Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Planning

Co-Curricular Assessment

All co-curricular units report assessment plans and findings on an annual basis. Annual Assessment begins with a 1:1 consultation at the beginning of the annual assessment cycle, and ends with a report of the annual assessment in the summer semester of the subsequent year.

The Annual Assessment cycle ensures that unit’s goals and outcomes systematically impact co-curricular programs and services. Unit goals and outcomes are strategically linked to programs and services, and this is further aligned to divisional and institutional goals and missions. Program initiatives and student development outcomes are continuously measured through a cyclical assessment process.

Each outcome follows the same steps along a cyclical assessment path:

  • Write new or revised goals/outcomes
  • Plan the design, approach, method(s), tool(s), and success measure to be used for assessing the outcome
  • Deliver the program, service, or activity tied to the outcome
  • Collect the assessment data
  • Analyze the assessment data
  • Report and strategize on the findings

Reporting Requirements

The Annual Assessment process consists of interconnected components, each with specific expectations for planning, updating, reviewing, and/or reporting along the assessment cycle:

  • Annual Assessment Plan
  • Annual Closeout
  • Annual Report

A timeline of what units can expect over the course of the year is presented:

[Co-Curricular Units]
  Reporting Period Submission Deadline
Annual Assessment June 1-May 31 June 30
Students Served Data Summer: June 1-July 31 August 31
  Fall: August 1-December 31 January 31
  Spring: January 1-May 31 June 30

All co-curricular units must enter their end of year findings into the assessment planning and reporting platform by June 30, 2024.

Annual Assessment Planning

All co-curricular units must enter the unit’s mission statement, goals, outcomes, measures, and findings and improvement plans into the assessment reporting platform as shown in the template below. UnitName_AY25 Annual Assessment Planning Template

Assessment and Reporting Platform

Nuventive is Mason’s assessment planning and reporting software tool. All units will enter their annual assessment data in this system. Nuventive is a robust, interactive tool that can be used for tracking progress toward goals, and reporting for accreditation. For user information, please refer to the Quick Start Guide to Reporting in Nuventive for Co-Curricular Units..