Universities dedicate significant time, talent, and resources to the work of assessment. Most institutions consider assessment an important self-monitoring practice to ensure they are delivering on their mission and promises to students; they are also required by accreditors to perform assessment of student learning. But, as David Eubanks, assistant vice president for institutional effectiveness at Furman University and a former member of the AALHE (Association for the Assessment of Learning in Higher Education) board, noted, “the difficulty in using assessment results to improve academic programs is a recurring theme at assessment conferences.”
