1. Writing Program-level Student Learning Outcomes (PSLOs)
Practicing Assessment Leadership Within Departments and Institutional Supports for this Work

2. Participants in Session A Will Be Able To:
Identify programs within their departments
Explain Program Student Learning Outcomes and their role in a continuous improvement cycle to colleagues within their department (including their role in program review)
Evaluate particular PSLOs, identifying their stronger and weaker elements
Assist and lead colleagues in their own departments through the process of drafting PSLOs by the end of Fall Term.

3. Participants in Session B Will Be Able To:
Identify College Goals for PSLOs
Follow some suggested processes
Understand resources and materials available to support this process
Contact appropriate others for help.

4. What’s a “Program”?
Any conceptual grouping of more than one course together as an educational unit that appreciable numbers of students might take, for which it makes sense to define outcomes
At a minimum: Every formal degree/certificate/certification is a program
The opposite extreme: Even a two-course sequence can be considered a program

5. Your Programs What programs are offered by your department?
Examples of Programs

6. Stakeholders
Who are the stakeholders in your program(s)?
Examples of Stakeholders

7. Making Claims about Programs
What claims can we make about how our students change by experiencing the components of your program(s)?
Examples of Claims
Claims = Program SLOs

8. Let’s Practice
Learning About Components and Strengths of Written Program Students Learning Outcomes

9. Components of well-written PSLOs
Describes an observable behavior of the learner (Uses an action verb – See reverse for examples)
Specific content and expectations for behavior is stated
Easily and similarly understood by stakeholders

10. Components of well-written PSLOs
Easily and similarly understood by stakeholders
Faculty in your program, or faculty who are part of a similar program at other institutions, should be able to the read the collection of PSLOs and know what concepts need to be understood, skills mastered, and issues addressed within the collection of courses The PSLOs are strong enough to drive the curriculum.

11. Components of well-written PSLOs
Easily and similarly understood by stakeholders
Prospective students and parents/family of prospective students can understand what they’ll be able to do when they complete the program. The PSLOS clearly communicate the added-value of the program to prospective students and their parents/families.

12. Components of well-written PSLOs
Easily and similarly understood by stakeholders
Assure stakeholders that students exit the program with the appropriate knowledge, skills, and abilities to be successful
Prospective employers should be able to discern the skill sets of graduates of career technical programs.
Transfer institutions should be able to discern the skill sets of graduates of educational programs that build upon this one.

13. Practice Writing PSLOs
At 2 PM, be prepared to review and discuss your answers.
2:15 Break time
We’ll reconvene at 2:30 for Session B.

14. Recap of College Goals for PSLOs
Use what you have learned to lead your department through the development or revision of PSLOs.
Meet deadlines for Blueprint/Planning/Catalog
Active Involvement by your department and other stakeholders is needed for this process

15. Basic Steps of Process Identify your programs
Identify the roles your students play after they complete your program that are influenced by having been in your program
Based on those roles, identify stakeholders to participate in the process

16. Basic Steps of Process
During Fall term, gather input from department members and stakeholders on what successful graduates are able to do in those roles as a result of having been in your program.
Use that input to craft well-written, robust PSLOs  

17. Review a Suggested Process
Review Handout

18. Academic Leadership Is what you need to do to accomplish clear to you?
Are you aware of the resourses that are available to you?
What do you need to be successful?

19. Institutional Supports
Available Resources and Materials
Guidebooks and Instructional Materials
Facilitation (Help us define what sorts of facilitation you might need)
Customized professional development

20. What else can be provided to help you be successful?
Let us know if your department needs additional resources or support they need to do this work.
Remember facilitators are available to help you with any step in this process!!!
Any final thoughts?