Student Achievement

Student Achievement

Throughout all our Schools and Colleges, Lake Superior State University students consistently achieve high scores on state and national tests conducted within their disciplines. They consistently perform with excellence in Senior and Undergraduate Research or Projects. The following links provide student achievement data in specific degree programs:

College of Criminal Justice and Emergency Responders

School of Engineering and Technology:

Student Learning Outcome Reporting for Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering Technology, and Electrical Engineering Technology.

School of Nursing:

NCLEX licensure exam pass rates and job placement rates for gradutes of LSSU’s Nursing Program.

Lukenda School of Business

 

Program Review

Preparing for the 2023 Program Review

Resources for Academic Departments:

Annual Program Assessment Update Form

Annual Program Assessment Update (Small N programs)

5-Year Program Review_Academic_2023

Fall 2018 Program Reviews

Full program reviews are conducted every five years at Lake Superior State University, with the most recent review completed in 2018.

Information related to loan repayment rates is available from the Financial Aid department. Information about student retention and completion rates is available in our Common Data Set.

Program Review reports and related assessment reports for the 2018 review cycle are available for public viewing:

2018 Academics

Academic Program Review Template (2018)

2018 Student Support and Co-Curricular Program Review

Co-Curricular Program Review Template (2018)

2018 Administrative Reviews

2018 Course-level learning outcome review

2018 Program Review Resources

The following documents were developed for the Program Reviews conducted in 2018.  The next full program review is scheduled for 2023.

Outside Resources

OutsideResources

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USDA:

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OLAW:

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[av_button_biglabel=’TheGuidefortheCareandUseofLaboratoryAnimals,8e’description_pos=’below’link=’manually,https://www.nap.edu/catalog/12910/guide-for-the-care-and-use-of-laboratory-animals-eighth’link_target=”icon_select=’no’icon=’ue800’font=’entypo-fontello’custom_font=’#ffffff’color=’theme-color’custom_bg=’#444444’color_hover=’theme-color’custom_bg_hover=’#444444’av_uid=’av-ieqc55’custom_class=”admin_preview_bg=”]
InstituteforLaboratoryAnimalResearch

APA:

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NIH:

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AssistancewithAUPSearchesforAlternativestoAnimalUse:

[av_button_biglabel=’ALTBIB-AlternativetoAnimalTesting’description_pos=’below’link=’manually,https://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/altbib.html’link_target=”icon_select=’no’icon=’ue800’font=’entypo-fontello’custom_font=’#ffffff’color=’theme-color’custom_bg=’#444444’color_hover=’theme-color’custom_bg_hover=’#444444’av_uid=’av-ieqc55’custom_class=”admin_preview_bg=”]

[av_button_biglabel=’AlternativeSearch-DemonstratingCompliance’description_pos=’below’link=’manually,https://www.library.ucdavis.edu/guide/animal-alternatives-searching/’link_target=”icon_select=’no’icon=’ue800’font=’entypo-fontello’custom_font=’#ffffff’color=’theme-color’custom_bg=’#444444’color_hover=’theme-color’custom_bg_hover=’#444444’av_uid=’av-ieqc55’custom_class=”admin_preview_bg=”]

Student Learning Assessment

Assessment of Student Learning

LSSU uses assessment data and program review to plan effectively for continuing improvements in departmental operations, budgets, institutional effectiveness, and in other functional areas.

Faculty Resources for Assessment of Student Learning

FACULTY ASSESSMENT FORMS AND RUBRICS

General Education Courses:

University-Wide Assessments

LSSU’s University Assessment Committee collects and reviews annual assessment data on Institutional Learning Outcomes through Student Worker Evaluations (in cooperation with Human Resources), Student Athlete Evaluations (in cooperation with the Athletics Department), and capstone courses (in cooperation with academic program faculty). The committee uses that data to recommend and initiate changes to improve student learning across the university as it relates to the achievement of those outcomes.

The University Assessment Committee also reviews annual assessment data for the General Education Program, and for cocurricular and extracurricular areas. The committee uses this assessment data to provide assessment support to those areas and to make recommendations to improve student learning and student experiences across the University.

Assessment of Institutional Learning Outcomes:

2022 University Assessment Committee Annual Report

 

General Education Committee Assessment Report

2021-2022 Assessment of General Education Learning Outcomes

2022 General Education Committee Annual Assessment Summary

Cocurricular and Extracurricular Assessments

[Updated Content in process]

2020 4-Column Assessment Report_Academic Services

2020 4-Column Assessment Report_StudentAffairs

School-level program assessments (Next scheduled 5-Year Full Program Review: fall 2023)

HEA-Disclosures

Disclosure and Transparency Reporting

This page contains public disclosure information associated with the Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965.  The public and institutions should be aware that posting information on a website is sufficient to meet the HEA requirements that institutions make certain information available to the public or others. For additional details see: https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2010/2010831rev.pdf

IPEDS

The Data Feedback Report from IPEDS graphically summarizes selected institutional data and compares that data with peer institutions. LSSU submits information to the National Center for Educational Statistics, which includes student enrollment data, student retention rates, graduation rates, etc. The IPEDS Data Feedback Reports (DFR) are publicly available at: https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/Home/UseTheData and reproduced below for convenience.

Common Data Set

The Common Data Set (CDS) initiative is a collaborative effort among data providers in the higher education community and publishers, as represented by the College Board, Peterson’s, and U.S. News & World Report. The combined goal of this collaboration is to improve the quality and accuracy of information provided to all those involved in a student’s transition into higher education, as well as to reduce the reporting burden on data providers. This data is maintained by LSSU’s Office of Institutional Research: https://www.lssu.edu/institutional-research/common-data-set/

Assessment

AssessmentEast Gate of Campus: Enter to Learn - Assessment

Assessment of  student learning at Lake Superior State University encompasses the total student learning experience, in the classroom and beyond.

  •  Academic assessment is an ongoing, open, evaluative process focused on improving student learning.  To accomplish that goal, the University ensures that learning expectations are made clear to students and establishes appropriate learning outcomes at the course, program and university levels.  Assessment is essential to determine how well student performance matches the expected outcomes, and the resulting information is used to inform changes in courses and programs for the improvement of student learning.
  • Cocurricular assessment is equally focused on using ongoing evaluative processes to support and improve student learning. Cocurricular assessments are conducted annually through programs and events sponsored by Student Affairs, such as the Laker Success program that provides student success coaching within dorms and to commuter students. Academic Services conducts cocurricular assessment for tutoring, supplemental instruction, and library instruction on academic integrity and information literacy. Cocurricular assessment provides data to inform and make changes for the improvement of services and student learning.
  • Operational support assessment is an ongoing, open, evaluative process focused on improving university culture and services.  It requires the University to make its service and cultural expectations clear to its stakeholders, and establishes appropriate outcomes at each level of operation.  It helps determine how well performance matches the expected outcomes, and the resulting information is used to inform changes at the unit and university levels for the improvement of the total student learning experience.

Lake Superior State University’s Institutional Learning Outcomes

The Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILOs) at LSSU describe the knowledge, abilities, and attitudes that our graduates are expected to acquire prior to graduation, as a result of their overall experiences with any aspect of the University.  The ILOs were written by faculty and adopted by approval from the Board of Trustees on November 3, 2017. These outcomes help guide University departments in constructing ILO-connected student learning outcomes for programs, courses, and student services. Annual assessment of those ILO-connected outcomes occurs within departments. Institution-wide direct assessment of the ILOs is conducted annually in capstone courses, among student workers and student athletes, and through extracurricular activities. These annual assessments evaluate students’ development and achievement of these outcomes at multiple touchpoints throughout their years spent at LSSU:

Formal Communication – Students will develop and clearly express complex ideas in written and oral presentations.

Use of Evidence – Students will identify the need for, gather, and accurately process the appropriate type, quality, and quantity of evidence to answer a complex question or solve a complex problem.

Analysis and Synthesis – Students will organize and synthesize evidence, ideas, or works of imagination to answer an open-ended question, draw a conclusion, achieve a goal, or create a substantial work of art.

Professional Responsibility –Students will demonstrate the ability to apply professional ethics when answering a question, solving a problem, or achieving a goal.

Intercultural Competency – Students will display knowledge of, and interact effectively with, members of groups whose identities, beliefs, behaviors, and values differ from their own.

Resources

Curricular, cocurricular, and operation areas report assessment data and track data-driven action plans in Nuventive Improveâ„¢.

Faculty and Administrator log in to the Nuventive Improveâ„¢ system through this link:

http://lssu.tracdat.com

“Assessment Matters”

Course level and Program level assessments are reported annually in Nuventive Improve™ and used to facilitate ongoing improvements to academic programs, academic services, and other student services across campus.  Additional assessments in cocurricular, extracurricular, and administrative areas are also conducted to promote and facilitate a culture of continuous improvement at Lake Superior State University.

In 2015, surveys gathered input from faculty and staff to gauge campus-wide perceptions of assessment practices and value at LSSU.  This information helped focus LSSU’s efforts to improve assessment practices across campus, and to more effectively concentrate those efforts on using assessment to drive continuing improvements in student learning, student services, and across the University.  The survey was re-issued with minor modifications in 2020 to evaluate changes in campus-wide perceptions of assessment practices and value at LSSU.  Among faculty, the 2020 survey results showed increasing assessment and quality of assessment of student learning overall among faculty, increasing commitment to learning assessment among faculty, increasing effectiveness of assessment methods among faculty, and increasing impact of assessment on courses and programs. Among staff, the 2020 survey results showed increasing commitment to assessment as a means of directing decisions and improvements within departments, and a perception that assessment is increasingly relevant to how individuals perform in the workplace.

From 2012-2016, the University demonstrated its student-learning focus through its voluntary participation in the HLC Academy for Assessment of Student Learning. Through this process, the University strengthened learning-centered course and program assessment activities through a four-year sequence of events and interactions.  Those activities successfully targeted and advanced the institution’s efforts to assess and improve student learning, and amplified the institution-wide commitment to productive assessment of student learning that is now firmly ingrained at LSSU.

HLC Academy 2012-2016

2012-2016 Academy for the Assessment of Student Learning.

From 2012-2016, the University demonstrated its student-learning focus through its voluntary participation in the HLC Academy for Assessment of Student Learning. Through this process, the university matured and elevated its commitment to course and program assessment activities through a four-year sequence of events and interactions. LSSU’s efforts in the Academy helped to direct and intensify the University’s culture of robust assessment processes in support of an institution-wide commitment to student learning. The University entered the Academy in the summer of 2012 graduating with a successful project in June 2016.

1. Initial Documents

2. February 2013 Version 2.0 Activity Detail Support Documents

3. August 2013 Version 3.0 Activity Detail and Support Documents

4. February 2014 Version 4.0 Activity Detail and Support Documents

5. August 2014 Version 5.0

Memoranda and supporting documents from The Assessment Committee/Academy Team providing feedback and recommendations regarding assessment, program review, and accreditation.

6. February 2015 Version 6.0

7. Version 7.0 project resources

8. Impact Report and Results Forum, June 8-10, 2016

 

Assessment Committee

University Assessment Committee

Welcome

The University Assessment Committee provides assessment oversight, and promotes and supports assessment across all areas of the institution.

  • Academic assessment is an ongoing, open, evaluative process focused on improving student learning.  It requires the University to make its learning expectations clear to students and to establish appropriate learning outcomes at the course and program levels.  It helps determine how well student performance matches the expected outcomes.  The resulting information is used to inform changes in courses and programs for the improvement of student learning.
  • At the institutional level, operational units assess the learning achieved by their student workers, and those units also assess learning outcomes specific to their service interactions with students.  In addition, all operational units conduct full reviews of their programs, services, and processes on a five-year cycle. The resulting information is used to direct improvements within the units, and to support and improve student learning.

     2021-2022 Annual Assessment Reports:

Institutional Learning Outcomes Assessment

2021-2022 University Assessment Committee Annual Report

Assessment of General Education Learning Outcomes

2022 General Education Committee Annual Assessment Summary

 

Nuventive Improveâ„¢ is LSSU’s centralized assessment database, designated to archive assessment findings and to provide reporting tools for institutional analysis and continuing improvement actions across all areas of the University.

Nuventive Improve Login Home Page
Nuventive Improveâ„¢

 

Committee Membership

The University Assessment Committee is comprised of a representative group from the broader campus, each overseeing and reporting for assessment initiatives in their areas:

  • Co-Chair: Kimberly Muller (Interim Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs)
  • Co-Chair: Gail Essmaker (Vice-Provost for Accreditation & Assessment)
  • Kathy Berchem (Dean, College of Health & Behavior)
  • Charlotte Kostelyk (Faculty; General Education Committee member)
  • Thomas Meacham (Faculty; Director of the Arts Center)
  • Mindy McCready (Faculty; Chair: Lukenda School of Business)
  • Mike Beazley (Dean of Student Affairs)
  • Kate Bergel (Director of Human Resources, Title IX, Safety, & Risk)
  • Gabriel Schmidt (Assistant Athletics Director)
  • Admission/Financial Aid representative (currently unfilled)
  • Business Operations representative (currently unfilled)

Charge to the Committee:

The University Assessment Committee will meet monthly. The broad composition of this committee ensures that every area on campus is engaged in annual assessment, including reporting of results and use of results.

Members of the committee will report assessment data, including findings, use of results, and budget implications, from their own units to the committee. The committee will perform collective data analysis for all reporting units to produce an annual report of that analysis, and its interpretation by the committee, to the Provost’s Office no later than the second Friday in June each year.  The committee’s annual report to the Provost will include a summary of all institutional assessments, along with interpretation of those assessments and proposed use of results.  Through this evaluative process, the committee will identify any gaps on campus where further engagement in annual assessment is needed.  In addition, the annual report of the University Assessment Committee will provide supporting evidence to meet HLC’s Accreditation Criterion 5.C.2: “The institution links its processes for assessment of student learning, evaluation of operations, planning and budgeting.”  Lastly, the committee will examine the 5-Year Program Reviews conducted across campus, providing feedback to units.

 

Instruments of Assessment for Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO Assessment – Student Athlete Evaluations

ILO Assessment – Student Worker Evaluations

ILO Assessment – Academic Program Capstone Courses

Resources

Resources

Several new features, and a refreshed user interface, were incorporated into the new release of Nuventive Improveâ„¢ (formerly Tracdat). New training resources will be posted on this page as they become available. The Provost’s Office supports faculty and staff in assessment activities, and in the use of Improveâ„¢, through a variety of resources and professional development opportunities. Please contact Dr. Gail Essmaker for assistance.

LSSU Academic Assessment

General Resources for Using Nuventive Improveâ„¢

LSSU Administrative and Support Services Assessment


Assessment Training Resources

Schedule training for your School or administrative unit:

  • Assessment Presentations
  • Student Learning Outcomes
  • Assessment in Student Affairs and Student Services
  • The Assessment Commons with over 1600 links from over 500 college and university assessment offices
  • Customized Training events and Professional Development are available at the school or departmental level
  • Writing effective and measurable Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs)
  • LSSU University-Wide Guidelines – Defining Course Levels (2018)

If you would like to schedule training for assessment needs of any type, please contact Gail Essmaker, Vice-Provost for Accreditation and Assessment ([email protected]), 906-635-2278

External Assessment Resources

Please contact [email protected] with questions or concerns regarding this web page.  Not all links are active at this time; new resources will be posted when available.  We welcome your suggestions for new or improved resources.

Direct Loan Exit Counseling

Direct Loan Exit Counseling

Exit counseling explains the basic facts about the repayment of your Federal Direct Loan(s) along with your rights and responsibilities as a borrower. Other important topics such as deferment, consolidation, and default are discussed. This information will help you to manage the repayment of your student loan debt and to avoid any difficulties that could adversely affect your credit rating or your eligibility for student loans and other aid in the future.

Federal regulations require all students who have received Federal Direct Loans (subsidized and/or unsubsidized) to complete Exit Counseling for the following reasons:

  • Student has graduated.
  • Student is attending less than half-time. (Enrolled in less than 6 credits.)
  • Student withdraws from the University.
  • Student is not returning to LSSU after his/her current semester ends.

Steps to complete Exit Counseling:

  1. Go to https://studentaid.gov/
  2. Log In using your FSA username and Password.
  3. Click on I’m in Repayment drop down. 
  4. Click on Complete Exit Counseling.
  5. Click on Start.
  6. Select School information and then click continue.
  7. Read through the information in order to answer the questions.
  8. Once completed, the indicated school(s) will receive confirmation of completion.

CAUTION: Consolidation of Federal Student Loans with any private loans will convert the Federal Student Loans to private loans. You will lose all Federal deferment, forbearance, and forgiveness options.

If you have any questions, please contact us by phone at (906) 635-2678 or by fax at (906) 635-6669.