership ~ B
Education, EdD – Elementary ~ B
Education, EdD – Higher Education ~ B
Education, EdD – Math Education ~ B
Education, PhD – Educational Leadership ~ B
Education, PhD – Secondary Education ~ A
Education, PhD – Special Education ~ A
Educational Leadership, MEd/EdS Multi-site ~ B
Electrical Engineering, BSEE ~ A
Elementary Education, BAEd Multi-site ~ A
Engineering, BSE ~ B
Engineering Science, BE ~ B
Engineering Science, MS ~ B
Engineering Science, PhD ~ B
English, BA ~ A
English, MA ~ A
English, PhD ~ A
Entrepreneurship, BBA ~ A
Environmental Studies, Minor ~ B
Equal Opportunity & Regulatory Compliance ~ A
Exercise Science, BSES ~ B
Exercise Science, MSES ~ B

F

Facilities Management ~ B
Facilities Planning ~ B
FASTrack ~ A
Financial Aid ~ B
Food & Nutrition Services, MS ~ B
Food Services / Ole Miss Dining Services ~ A
Forensic Chemistry, BS ~ B
Fraternal Leadership & Learning ~ B
French, BA ~ B

G

Gender Studies, Graduate Certificate ~ A
Gender Studies, Minor ~ A
General Business, BBA ~ A
Geological Engineering, BSGE ~ A
Geology, BSG ~ A
German, BA ~ B
Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts ~ A
Global Engagement-Intensive English ~ B
Global Engagement-International Programs ~ A
Global Engagement-Study Abroad ~ B
Graduate Center for the Study of Early Learning ~ A
Graduate Minor in Applied Statistics (GMAS) ~ B
Graduate School – Office of the Dean ~ B
Grisham – McLean Institute for Public Service and Community Engagement ~ A
Grisham Law Library ~ A

H

Health & Kinesiology, PhD ~ B
Health & Physical Education, BAEd ~ B
Health Professions Advising Office ~ B
Health Promotion, MS ~ B
Higher Education – Student Personnel, MA – Multi-site ~ B
Higher Education, PhD ~ B
History BA ~ B
History MA ~ B
History PhD ~ B
Hospitality Management, BS ~ A
Human Resources ~ A

I

ID Center ~ A
Insight Park ~ A
Institute for Child Nutrition ~ A
Institutional Research, Effectiveness, and Planning ~ A
Integrated Marketing Communications, BS Multi-site ~ A
Integrated Marketing Communications, MS Multi-site ~ A
Intelligence and Security Studies, Minor ~ A
Intercollegiate Athletics – Academics ~ A
Intercollegiate Athletics – Compliance ~ A
Intercollegiate Athletics – External Relations ~ A
Intercollegiate Athletics – Finance & Administration ~ A
Intercollegiate Athletics – Sports Health ~ A
Interdisciplinary Studies, MA/MS ~ A
Internal Audit ~ A
International Studies, BA ~ A

J

Jamie Whitten National Center for Physical Acoustics ~ A
JHS Vanguard Center at Oxford ~ A
Journalism, BAJ ~ B
Journalism, MA – Academic ~ B
Journalism, MA – Professional ~ B

L

Landscape Services ~ B
Law, JD ~ A
Law Studies, BS – Multi-site ~ A
Linguistics, BA ~ B
Literacy Education, MEd, Multi-site ~ B
Luckyday Success Program ~ B


M

Magazine Innovation Center ~ A
Management Information Systems, BBA Multi-site ~ A
Management, BBA Multi-site ~ A
Managerial Finance, BBA Multi-site ~ A
Marketing and Corporate Relations BBA ~ A
Marketing, BBA Multi-site ~ A
Mathematics, BA/BS ~ A
Mathematics, MA/MS ~ B
Mathematics, PhD ~ B
Mechanical Engineering, BSME ~ A
Medical Technology, BS ~ A
Medieval Studies Graduate Minor ~ A
Medieval Studies Minor ~ A
Mississippi Judicial College ~ A
Mississippi Law Research Institute ~ A
Mississippi Mineral Resources Institute ~ B
Mississippi Small Business Development Center ~ B
Modern Languages, MA – Languages ~ B
Modern Languages, MA – Linguistics ~ B
Modern Languages, MA – TESL, Multi-site ~ B
Multidisciplinary Studies, BA ~ A
Music, BA/BM ~ A
Music, MM – Choral Conducting ~ A
Music, MM – Education ~ A
Music, MM – Performance ~ A
Music, PhD ~ A


N

National Center for Computational Hydroscience & Engineering ~ B
National Institute for Undersea Science and Technology ~ A
Neuroscience Minor ~ B
North MS Educational Consortium ~ A
Nutrition and Hospitality Management, PhD ~ B

O

Office of General Council ~ B
Office of Global Engagement ~ A
Office of Information Technology ~ A
Office of Leadership & Advocacy – B
Office of National Scholarship Advisement ~ A
Office of Research and Sponsored Programs ~ A
Office of Sustainability ~ A
Ole Miss Bookstore ~ A
Outreach-Academic Outreach ~ B
Outreach-Business and Finance ~ B
Outreach-College Programs ~ B
Outreach-Creative Services and Marketing ~ B
Outreach-Desoto Center ~ B
Outreach-Grenada Programming ~ B
Outreach-Events and Services ~ B
Outreach-Pre-College Programs ~ B
Outreach-Professional Development and Lifelong Learning ~ B
Outreach-Special Sessions ~ B
Outreach-UM at Tupelo/Booneville ~ B

P

Parking & Transportation Services ~ A
Pharmaceutical Sciences, BS ~ A
Pharmaceutical Sciences, MS – BioMolecular Sciences ~ B
Pharmaceutical Sciences, MS – Pharmaceutics ~ B
Pharmaceutical Sciences, MS – Pharmacy Administration ~ B
Pharmaceutical Sciences, PhD – BioMolecular Sciences ~ B
Pharmaceutical Sciences, PhD – Pharmaceutics ~ B
Pharmaceutical Sciences, PhD – Pharmacy Administration ~ B
Pharmacy, PharmD ~ B
Philosophy, BA ~ B
Philosophy, MA ~ B
Physical Education, BAE ~
Physics, BA/BS ~ A
Physics, MA/MS/PhD ~ B
Political Science, BA ~ B
Political Science, MA ~ B
Political Science, PhD ~ B
Procurement Services ~ B
Professional Writing, Minor ~ A
Program Evaluation, Graduate Certificate ~ B
Psychology, BA ~ B
Psychology, PhD – Clinical ~ B
Psychology, PhD – Experimental ~ B
Public Health and Health Science, BS
Public Policy Leadership, BA ~ B

R

Real Estate, BBA ~ A
Registrar ~ A
Religious Studies, BA ~ B
Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences ~ A
Rhetoric, BA ~
Risk Management & Insurance, BBA ~ A

S

Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College ~ A
Sarah Isom Center for Women’s Studies ~ A
School of Accountancy – Office of the Dean ~ B
School of Applied Sciences – Office of the Dean ~ B
School of Business Administration – Office of the Dean ~ A
School of Education – Office of the Dean ~ B
School of Engineering – Office of the Dean ~ B
School of Journalism – Office of the Dean ~ B
School of Law & Law Center – Office of the Dean ~ B
School of Pharmacy – Office of the Dean ~ B
Second Language Studies, PhD ~ B
Secondary Education, BAEd Multi-site ~ A
Social Welfare, PhD ~ B
Social Work, BSW Multi-site ~ B
Social Work, MSW ~ B
Society and Health, Minor ~ B
Sociology, BA ~ B
Sociology, MA ~ B
Southern Studies, BA ~ B
Southern Studies, MA ~ B
Spanish, BA ~ B
Special Education Emotional Disability, Certificate ~ A
Special Education Gifted Endorsement, Certificate ~ A
Special Education, BAEd ~ A
Speech & Hearing Clinic ~ A
Sport and Recreation Administration, BASRA~ B
Sports & Recreation Administration, MASRA ~ B
Student Disability Services ~ B
Student Housing ~ B
Student Media ~ A
Student Union ~ B

T

Taxation and Data Analytics, MTDA ~ B
Teaching, MA ~ B
Teaching, MA – Teacher Corps ~ B
Telecommunications ~ A
TESL, Certificate ~ B
The Ole Miss Golf Course ~ B
Theatre Arts, BA ~ A
Theatre Arts, BFA ~ A

U

University & Public Events ~ A
University Airport ~ A
University Communications ~ A
University Counseling Center ~ B
University Development ~ A
University Flight Department ~ A
University Health Services ~ B
University Libraries ~ B
University Museum & Historical Houses ~ B
University of Mississippi Clinical-Disaster Research Center ~ B
University of Mississippi Nutrition Clinic ~ A
University Studies, BUS ~ A
University Police & Campus Safety ~ B

W

Willie Price University Nursery School ~ B
World Class Teaching Program ~ A
Writing Center ~ A

February 15 – every other year. The University Assessment Committee begins reviewing assessment plans after February 15th each spring. In even years, cycle B plans are critiqued. In odd calendar years, cycle A plans are reviewed.

October 15 – every other year. The University Assessment Committee begins reviewing assessment plans after October 15th each fall. In even years, cycle A reports are critiqued. In odd calendar years, cycle B reports are reviewed.

You may collect data throughout the assessment cycle. You must collect data for each of the active means of assessment at least once during the 2-year period.

We recommend that the faculty or staff review the results near the end of each academic or fiscal year. This gives the unit time to implement the improvement prior to submitting the report every other October. You must have improvement plans for each means of assessment for which the criterion for excellence was not met. Additionally, across all of the current means of assessment there must be at least one ‘use of results’.

Questions from the Assessment Basics

This section provides foundational questions that guide the essential steps of the assessment process.

The primary purpose of assessment is to systematically improve the quality of student learning, teaching, research, service, and processes at UM. We use our assessment process to demonstrate to our regional accrediting body, SACSCOC, that we are in compliance with a core requirement and several comprehensive standards required for accreditation. To ensure our compliance, every degree program and every unit on campus must provide evidence of improvement based on assessment results.

We recommend assessing 3 to 5 outcomes at any given time. For academic programs, three types of outcomes are recommended (2 Student Learning outcomes, 2 Educational Program outcomes, and 1 Student Achievement outcome).  For non-academic programs, the required 3 outcomes can range from a general statement of a current service (e.g., The assessment portion of the IREP website meets the needs of the UM Community) to statements of what you expect clients to know, think or be able to do as a result of the service (e.g., Participants demonstrate good assessment planning).

The means of assessment is the way that the faculty and staff know they are achieving a particular outcome. We recommend that each outcome have at least two means of assessment, at least one of which should directly measure the outcome. By that, we mean, instead of asking a student or client how well they learned something, ask questions that test their knowledge.

A course grade is made up a variety of components, including student performance. Some of the components of a grade may have very little to do with a specific outcome (e.g., attendance rarely relates directly to an outcome). Additionally, most courses help students develop several of the program outcomes. This variety of components makes course grades a poor choice for a means of assessment. However, please note, courses offer many opportunities to collect student artifacts and to embed questions for assessment purposes. These means of assessment often provide faculty with excellent information on which to base improvements.

As all graduates must pass these required components of the degree program, such assessments do not provide data that will likely point faculty to potential improvements. Faculty can however use item or component analyses to include comprehensive exams, thesis, and dissertations in the assessment plan. Faculty may develop a rubric with multiple levels of performance (e.g., pass with distinction, acceptable/pass, or unacceptable/fail) and multiple components (e.g., writing style, knowledge). The faculty would then examine the percent of students who pass with distinction for each component related to the outcome. For comprehensive exam questions that are graded as correct or incorrect, faculty may examine the percent of students correctly answering a particular question related to an outcome.

Student learning outcomes are general statements of what you expect students to know, think, or be able to do when they complete the program (e.g., Graduates demonstrate professional presentation skills).  The means of assessment should include direct examination of student work (e.g., papers, tests, presentations). At least two student learning outcomes are needed for each assessment plan.

Student Achievement outcomes are general statements about the accomplishments of students who complete the program (e.g., Graduates will work secure or post-graduate placements in the field; Students will pass the state licensing examination; Students publish research or make presentations at professional meetings).  The means of assessment can include data from licensing boards, surveys (e.g., graduating student survey, alumni survey), information about scholarship produced by students, number of students who enroll in graduate/professional programs, and/or surveys of employers. At least one student achievement outcome is needed for each assessment plan.

Educational Program outcomes are general statements about the quality of the program (e.g., The program attracts and retains quality students, The program has an appropriate graduation rate, The program’s curriculum is appropriate for the degree, Students engage in scholarship and/or internships, Students are satisfied with the educational program, The program provides effective advising).  The means of assessment can include data from Institutional Research & Assessment (e.g., enrollment trends; retention and graduation rate data) and other sources (e.g., faculty activity report, graduating student survey), examination of the program by external reviewers, evidence that students have scholarly or professional student experiences, and/or surveys of faculty or students (e.g., student satisfaction). At least two educational program outcomes are needed for each assessment plan.