What Do We Mean by Assessment?
In higher education today, the term "assessment" has come to mean much more than "grades" or "tests." In the words of one researcher, assessment, as it is understood by most in higher education today, is "the measurement of the educational impact of an institution on its students" (Terenzini, 1989).
The goal of the assessment process is the improvement of all institutional practices that affect student learning and development. Institutions that are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, as Concordia is, are required to document and provide evidence for the teaching and assessment practices that lead to improved learning. Colleges and universities are increasingly turning to technological tools to support and manage those documentation efforts. Concordia uses eLumen as its assessment management system. eLumen is a database that stores, aggregates, organizes, and allows for the management of assessment data.
"The key purposes of assessment are to ask important questions about student learning, to get some meaningful information on these questions, and to use the information for academic improvement." --Rossman & El-Khawas, 1987
Accreditations for Concordia University
Concordia University, Saint Paul, is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). The University has been accredited since 1967, and will apply for reaffirmation of accreditation in 2017-18.
Higher Learning Commission, www.hlcommission.org
Some individual programs at Concordia are also accredited by their professional organizations. Please view these accreditations in the Academic Catalog.