On August 22, 2016, UW-Madison was named to the inaugural class of Excellence in Assessment (EIA) designees, along with nine other exemplary colleges and universities. View a summary of UW-Madison’s EIA application.
The EIA program – the first national designation of its kind – spotlights institutions successfully integrating assessment practices across campus, providing evidence of student learning outcomes, and using assessment results to guide institutional decision-making and improve student performance. The program recognizes the institutions’ commitment to the comprehensive assessment of student learning outcomes as a means to drive internal improvement and advance student success.
“The inaugural class of EIA designees have a demonstrated commitment to measuring the impact of their student success efforts and are now working to improve that impact through evidence-based methods,” said APLU President Peter McPherson. “Their work is rightly being recognized with a designation that not only profiles their work, but provides a platform from which other institutions can learn and better track their own progress to drive improvement.”
“Despite the national rhetoric that would have us believe otherwise, accountability and commitment to student learning and success is very much in evidence in higher education as exemplified by these Excellence in Assessment designees,” said AASCU President Muriel Howard. “The value of this designation goes beyond honoring these institutions for their exemplary work. It generates an opportunity for dialogue around best practices in improving student performance and ultimately student success.”
EIA Program Sponsors
The sponsors of the EIA program are the Voluntary System of Accountability (VSA), a public college and university transparency initiative led by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), in partnership with the Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) and the National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA).
Media Mentions
- Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) – Official Announcement
- Inside UW – “UW-Madison named to inaugural class of Excellence in Assessment designees“