Every academic program and academic support unit completes an annual snapshot of its continuous cycle of improvement. This cycle begins by identifying outcomes and assessment procedures in the summer and fall. The unit collects data through fall and spring, and then reflects on those results in spring, summer, and fall of the next cycle. Ideally, units would document what worked well, what didn't work well, and what steps have been implemented toward improving the quality of the unit. A snapshot, known as the institutional effectiveness (IE) report, of a completed cycle occurs on the first Friday in September of the subsequent year.
Institutional Effectiveness (IE) is the process by which Mississippi State University and all of its academic, academic support, administrative, research, and service units (1) identify expected outcomes, (2) set an assessment protocol to measure the outcomes, (3) report the results of the protocol, and (4) provide evidence of improvement based upon the analysis of the results. The Institutional Effectiveness (IE) process seeks continuous improvement by evaluating MSU’s programs and by reflecting on what has been successful and what areas could be enhanced.
The annual IE report forms the basis of the assessment process. This report follows the conceptual model of the four-column matrix:
These IE reports are kept within a centralized data system, Outcomes, which the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness maintains. The assessment cycle begins in July of the academic cycle with units completing columns 1 and 2 of the matrix. The cycle ends on August of the following year with units completing columns 3 and 4.
As of Fall 2021, 253 units engage in the institutional effectiveness cycle and complete an annual IE report. These units are classified as either (1) academic programs or (2) academic/student support. From a granular level, each academic program (e.g., bachelor’s, master’s, specialist, and doctoral) set learning and program outcomes, which then are aggregated at the college level, then to a division level, and then to the overall university. The academic/student support units set learning and program outcomes, which are aggregated to a division level and then to the overall university. Administrative units also complete annual reports as part of the Strategic Plan for the university.
Assessment works as a continuous cycle with certain break points to capture annual reports. While units are reflecting on previous assessment cycles, they can begin planning the next year's assessment procedures. A snapshot is taken on the first Friday in September to capture the work from the previous academic year. The following gantt chart depicts the phases of the assessment cycle throughout the academic year.
Assessment Activity
Summer
Fall
Spring
Summer
Fall
Start a new academic year by reviewing existing outcomes and assessment procedures and consider any changes needed to the process
Follow the assessment procedures to collect and log data for fall, spring, and summer
IE Committee reviews previous academic year
Feedback from the IE Committee on the previous academic year shared with the units
Units reflect on the previous fall, spring, and summer to determine what worked and what didn't work.
Submit the IE report for the previous academic year to note the improvements that had been made as a result of the assessment process.
Academic programs that have had a combined total of five unique students or fewer during Fall & Spring semesters do not need to complete the Institutional Effectiveness (IE) report for the associated academic year. With so few students, meaningful assessment cannot be completed without potentially identifying those students. Instead, programs need to complete an annual reflection about how faculty ensure that students are meeting the program’s learning outcomes and describe any improvements that have been implemented over the past academic year. The staff in Institutional Effectiveness can help with this portion of the report.
Programs that fall under the low-enrollment category for Institutional Effectiveness need to be aware of the Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) “Academic Productivity Review.” This review is described in the Academic and Administrative Guidelines and is triggered when graduation rates of academic programs fall below specified levels.
Please note that the low-enrollment procedure applies only to academic majors/programs and not to the concentrations of emphases within the academic majors.
Last Updated: November 20, 2023