Assessment - Mission & Goals

Mission Statement

The mission of Assessment and Program Evaluation at Stanford is to promote excellence in student learning, educational practices and quality of services by establishing and maintaining a campus culture of self evaluation and improvement at all levels of the institution. Our primary role is to provide guidance and support for all academic departments on campus in assessing change and enhancing best educational practices. These efforts support the University’s mission in preparing students “for personal success and direct usefulness in life” and “promoting the public welfare by exercising an influence on behalf of humanity and civilization.” The team provides support and oversees assessment and evaluation of:

1. student learning outcomes at the program level
2. learning outcomes related to the University's accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)
3. specialized accreditations held by other colleges and individual academic programs

Objectives

Our team’s primary objectives include:

Objective 1

To assist programs in developing academic assessment/evaluation plans, reports, and utilization of data based on student learning outcomes and evaluation findings.

Objective 2

To accumulate, generate, maintain, communicate and disseminate institutional information as a means to promote dialogue across the institution about student learning.

Objective 3

To develop and disseminate best practices for enabling continuous organizational learning and development by having assessment and evaluation materials and workshops organized, available, and appropriately publicized.

Objective 4

To provide timely information to decision makers and planners as they direct and allocate resources that support the institution’s mission.