A comprehensive assessment plan provides an opportunity for students, faculty, and alumni to express their perceptions of a course or program. Accrediting bodies frequently ask departments to provide input from students and alumni. Surveys are an excellent way of collecting such information. A survey can be locally constructed or purchased. It can be designed for specific groups such as students in a particular course, or alumni of the program.
Surveys can be one page or several pages.
They can be given in class or mailed. A variety of information can be obtained from a survey, as illustrated in the checklist below. You can choose which types of information will provide the most complete picture of the group you plan to survey. As part of its assessment plan, the department may want to target a survey to a specific audience such as entering students, current students, exiting seniors, alumni, faculty, or employers. Each group can provide specific types of information as suggested below.