Overview

The Learning Outcomes Assessment (LOA) function provides assistance to colleges, academic departments and all academic programs to ensure that continuous improvement is an integral part of the UAEU culture. This function strives to fulfill the UAEU commitment to provide its students with the finest education and a supportive learning environment to ensure that every student can be successful.

LOA staff coordinate with academics and administrators to support and improve student academic achievement by developing effective policies and procedures, by continuously assessing student academic achievement across all levels, by providing the information, tools and training needed for faculty and administrators to apply evidence-based quality improvement in their academic programs, by communicating examples of good practice through the university community, and by informing strategic planning and decision-making.

Goals:

1.   Policies & Procedures:Maintain policies and procedures that ensure the institution’s effectiveness in assessing student academic achievement, maintain alignment with International & National Standards (WASC – Western Association of Schools and Colleges, CAA – Commission for Academic Accreditation, and QFE – UAE Qualification Framework), and implement processes that ensure continuous improvement of students’ learning experiences.
2. Infrastructure & Support Systems:Develop effective assessment infrastructure to support learning outcomes assessment including the establishment of effective Learning Outcomes Assessment Committees at the University, College and Program levels, and effective support systems to assist faculty and allow easy oversight by academic administrators (e.g. committee structures for Learning Outcomes Assessment; Strategic Planning Online, SPOL, CurricUNET).
3. Audit and Compliance:Monitor the progress of academic programs to ensure that they have SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bounded) and comprehensive Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs), and that these are aligned with the program’s goals, QFE, and the UAEU institutional learning outcomes, and that a sustainable assessment plan is in place for program and course learning outcomes.
4. Training & Development:Conduct and oversee training and professional development for faculty and academic administrators to improve their awareness of learning outcomes assessment, and support them in assessment of student learning outcomes and achievement of program objectives.
5. Culture:Create a culture of academic quality across all Colleges by promoting the importance of assessment activities to ensure continuous improvement of both student learning and also academic standards.
6.   Communication:Ensure effective communication within the university community about the importance of assessment of student learning, disseminate examples of best practice, and regularly update the university on assessment activities across Colleges.