From Outcomes to Action in IE Partnerships: Methods for Program Improvement

Session Abstract: Tired of one-size-fits-all assessment? At Nevada State University, the Institutional Research (IR) and Assessment offices partnered with faculty to build individualized, program-level assessment that informs action. Assessment guided outcome revision and course maps, while IR provided program-facing data pulls, dashboards, and professional development to make evidence usable for faculty. Over two years, this partnership evolved program assessment into a faculty-driven process that improves student outcomes. In this session, participants will learn the rationale and process for individualized program-level assessment, see how IR and Assessment roles complement one another, and review examples of data-informed practices. Participants will be able to describe essentials of LMS (Canvas)-outcomes tracking, identify faculty-friendly data visualization practices, reflect on institution-level impacts, and outline pragmatic steps to strengthen assessment on their own campuses.

Keywords: Institutional Research, Program-Level Assessment, LMS/Canvas Outcomes, Data-informed decision-making