Definitions of Content Codes

1. Development of Plan - Describes the process of developing an assessment plan which may include how and why the plan was developed, who was involved and how things have changed over the course of time.

2. Mission Statement - Can consist of the more narrowly defined mission of the department or can be very broadly defined as the mission of the university or
   state university system.

3. Goals and Objectives - Sometimes referred to as outcomes, this section deals with specific aims of the program. For example, in the case of student learning it would refer to the specific skills or knowledge that students should acquire through the program.

4. Methods/Assessment Procedures - The means by which the goals and objectives are measured.

5. Instrument - The actual survey or questionnaire used to gather data.

6. Outcomes/Results - The actual results of assessment. These results can be presented as statistics or in a more qualitatively descriptive fashion.

7. Statistics - Numerical data (raw numbers or percentages).

8. Evaluation of Outcomes/Recommendations - This section goes beyond simply reporting results and evaluates the outcomes and may make recommendations for future changes or activities.

9. Timeline/Deadline - Inclusion of some kind of timeline in which assessment will occur.

10. Costs/Support Needs - The cost or support needed to implement an assessment program.

11. Committee Members/Contacts - Names and/or contact information for a least one person who was actually involved in the assessment. This was not counted if only a contact for the general assessment office was included.