In support of UB's ongoing mission provide excellent programs of undergraduate and graduate education, and to meet all criteria for the standards of accreditation for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, it is imperative for all programs to be able to

1.   Identify and document Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs).

2.   Link Program Learning Outcomes to the Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILOs) as established by the 2014 Realizing UB2020 Report with a curriculum map.

3.   Effectively assess each PLO, ideally using both direct and indirect methods of assessment.

4.   Continually meet or improve on each PLO, based on the results of the assessments.

Faculty who are identified as Program Coordinators are responsible for ensuring their programs Learning Outcomes are documented, assessed, and reviewed in UB's AAPAR Platform. If you believe you have been identified as the Program Coordinator in error, or are having difficulty with the site, please contact us via the button below:

The "Program Goals" section contains the following fields which must be completed in AAPAR:

1. Program Goals: Goals are 4-5 short statements that define specific, measurable, and timely targets that will guide actualization of the program mission. Program learning outcomes align to program goals.
   • Tip: check to make sure all of your program's learning outcomes are listed in AAPAR.
2. Program Outcomes: Also known as a Program Learning Outcome, the learning outcome is a statement that defines what knowledge and skills students will be assessed for when they complete a study - what students will know and be able to do because they have completed a program. While a student learning outcome (SLO) can be measured at many levels: course (CLO), program (PLO), and institutional (ILO). For the purposes of the AAPAR student learning outcomes are measured at the program level.
3. Supported Initiatives: Show how program-level learning outcomes support UB's Institutional Learning Outcomes and/or external accrediting bodies. For Schools with additional external mapping needs (such as SEAS, SDM, PHM), please submit a ticket via TDX.
4. Action Plan: Allows for a discussion of changes that were made or will be made to the program or courses in the program based on the results and who reviewed the findings. Set budgetary considerations, add action items with due dates on changes that will be made, and indicate the next time you will assess a specific PLO. Choose a status for your plan (planned, in progress, or complete).
   • Tip: By narrativizing program needs in terms of outcomes and improvements, the budget plan section offers a powerful tool for discussing department funding needs!

The "Assessment Method" sections is where you describe and/or choose from the dropdown menu an existing source of evidence for how the outcome will be measured.

1. Source of Evidence and Description: Choose a source of evidence from the dropdown menu provided and describe it in the space provided.  
2. Methodology: Describe how students will be assessed for this assessment method, when, and how often.
3. Success Criterion: Describe the level of performance which represents mastery and what proportion of students should be achieving mastery and choose a status.
4. Finding: The actual assessment results.
5. Analysis: Assessment results are collected and recorded in a place accessible by program faculty and administrators. Discuss how program faculty are considering results for program modification or improvement. Include Conclusions and recommendations based on consideration of assessment results are regularly shared with administrators and/or in public forums.
6. Improvement(s) Achieved: Describe any improvement already accomplished between your last assessment of the PLO and the current assessment.

The "Project Attachments" section allows you to add supplemental documents that support your report with added details or evidence. To upload, simply drag and drop documents into the bottom of  your report or upload any supporing documents by clicking “browse for files.” Supporting documents can include:

• Narrative and summary reports
• Curriculum maps
• Assessment rubrics
• Evidence of student learning

This section can also contain documents from external accreditation or comprehensive program review, including

• Self-study reports
• Evaluator Reports