Iowa State University

Higher Learning Commission Accreditation

Academic Profile - Learning and Teaching Assessment

Graduate education is characterized by ongoing evaluation. In many programs, coursework performance, though important, plays a role secondary to demonstration of the ability to synthesize, problem solve, and conduct original research. Assessments of these abilities are provided by regular meetings of a POS committee, preliminary examinations for PhD students, a final oral examination, and for many degrees the defense of a thesis or dissertation that describes a body of original work. Major Graduate College assessment requirements and monitoring activities include the following:

• A minimum GPA of 3.0 required to maintain good standing. Students with lower GPA's are placed on probation to assure active monitoring.
• Program of Study (POS) requirements assuring that every student is evaluated and holistically assessed by a faculty committee.
• Final examination requirement that requires students to present and defend a synthesis of their graduate experience to their POS committees.
• Articulated learning objectives for every graduate program, accompanied by mechanisms for assessing learning success.
• Publication and dissemination of data reflecting on the quality of graduate education at Iowa State University, including reports detailing admissions, enrollment trends, and degree completion/attrition profiles. (These reports are available on an ongoing basis at http://www.grad-college.iastate.edu/about/stats.html.)

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