New programs may arise from emerging fields and evolving disciplines or from new ways of integrating fields and disciplines. New programs can bring new opportunities to students and widen the prospective student pool. New programs can help meet workforce and social needs. New programs can help the College make greater use of existing educational resources and keep it current in the educational marketplace.
Learning outcomes assessment is the comprehensive and systematic examination of student learning throughout a degree program. Assessing how well students are achieving learning goals can tell us about the effectiveness of program curricula, course design, and teaching methods, pointing out areas of strength, and areas in which we need to improve.
Assessment also allows us to confidently assure accreditors and the community — employers as well as students and their families — that Champlain delivers on our promise to educate students according to our mission. When done well, learning outcomes assessment can make educational goals visible to students, helping them take on more responsibility for, and have a greater understanding of, their learning and themselves.