Assessment

Fitchburg State University Assessment: Assess, Learn, Improve

Fitchburg State University maintains a culture of assessment through collaborative planning, systematic implementation, and rigorous analysis of collected data to make informed decisions that strengthen the learning experiences of students and enhance the operation of the institution.

Assessment Navigation

The University Assessment Research Committee (UARC) sustains and improves the institution’s academic programming, accreditation requirements and overall performance, through a systematic approach to assessing student learning outcomes, student success measures and institutional performance measures.

The UARC’s charge is to work, in collaboration with the Office of Institutional Research and Planning (OIRP), and Academic Departments to:

  • Review, continuously monitor, and facilitate analysis of university-wide data that will improve institutional performance;
  • Facilitate departmental and program level student learning assessment activities that sustain regional (i.e., NECHE) and discipline specific professional accreditation;
  • Facilitate departmental level performance assessment activities that will improve institutional performance (UARC members will be their departmental assessment representatives and assist Chairs in completing assessment reports);
  • Support OIRP research designed to document, measure, and assess the university’s comprehensive and ongoing LAS program, as needed;
  • Identify and recommend assessment-related professional development opportunities for the university community to support the assessment of university programs;
  • Champion assessment culture across the institution and Inform FSU faculty and staff of assessment-related tasks and deadlines critical for the continuous improvement and assessment of programs, departments, colleges, and the University.
  • Review and provide feedback on campus-wide assessment reports (PDF) using a rubric (PDF)

UARC membership reflects constituencies across Academic Affairs in order to promote collaboration, communication, and collegiality regarding university-wide assessment measures. UARC is composed of the following representatives and serve for a two year appointment.

  • Academic Dean (1)
  • Assistant Vice-President for Institutional Research and Planning (1) (Chair)
  • The Director of Assessment (1)
  • Program Area Chair General Education (1)
  • CTL Director (1)
  • One Representative from every Academic Department and the Library (16)

2023-2024 Members    

Andrew Chan
Becky Copper Glenz
Petri Flint
Sean Goodlett
Randy Howe
Cate Kaluzny
Eileen Kirk
Megan Krell
Laurie Link
Pam McCafferty
Connie Strittmatter
Eric Williams

2023-2024 Meeting Dates

November 27, 2023
February 7, 2024
March 6, 2024
April 2, 2024

Find information and guidance for assessment planning and reporting, program review, Watermark Tools, learning outcomes assessment, professional development opportunities and a glossary of assessment terms.

Find our annual curricular and administrative reports from the Division of Academic Affairs. 

Student Affairs has built a comprehensive assessment program to document student learning outside of the classroom and their effectiveness at providing opportunities and services.

Included here is graduate and undergraduate institutional survey data. If you would like this data disaggregated, contact Cate Kaluzny at ckaluzny@fitchburgstate.edu for further assistance. 

Alumni Feedback

Fitchburg State University administers surveys to our alumni at one, three, and five years post-graduation. Here are our most recent results from 2019 and 2020.

Graduating Student Surveys

Fitchburg State University administers a survey to our students upon degree completion. 

NSSE

Fitchburg State University administers the NSSE instrument to our first year students and seniors every other Spring semester.

Campus Climate Survey

Find more on our latest climate survey information.

See all our Accreditations.  

Regional Accreditation

Fitchburg State University is regionally accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). Accreditation of an institution of higher education by NECHE indicates that it meets or exceeds criteria for the assessment of institutional quality periodically applied through a peer review process. An accredited college or university is one of which has available the necessary resources to achieve its stated purpose thorough appropriate educational programs, is substantially doing so, and gives reasonable evidence that it will continue to do so in the foreseeable future.

General inquiries regarding the accreditation status by the NECHE should be directed to the administrative staff of the University. Please contact:

Dr. Patricia Marshall
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs 
pmarsha5@fitchburgstate.edu
978.665.3653

Learn more about Fitchburg State, such as admissions and enrollment data, retention and graduation rates, and the results of our campus climate survey. 

Contact Us

Academic and Administrative Assessment originates in the Office of Institutional Research and Planning (OIRP) where the Director of Assessment is located.