FAQ and Glossary

Washington and Lee University Accreditation and Institutional Research Academic Program Assessment FAQ and Glossary
Accreditation and Institutional Research

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Group A: Year 1 plan submitted Oct 1, 2025. Currently in data collection.
  • Group B: Year 1 plan due Oct 1, 2026.
  • Group C: Year 1 plan due Oct 1, 2027.

For Group A programs, yes. The assessment plan component of your 2024–25 annual report (submitted October 1, 2025) constitutes your Year 1 plan. You are currently in the data collection phase; Year 2 data report due June 1, 2027.

Previously, programs submitted a complete annual report each October — plan, data, and improvement actions all at once, every year. The triennial cycle separates these phases: a full year to develop a plan, two years to gather meaningful evidence, and a focused Year 3 for analysis and improvement.

Your Year 1 plan must include: (1) Student Learning Outcomes, (2) at least one direct measure per SLO with a quantified target, and (3) supporting instruments (rubrics, etc.) uploaded as attachments. 

The AoL Committee reviews all Year 1 plans and provides written feedback by November 15 (for plans submitted by October 1). For rolling submissions, feedback arrives within the same month. The committee’s role is to support improvement, not to grade or rank your program.

Submit a plan based on your current curriculum, note where major revisions are anticipated, and contact the AoL Committee to discuss how to handle the transition.

Assessment for small programs may look different — capstone reviews evaluated by multiple faculty, portfolio assessments over multiple years, or careful qualitative analysis of a small sample. Contact the AoL Committee to discuss what reasonable assessment looks like for your context.

Programs with an independent work major develop a student-specific plan rather than a program-level plan. See the Registrar’s page on independent work majors.

Glossary

Assurance of Learning (AoL)
The systematic process by which academic programs gather evidence about student learning and use that evidence to improve the curriculum.

AoL Committee
The W&L committee that oversees academic program assessment, reviews plans and reports, and provides feedback to programs.

Curriculum map
A matrix showing where in the program each SLO is introduced (I), reinforced (R), and expected at mastery (M).

Student Artifact
Anything a student produces or that a student can be observed doing.

Direct measure
Evidence of student learning gathered from actual student work. Contrast with indirect measures.

Indirect measure
Evidence gathered from students’ self-reports or perceptions (surveys, focus groups, alumni feedback) rather than from student work.

Performance target
A quantified statement of expected achievement, e.g., “75% of students will score Proficient or above."

Program-level outcome
A learning outcome reflecting accumulated learning across the full major — not achievable in a single course.

Student Learning Outcome (SLO)
A specific, observable, measurable statement describing what students will know or be able to demonstrate upon completing a learning experience.

Triennial cycle
W&L’s three-year assessment structure: Year 1 (plan), Year 2 (collect), Year 3 (analyze and improve).

Year 1 plan
The assessment plan submitted at the cycle’s start: SLOs, measures, performance targets, and supporting instruments.

Year 2 data report
Report submitted at end of Year 2 with assessment data collected during Years 1 and 2.

Year 3 improvement report
Final report describing results analysis, faculty discussion, and specific improvements the program will make.