Academic Program Assessment
Manhattan College faculty have established program learning goals for all academic programs. The goals relate to the mission of the College and are aligned with requirements of external accrediting bodies as well as disciplinary and pedagogical benchmarks. Faculty are engaged in assessing the level of learning and using the results of assessment to improve teaching and learning.
Reporting on assessment is completed annually for all programs and some programs report twice a year. Faculty members complete an outcomes assessment report. The director of assessment provides summary reports for the five schools on an intranet site. An academic assessment committee, with faculty representatives from each of the five schools, reviews the summary reports and provides feedback on the assessment process for each academic program. A report on best practices in assessment is also posted to the intranet site.
In addition to assessment at the program level, the college-wide educational goals define the common curricular ground for all students. In fulfilling its mission, Manhattan College seeks to provide skills for a lifetime of intellectual growth, foster a reflection on faith, values and ethics, and encourage a respect for individual dignity and a commitment to social justice. These educational goals allow the various schools to develop unique programs with specific missions. The educational goals also allow for creative implementation tailored to diverse student and faculty strengths and interests.
Core Competencies
Students graduating from Manhattan College will gain these core competencies:
- Effective communication
- Critical thinking
- Information and technology literacy
- Quantitative and scientific literacy
- Independent and collaborative work
- Global awareness
- Religious and ethical awareness
The core competencies are further detailed in 10 learning objectives that students are expected to fulfill by the completion of their academic programs, supplemented by active participation in the extracurricular activities offered by the College. Upon graduation from Manhattan College, students will be able to:
- Express their ideas coherently and persuasively through oral and written communication.
- Analyze, evaluate and synthesize information and arguments and make sound judgments about their use and application.
- Locate relevant information in printed and electronic form and credit it properly.
- Use information technology to function effectively and responsibly in society.
- Understand, interpret and apply numerical data.
- Understand and apply the methods of science.
- Function as independent thinkers and as members of collaborative groups.
- Understand and appreciate cultural diversity through the study of a variety of social and global cultures and issues.
- Assess conduct and make decisions based on ethical concerns and transcendent moral values as articulated in Christianity and other religious and philosophical traditions.
- Understand that Manhattan College is a Catholic institution, committed to respect for individual dignity and social justice.
Students will develop the abilities to achieve these learning objectives through their individual programs within each school and through courses from other schools in the College. Student achievement of the learning objectives is assessed through a variety of measures.