Assessment is part of strategic planning and program review. Assessment is linked to mission statements, goals and objectives. The student learning outcomes listed by each department in their assessment reports are certainly tied to the ideas expressed in their mission statements. This vision seems clear on the department level. On the university level, the University Academic Assessment Committee considered the Mission and Vision Statements from the Constitutional Plan as they discussed a coordinated plan for assessment across campus.
Assessment is faculty driven, reflecting a collective effort.
A model for this has been the General Education Assessment Committee, which has been run by faculty since its formation by the Council on Academic Affairs. That committee has studied assessment, designed measures to assess general education and implemented those measures by enlisting faculty cooperation and support. As a subcommittee of CAA, the GEAC exists to serve faculty. This keeps much of what happens in assessment in the arena of faculty responsibility. This committee receives input from faculty on all assessment activities .