Assessment and the Senior Assignment

The purpose of assessment of undergraduate education is to help the University determine the extent to which it is fulfilling its mission of educating undergraduate students. Assessment allows the University to make improvements in program structure, course content, and pedagogy. It also assists in advisement and placement and provides students with indicators of their performance. Finally, assessment monitors the competence of graduating students, not just in terms of disciplinary expertise, but also with respect to the attainment of a general education. Much of assessment is embedded within the teaching function of the University and, ideally, occurs alongside each student's regular academic effort. The three main components of SIUE’s undergraduate assessment are placement testing, midpoint assessment, and the Senior Assignment.

Placement Tests
Some entering undergraduate students must take standardized tests to help the University better understand their academic abilities and needs. The tests serve two purposes. First, they assess each student's skill level in mathematics, writing, and reading in order to identify course work that would be appropriate. Second, by identifying the educational skills of those entering its classes, the University can assess the quality of education it provides for its students.

For first-time freshmen and for transfer students who have attempted fewer than 16 semester hours of credit elsewhere, placement into all mathematics, English, and Academic Development courses is based on a combination of factors including, but not limited to, ACT scores, high school grades and class rank, high school coursework, and/or placement tests.

For transfer students who have attempted at least 16 semester hours of credit elsewhere, placement into these courses is based on satisfactory performance (grades of C or better) in mathematics and English courses completed elsewhere, or placement tests where evidence of satisfactory performance is absent.

Students whose test scores in writing, reading, and/or mathematics are below internally established indicators of entry level competence must begin the process of development or redevelopment during the first semester of enrollment and must demonstrate steady progress in each succeeding semester. Successful completion of such academic development must be achieved within 28 semester hours and prior to enrolling in any courses for which the corresponding skill courses are prerequisite.

Most SIUE courses designated AD (Academic Development) and all courses numbered below 100 carry institutional credit only; that is, they do not count toward graduation.

Midpoint Assessment
All students, whether they begin their careers at SIUE or enter as transfer students, are expected to participate in midpoint assessment. Student participation may occur as part of ordinary coursework for the Baccalaureate degree so that the assessment process adds no extra work other than to require an additional copy of the product to be assessed. Many different assessment devices are used and include, but are not limited to, portfolios, reflective essays, course papers, standardized exams, and interviews. Regardless of the assessment measure used, students who participate in midpoint assessment receive feedback and notice of the result of their contributions.

The Senior Assignment
The Senior Assignment represents the culmination of the entire undergraduate experience at SIUE and should integrate the best aspects of each student's baccalaureate education. All seniors are required to complete a Senior Assignment that demonstrates breadth commensurate with SIUE's general education expectations and proficiency in the academic major. This requirement arises from the University's belief that the ability to integrate a general education perspective into one's academic discipline is an essential mark of a University-educated person. The Senior Assignment fosters creativity and self-reliance by encouraging each student to gain control over his or her own educational experience, to become more than a skilled classroom stenographer. As such, the Senior Assignment represents a major commitment by the SIUE faculty to undergraduate learning. Each academic major has its own Senior Assignment and, therefore, an individual assignment may involve, for example, library inquiry, laboratory experiments, field inquiry, or artistic creativity. Therefore, a given Senior Assignment may culminate in an artistic performance, public speech, written thesis, gallery presentation, or a combination of these with other forms of expression. Individual Senior Assignments differ, but they share a challenge to each SIUE student to achieve individual academic excellence. This is what distinguishes baccalaureate education at SIUE.