Assessment Cycle
Assessment is most effective when it focuses on continuous improvement, rather than simply assuring quality. This ongoing cycle is critical for fostering a culture of assessment within an institution. By clearly defining learning outcomes, faculty can design meaningful assignments aligned with those outcomes. Direct measures, such as student artifacts, are then collected and analyzed. Based on the analysis, adjustments to the curriculum or teaching methods are made to improve student learning. This process of continuous feedback enhances both individual courses and the broader general education curriculum, ensuring that students receive a consistent, comprehensive, and rigorous undergraduate education.
The Mason Core assessment framework is guided by three essential questions. For each category, all questions are addressed to analyze student artifacts and develop findings and improvements.
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- Are students demonstrating achievement of the defined learning outcomes?
- How has student learning changed since the previous assessment cycle?
- What changes do the findings suggest for continuous improvement?
Mason Core Data Collection Timeline
The timeline outlines the Mason Core assessment cycle, which rotates assessment categories across a six-year cycle. Each assessment category is assessed every three years and participates across two academic years. During a category’s data collection period, all Mason Core instructors submit a syllabus, an assignment description, and three student artifacts from each course. This process ensures regular opportunities to review assessment results and implement improvements that support the ongoing enhancement of the Mason Core curriculum.
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- Mid-cycle report: Year 3
- Full-cycle report: Year 6
Assessment Cycle 2026–2032
|
Academic Year |
Collect Data |
Analyze and Interpret |
Share and Use Results |
|
2026–2027 |
Category 1 |
|
|
|
2027–2028 |
Category 2 |
Category 1 |
|
|
2028–2029 |
Category 3 |
Category 2 |
Category 1 |
|
2029–2030 |
Category 4 |
Category 3 |
Category 2 |
|
2030–2031 |
Category 5 |
Category 4 |
Category 3 |
|
2031–2032 |
Category 6 |
Category 5 |
Category 4 |
Assessment Categories
Category 1: Global Contexts
Category 2: Apex, Information Technology and Computing, and Quantitative Reasoning
Category 3: Arts, Literature, and Social and Behavioral Sciences
Category 4: Global History, Writing Intensive, Natural Science, and Global Contexts
Category 5: Apex, Information Technology and Computing, and Quantitative Reasoning
Category 6: Arts, Literature, and Social and Behavioral Sciences
Ongoing: Written Communication, Oral Communication
(Updated August 2026)