Annual and Seven-Year Timeline
All units are required to engage in ongoing annual assessment that feeds into a seven-year comprehensive periodic unit review or self-study.
AESS units engage in an annual process to identify and examine ways to improve the overall student experience by assessing support outcomes and/or student learning outcomes. The AESS assessment process at York is internally driven and designed to:
- be meaningful and manageable;
- transparent;
- lead to data-driven decision-making;
- maximize the effective use of institutional resources;
- ensure continuous improvement; and
- be relevant to the unit.
Annual
Assessment is cyclical and activities reoccur to ensure data is used for continuous and sustained improvement of measurable outcomes. In connection with the unit mission and goals, there are six critical activities units will undertake in the assessment process:
- Identify outcomes for each goal
- Identify activities for each outcome (steps to achieve the outcome)
- Identify target (what define sucess %, #, etc.)
- Identify assessment methods to measure each outcome
- Gather, Analyze, and interpret data
- Identify next steps and use results to make improvements
AESS Annual Assessment Process (September through August)
The AESS unit assessment cycle is governed by an annual timeline that requires units to engage in specific assessment activities throughout every year. Units submit assessment information using the York Assessment Management System (YAMS).
- Each year, units are required to submit Annual Assessment Plan in the York Assessment Management System (YAMS). The annual plan allows units the flexibility to modify the plan based on assessment findings of the previous year and/or other changes. Each year, units are required to use data to assess at least one goal and two measurable outcomes connected to that goal. Due to additional program requirements, some units (e.g., SEEK, Male Initiative Program) are required to assess all goals every year.
- At the end of the academic year, units are to submit an Year-End Annual Assessment Report in YAMS describing their findings and how they plan to use the results. Units describe in detail outcomes assessed, methods used to collect data, target met/not, findings, and how the findings will be used to guide improvement. If applicable, units also share results mapped to student ILO(s). The report provides units with the opportunity to discuss factors that may have impeded or accelerated assessment efforts, celebrate assessment accomplishments and concisely communicate outcomes for the following next year.
- The plans and reports are submitted by the unit director/head. They are reviewed and approved by the divisional VP and submitted to committee to be internally published. The AESS Assessment Committee randomly evaluates plans and reports each year and provides feedback to AESS units. The purpose of committee feedback is to ensure quality of assessment.
Seven-Year AESS Periodic Unit Review
Information and documents about the Administrative, Educational, and Student Support (AESS) Periodic Unit Review (PUR), self-study process.
The Periodic Unit Review (PUR) is a comprehensive self-study process used to evaluate and strengthen each Administrative, Educational, and Student Support (AESS) Unit. The City University of New York (CUNY) mandates the PUR process, which is embedded in York’s institutional effectiveness process. The College’s Mission and Strategic Plan drive the Institutional Effectiveness Process, which is supported and informed by the annual assessment and PUR process. For more information, please review the guidelines below.
