Assessment Plans

Assessment plans are guiding documents that outline where, how, and how often student learning will be assessed.

Good assessment plans:

The goal of assessment is improvement, but using assessment data for improvement is arguably the most difficult part of the assessment process. It is much easier to identify learning outcomes, plan for assessment, and collect data. Identifying changes to be made, implementing those changes, and assessing their impact require much more time and thought.

What is assessment?

Assessment is the ongoing, collective, and intentional process in which we gather evidence of student learning and development and use that information for improvement. Assessment helps us answer the question, "Are we doing what we say we're doing?" If we aren't, assessment provides a path for figuring out what to do about it. When done well, assessment benefits everyone, including faculty, the institution, and most importantly, students.

Institutional Research (IR) empowers data-informed decision-making across the institution. We collect, analyze, interpret, and disseminate timely and accurate data to support academic management and decision-making, strategic planning, assessment, and compliance reporting.

Our work enables UIS to foster a culture of continuous improvement, grounded in evidence and aligned with institutional priorities. Our services include:

The Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) Program Review Process ensures the quality and effectiveness of academic programs through the evaluation of program goals, learning outcomes, resources, and overall impact on students.

Program Review Process

The Program Review Process begins with the academic unit or center completing a self-study following the appropriate self-study guideline:

The University of Illinois Springfield is engaged in development of a Strategic Compass that will guide the university for the next ten years. Unlike traditional strategic plans, the concept of a strategic compass is to produce a less rigid guide that will focus organizations on intentional and evidence-based decision making when confronted with challenges and opportunities during pursuit of their full potential.

The Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness (OIRE) leads UIS’ efforts to foster a culture of continuous improvement, strategic planning, and evidence-based decision-making. Through collaboration with academic and administrative units, OIRE supports initiatives that enhance student learning, institutional operations, and overall effectiveness.

Welcome to Graduate Education at UIS

We are pleased that you have chosen to explore our graduate degree and certificate programs.  More than 40% of UIS students are engaged in graduate study, and most were attracted to UIS by an impressive combination of factors that include educational quality, value and campus location and setting.