Committee on the Assessment of Student Outcomes (CASO)
The mission of the Committee on Assessing Student Outcomes (CASO) is to identify and evaluate the measures used to assess achievement of college-wide learning goals, which are derived from General Education’s Learning Outcomes statement, the College Mission and Vision, and the College Strategic Plan. CASO, which reports to the Provost, oversees assessment of curricular learning outcomes, while assessment of co-curricular outcomes falls under the purview of the Vice President for Student Success. Each academic program has its own assessment plan, on which it reports annually to the College’s assessment coordinator. Assessment of General Education learning outcomes is a coordinated effort between the Committee on General Education (COGE) and CASO.
Assessment is closely connected to accreditation. The New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), for example, has for two decades included assessment of student learning and program effectiveness among its expectations. In addition, individual programs that are accredited by national accrediting bodies must meet learning outcome standards required by organizations such as the Council on Social Work Education, National Association of Schools of Art and Design, National Association of Schools of Music, National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification, National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and the Credentialing Commission on Nursing Education. CASO offers support and guidance in the accreditation process.
Current Members
- Suchandra Basu, Associate Professor, School of Business
- Becky Caouette, Associate Professor, English
- Joshua Hamilton, Provost
- Christopher Hourigan, Director, Institutional Research and Planning
- Maureen Reddy, Professor, Coordinator of Assessment
- Wayne Tikkanen, Assessment Director, Feinstein School of Education and Human Development
- Jane Williams, Dean, School of Nursing
- Representative from School of Social Work to be named
