Office of Academic Assessment expands its role as the Office of Academic Insight; strengthens its services in facilitating data collection and student learning improvement

Academic units looking to strengthen their assessment practices will have an additional resource beginning Nov. 1 as the Office of Academic Assessment expands its services as the Office of Academic Insight.

The title change comes as the university's central assessment unit adds to its cadre of academic assessment and data collection services by introducing a new Insight Lab. Designed to facilitate research studies on student achievement and support data-driven programming, the Insight Lab will also house the university's Quality Enhancement Plan, or QEP, a critical component of Auburn's accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, or SACSCOC. Guided by an Advisory Committee, the QEP will present a five-year plan to improve student career outcomes as part of Auburn's next reaffirmation process, scheduled for early 2023.

"I am excited to continue to expand the work of the office and bring the Insight Lab to life," said Katie Boyd, director of the Office of Academic Insight. "In the past, our primary focus has been to guide faculty to develop mature assessment practices, and we have emphasized continuous improvement. The office will now be able to support the institution by providing actionable insights toward meaningful use of data."

As members of the Insight Lab, trained analysts and graduate research assistants work with faculty and units interested in facilitating educational research studies to improve student achievement. In addition, the Lab will collaborate with campus partners to plan and design data-informed interventions and publicize programmatic successes that promote best practices.

The Office of Academic Insight will continue to assist programs with completing educational program assessments designed to enhance learning improvement, in addition to reporting university-level metrics, such as graduation rates and first destination information. In addition to academic program review and general education assessment, the unit will also coordinate the Student Core Outcomes and Readiness Evaluation, or SCORE, each semester. A critical component of Auburn's academic assessment goals, SCORE collects and reports on student learning related to the Core Curriculum.

"We are excited about the evolution of the office, especially the creation of the Insight Lab," said Associate Provost for Academic Effectiveness Norman Godwin. "We hope that the Lab becomes a valuable resource for, and partner to, our academic units as they prepare their students for careers and graduate or professional programs."

Additionally, the office will continue to facilitate cohort studies, including Connecting the Creed, a course designed to capture information among incoming students, and Creed to Succeed, a course designed to gather feedback from graduating seniors on their campus engagement and future career plans.

Located in 313 Mary Martin Hall, faculty and units can contact the Office of Academic Insight at (334) 844-6844 and assess1@auburn.edu.