Case Study: One Institution’s Application of a Multiple Methods Assessment Framework

Jacqueline N. Gustafson, Jessica R. Daniels, and Rachel J. Smulski   |    Volume Nine  |   

Program assessment has been a topic of significance in higher education over the last decade. Initially, program assessment was implemented in response to concerns over the quality of college graduates’ education and increasing competitiveness in the job market for American college graduates. Recently, higher education institutions have been encouraged to engage in assessment which can generate data that is comparable between institutions; resulting in assessment models which are predominantly quantitative. While quantitative data aids in cross-institution comparison, which remains important, alone it lacks the specificity that is needed to understand nuanced experiences of students, faculty, and administration. In this article, the assessment model that has been developed and implemented at one small-sized private institution is described. Focus is given to the qualitative elements of the multiple-method model. An evaluation of the model, post-implementation, is included in order to provide detail to facilitate potential application at other institutions.

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