Reporting

Externally Accredited Academic Programs

As per Academic Policy 01.06.003, an externally accredited academic program may substitute the section of the accreditation report pertaining to the assessment of SLOs, as long as the academic unit meets all of the ongoing data collection and analysis and reporting requirements of the policy. Depending on the timing and duration of the external accreditation, the academic program may be required to supplement the accreditation data and report to meet the ongoing reporting requirements of the policy.

Specifically, if external accreditation materials are to be used in the institutional program assessment process, the following materials must be submitted in Xitracs:

1. A current schedule for assessment (PDF);
2. An annual letter or notification that certifies data have been collected and analyzed per the defined schedule for assessment (loaded into the Additional Narrative section of the Xitracs report);
3. The section of the accreditation report pertaining to the assessment of SLOs (loaded into the Additional Narrative section of the Xitracs report).

If the section of the accreditation report includes all required components according to Academic Policy 01.06.003 (defined outcomes and measures, data collected and analyze annually, and improvements or changes made based on the analysis), then the above submission is considered sufficient for compliance with UGA’s policy. If any of the key components are not included in the accreditation report, than the program must provide it as supplemental materials to the submission.

UGA uses Xitracs (pronounced “Zie-tracks”) as the software tool for reporting on learning outcomes assessment. Xitracs replaced the Academic Planning System, which was used for assessment reporting through 2016.

As outlined in Academic Policies 01.06.003 and 01.06.001, all academic programs and Academic and Student Support Services units must have an assessment plan and collect data on at least two of their outcomes annually. To facilitate this requirement, the Xitracs tool organizes both the plan and report information into one form.

This form includes places for the following:

• Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs),
• Description of the methods used to assess the extent to which the SLOs are met,
• A schedule for conducting assessment of the SLOs,
• Data collected and analyzed annually, and
• Evidence of improvement based on that data.

To access the Xitracs portal, use your UGA MyID and password at the following link: http://uga.xitracs.net/portal.htm

The deadline for annual LOA reporting is October 1.

Tutorials

Below are brief tutorials for key components of the system:

• Portal User Manual/Xitracs Overview: PDF | Video
• How to Enter  or Edit your Outcomes into the System: PDF | Video
• How to Map your Schedule for Assessment: PDF | Video
• How to Enter Content into the Report: PDF | Video
• How to Copy Information from the Previous Cycle to the Current Cycle: PDF | Video

If you have questions about the Xitracs tool or access issues, please contact Katie Burr at [email protected].

Feedback on assessment reports comes in multiple ways and from multiple sources.

Annual Feedback

The Office of Assessment provides feedback annually on any reports submitted. Assessment staff will also follow up with any programs who do not submit annual reports.

Academic Program Review Feedback

As part of the seven-year academic program review conducted by the University Council Program Review and Assessment Committee (PRAC), a faculty review team will evaluate the most recent three years of assessment reporting and provide feedback to the program on assessment practice. Typically, one member of the four-person faculty review team will receive specialized training in assessment evaluation by Office of Assessment and will lead the team’s efforts.

Both the annual feedback and academic program review feedback are provided using this Program Assessment Good Practices Rubric.

Informal Feedback

If your program would benefit from off-cycle feedback on existing or emerging assessment practice, you can request assistance from Dr. Katie Burr, Director of Assessment, at [email protected].

Purpose of Feedback

All feedback is formative—intended to help program faculty improve the usefulness and efficiency of assessment in future cycles. The criteria used as the basis for feedback are derived from the commonly held good practices in learning outcomes assessment as defined by the American Association for Higher Education (2004):

• Programs should have clearly defined, measurable, intended learning outcomes that focus on knowledge, skills, and competencies appropriate for the discipline.
• Assessment measures should provide evidence of students’ attainment of the defined learning outcomes.
• Assessment measures should be independent from course grades and teaching evaluations.
• Multiple assessment measures should be used, if possible. A mix of direct and indirect assessment is recommended.
• Data and information should be collected over time and analyzed longitudinally.
• The analysis of data should result in findings relevant to the program.
• Improvements in the program should be planned and enacted in response to the findings.