Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Planning

Category: news

Administrative and Student Support Assessment Workshop: Thursday, April 8 at 10:00am

Administrative and student support annual assessment submissions for 2020-2021 are due in Tk20 on June 1, 2021. In an effort to support continuous improvement, the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Planning (OIEP) invites you to a workshop on April 8, 10:00am – 11:30am. The workshop will cover the annual assessment process in Tk20, share promising practices, and examples of submissions. We will be recording this session and following up with the recording in addition to assessment resources tailored for administrative and student support units. We hope you’ll be able to join us.

 

Thursday, April 8, 10:00am – 11:30am

https://gmu.zoom.us/j/91593388159

  • * The programs and services offered by George Mason University are open to all who seek them. George Mason does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, ethnic national origin (including shared ancestry and/or ethnic characteristics), sex, disability, military status (including veteran status), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, pregnancy status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. After an initial review of its policies and practices, the university affirms its commitment to meet all federal mandates as articulated in federal law, as well as recent executive orders and federal agency directives.

Student Evaluations of Teaching Updates – February 2021

Results for the Fall 2020 student evaluations of teaching were recently shared with instructors and supervisors. Unlike in other terms, however, these results will not be posted on the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Planning (OIEP) website. The pandemic which led to the subsequent delivery of a significant amount of instruction in an online format set these evaluations apart. Overall, the response rate for the institution was 34.3% with a range across the schools/colleges of 28.2% to 42.8%. Response rates are affected by a variety of factors but courses delivered in an online format typically do have lower rates. To that end, instructors are encouraged, if possible, to schedule evaluation time in the course during instruction time. While this will not work in asynchronous courses, this method can be deployed for both face-to-face and synchronous instruction. Instructors can monitor response rates in real time.

 

Feedback from the Fall 2020 administration has prompted a change for the Spring 2021 administration.   Designated supervisors, (deans, department chairs/program directors, and (department) scheduling coordinators) will be able to make individual course date changes at the request of instructors should instructors choose not to use the default Spring 2021 Administration Schedule.  Requests should be made directly from the instructor to the supervisor in their unit.

 

  • * The programs and services offered by George Mason University are open to all who seek them. George Mason does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, ethnic national origin (including shared ancestry and/or ethnic characteristics), sex, disability, military status (including veteran status), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, pregnancy status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. After an initial review of its policies and practices, the university affirms its commitment to meet all federal mandates as articulated in federal law, as well as recent executive orders and federal agency directives.

Annual Assessment Reporting Deadline in Tk20 – June 1, 2021

This year’s annual assessment reporting deadline for all academic and administrative units is June 1, 2021. The deadline has been been moved up for the 2020-21 academic year to allow time to incorporate the data into Mason’s SACSCOC compliance certification report.

  • * The programs and services offered by George Mason University are open to all who seek them. George Mason does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, ethnic national origin (including shared ancestry and/or ethnic characteristics), sex, disability, military status (including veteran status), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, pregnancy status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. After an initial review of its policies and practices, the university affirms its commitment to meet all federal mandates as articulated in federal law, as well as recent executive orders and federal agency directives.

New Associate Director

Lisa Anh Nguyen

We are pleased to welcome our new Associate Director – Lisa Anh Nguyen – to the OIEP team.

Lisa will be providing streamlined research to support planning and decision-making efforts across Mason. This includes supporting accreditation and mandated reporting.

  • * The programs and services offered by George Mason University are open to all who seek them. George Mason does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, ethnic national origin (including shared ancestry and/or ethnic characteristics), sex, disability, military status (including veteran status), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, pregnancy status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. After an initial review of its policies and practices, the university affirms its commitment to meet all federal mandates as articulated in federal law, as well as recent executive orders and federal agency directives.

Student evaluations of teaching reports in Blue

Instructor course reports for fall 2020 are now available in Blue! Instructors, deans, department chairs, and course coordinators will receive an email from OIEP with a link to their reports. In Blue, there is the option of downloading reports as a PDF in addition to viewing them in the dashboard. Department and college aggregate reports for fall 2020 will be available the week of January 18, 2021.

 

Blue can also be accessed at https://gmu.bluera.com/gmu.

 

More information about the administration of SETs at Mason can be found at https://oiep.gmu.edu/institutional-effectiveness/set/.

 

  • * The programs and services offered by George Mason University are open to all who seek them. George Mason does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, ethnic national origin (including shared ancestry and/or ethnic characteristics), sex, disability, military status (including veteran status), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, pregnancy status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. After an initial review of its policies and practices, the university affirms its commitment to meet all federal mandates as articulated in federal law, as well as recent executive orders and federal agency directives.

New Executive Director for Institutional Effectiveness

Matthew DeSantis

We are pleased to welcome our new Executive Director for Institutional Effectiveness – Matthew DeSantis – to the OIEP team.
Matthew will provide collaborative leadership in academic and administrative assessment and will guide the Academic Program Review process. He will also be working with others in OIEP on survey development, administration, and reporting.

  • * The programs and services offered by George Mason University are open to all who seek them. George Mason does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, ethnic national origin (including shared ancestry and/or ethnic characteristics), sex, disability, military status (including veteran status), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, pregnancy status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. After an initial review of its policies and practices, the university affirms its commitment to meet all federal mandates as articulated in federal law, as well as recent executive orders and federal agency directives.

Student evaluations of teaching are going online!

Beginning in fall 2020, Mason will be using Blue by Explorance to deliver a modern, easy-to-use evaluation platform for instructors and students. More information can be found here https://oiep.gmu.edu/institutional-effectiveness/set/.

  • * The programs and services offered by George Mason University are open to all who seek them. George Mason does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, ethnic national origin (including shared ancestry and/or ethnic characteristics), sex, disability, military status (including veteran status), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, pregnancy status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. After an initial review of its policies and practices, the university affirms its commitment to meet all federal mandates as articulated in federal law, as well as recent executive orders and federal agency directives.

Recent News

  • Guide to Blue 9 for SETs (9/3/2025)

    Blue has undergone some changes!  Starting in Fall 2025, the platform used to administer the SETs was upgraded from version 8 to version 9. 

    There are two major changes all users will see when logging into Blue:

    • New website URL: the Blue website URL has been updated. Please bookmark the new URL: https://my-gmu.bluera.com/
    • Layout: Users will notice that Blue has a fresh look with a new and modern layout. Users will find the same features made available to them as before.

    See the below reference document for more details. 

    Blue 9 Updates September 2025

     

  • Blue Has A New Look! (9/2/2025)

    Blue – George Mason’s Student Evaluation of Teaching platform – has a new look and URL. In addition to an updated interface, Blue has added some new features including options for downloading reports and viewing upcoming report availability. However, the overall functionality remains unchanged. The OIEP website will be updated in the coming weeks to reflect any changes to FAQs and reference documents.

    Please use the new URL when logging in to your Blue account:

    https://my-gmu.bluera.com/

  • Annual Assessment Reporting Deadline: June 30, 2026 (4/25/2025)

    The annual assessment reporting deadline in Nuventive for AY 2025-26 is June 30, 2026. Information about annual assessment, including reporting requirements can be found here. Information about Nuventive, including resources and log-in details, can be found here.

  • UNIV 100 Research Brief (4/10/2025)

    OIEP has a new in-depth analysis of UNIV 100 students in the Fall 2023 First-Time Full-Time Incoming Cohort. Check out all of our research activities.

     

  • Congratulations to the 2025 Excellence in Assessment Awardees (4/10/2025)

    The second annual Excellence in Assessment Awards honor assessment efforts across the university. Several academic and co-curricular programs were recognized for exemplary assessment plans, all receiving top scores on their submissions. Assessment champions were identified for their unique contributions to the culture of continuous improvement at George Mason University. OIEP commends the Excellence in Assessment Awards winners! 

    The list of awardees can be found here.

  • Academic Annual Assessment Feedback (2/12/2025)

    The Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Planning (OIEP), along with the Mason Academic Assessment Council (MAAC), have completed their annual assessment report review and provided feedback on all submitted reports via Nuventive, George Mason’s assessment management platform. Join us at 12:00pm on Monday, February 24 or Thursday, February 27 to walk through themes from the 2023-24 assessment cycle, how to access feedback within Nuventive, and next steps in the Annual Assessment process. Workshop links are available in Upcoming Events. 

  • Congratulations to our Inaugural Excellence in Annual Assessment Award Winners!  (10/16/2024)
    OIEP Launches Excellence in Annual Assessment Awards

    Inaugural Excellence in Annual Assessment Awardees

    The Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Planning (OIEP) has launched the Excellence in Annual Assessment Awards to highlight George Mason’s commitment to continuous improvement and elevate exemplary assessment practices.   

    All academic programs submit annual assessment of student learning outcomes and receive constructive feedback from members of the Mason Academic Assessment Council (MAAC) through a systematic peer review process. MAAC identified programs with exemplary submissions and the finalists were reviewed utilizing the annual assessment feedback rubric.

    The MAT Art Education, MS Forensic Science, and MS Systems Engineering programs were selected from over 175 academic programs to receive an inaugural Excellence in Annual Assessment Award. Colleagues from MAAC, the College of Visual and Performing Arts, the College of Science, and the College of Engineering and Computing celebrated this accomplishment at a reception hosted by OIEP in October 2024.

    All three programs engaged in a holistic and comprehensive approach to documenting student learning and each awardee spoke to how their program’s assessment efforts support student learning. The complete assessment plan and specific strengths for each awardee are included below:

    MAT Art Education
    The program presented a strong longitudinal improvement plan that builds upon findings from year-to-year.

    MS Forensic Science
    The assessment results directly led to curricular improvements and course development.

    MS Systems Engineering
    The assessment methodology was detailed, aligned, and multidimensional.  

    Future Awards

    OIEP plans to expand the Excellence in Annual Assessment Awards to support the development of a robust culture of assessment at George Mason. In Spring 2025, the awards will recognize exemplary annual assessment submissions from academic, administrative, and co-curricular units.

  • New In-Depth Analyses (10/16/2024)

    OIEP has a new website section devoted to its research activities. Check out the in-depth analyses:

     

  • Fall 2024 Assessment Videos (10/1/2024)

    There are new OIEP videos available on our website and YouTube channel discussing processes and best practices for Mason Core Assessment and Annual Administrative Assessment.

  • Annual Assessment Reporting Deadline: June 30, 2024 (2/14/2024)

    The annual assessment reporting deadline in Nuventive for AY 2023-234 is June 30, 2024. Information about annual assessment, including reporting requirements can be found here. Information about Nuventive, including resources and log-in details, can be found here.

Questions? Email the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Planning at [email protected].

  • * The programs and services offered by George Mason University are open to all who seek them. George Mason does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, ethnic national origin (including shared ancestry and/or ethnic characteristics), sex, disability, military status (including veteran status), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, pregnancy status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. After an initial review of its policies and practices, the university affirms its commitment to meet all federal mandates as articulated in federal law, as well as recent executive orders and federal agency directives.