Assessment

West Chester University is committed to providing a full, liberal education for our students. We have identified six qualities we want students to exhibit when they graduate:

• Communicate effectively
• Employ quantitative concepts and mathematical methods
• Think critically and analytically
• Demonstrate the sensibilities, understandings, and perspectives of a person educated in the liberal-arts tradition
• Respond thoughtfully to diversity
• Make informed decisions and ethical choices

We assess General Education in three ways: by analyzing student work, syllabi review, and analysis by departments who teach the courses. We currently assess two goals every two years.

General Education Program Assessment Results

Curriculum and Academic Policies Council (CAPC) Homepage

Part of West Chester University's mission is to provide an environment of multicultural awareness and tolerance. This also relates to the general education goal for students to "respond thoughtfully to diversity." We believe that every student, faculty member, and employee has the right to feel comfortable on campus, so we must assess how diverse and safe each of the above feels West Chester University is. The Campus Climate Advisory Committee was tasked with creating a survey that would quantitatively and qualitatively assess how members of West Chester University felt about the campus. In 2010, the survey was implemented.

Campus Climate Survey Results

In April 2010, over 4800 respondents took the Campus Climate Survey, a vast majority being undergraduate students. Students were asked over a hundred questions on how they felt about the university, including whether or not they had been a victim of prejudice.

In terms of how West Chester University involves students, most of the respondents agreed that the university provides many opportunities to engage students.

Diversity is an issue that West Chester University takes seriously, and the Campus Climate Survey illuminated issues that must be addressed. Compared to other higher education institutions, West Chester University showed a more tolerant campus climate as reported on the survey. Of course, the university seeks to improve its campus climate by offering a number of workshops and meetings designed to increase tolerance and understanding between all members of the institution.

Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE)

The Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE) was designed to complement the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), which is administered to undergraduate students. The faculty version focuses on:

• Faculty perceptions of how often students engage in different activities.
• The importance faculty place on various areas of learning and development.
• The nature and frequency of faculty-student interactions.
• How faculty members organize their time, both in and out of the classroom.

The FSSE is designed to measure faculty expectations for student engagement in educational practices that are empirically linked with high levels of learning and development. Learn more about the FSSE.

National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)

The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) annually collects information at hundreds of four-year colleges and universities about student participation in programs and activities that institutions provide for their learning and personal development. The results provide an estimate of how undergraduates spend their time and what they gain from attending college.

Beginning College Student Survey of Engagement (BCSSE)