Section 2: The Assessment Process at MC: Types of Assessment at Montgomery College

General Education Outcomes Assessment

Teacher giving instruction at a whiteboard in a classroom

General Education is often referred to as “Gen Ed” for short. Gen Ed Outcomes Assessment is the process that examines student acquisition of General Education competencies across all courses that are certified as General Education. Gen Ed course competencies data are gathered by area according to the course assessment plan and reported in both the Year-3 Integrated Report and the College Area Review (CAR).

These courses are designated as Foundation courses (ENGF, MATF) or Distribution courses (ARTD, BSSD, HUMD, NSDL, NSNL). General Education courses can also be designated as a General Education Institutional Requirement (GEIR), or General Education Elective (GEEL). The General Education Program (encompassing all Gen Ed courses) also undergoes assessment as a collegewide special academic program.

Program Outcomes Assessment

Program Outcomes Assessment refers to the process that examines student attainment of an academic program's expected student learning outcomes (SLO's) for the purpose of discovering what is working well and where improvements can be made to increase student learning and success. Program data are gathered according to the program’s assessment plan and reported in both the Year-3 Integrated Report and the CAR.

Administrative Assessment & Special Programs

This category includes administrative areas or special programs such as the Learning Centers, WDCE, or the MC Library. Administrative assessment examines an area’s success with achieving outcomes and institutional priorities. For a complete list of these programs, see the detailed description of Administrative Review in Section 4.

College Area Review (CAR)

Employees reviewing documents at a computer

The CAR is a report that is completed every 6 years and examines the current alignment and relevance of an MC program, discipline, or academic area (see terms); it also examines each program, discipline, or

academic area’s success with retaining and/or matriculating students and its overall contributions to collegewide goals.

The CAR is conducted as a macro-level, holistic, self-examination; it is intended to promote the understanding that every discipline, program, or academic area acts as an interconnected part to the college as a whole, thereby playing an integral role in the success of the college mission and strategic goals.

Program Viability Review

If program enrollments or completion rates fall below college standards, a Program Viability Report may be initiated. The Program Viability Report is intended to support the continuation of programs facing challenges and to determine the best of course of action moving forward.