About
Boston College鈥檚 accrediting agency, the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), cites two primary dimensions of continuous improvement: quality assurance (a public role) and quality improvement (a private role) and both dimensions are often summarized under the concept of student learning assessment.聽 NECHE鈥檚 standard on assessment, i.e., Standard Four: Educational Effectiveness and the Success of All Students requires that:聽
鈥 an institution demonstrates its educational effectiveness and the success of all students by ensuring appropriate levels of student achievement on mission-appropriate student outcomes.聽 Based on sustained, evidence-based reflection and study, the institution employs comprehensive quality assurance processes to demonstrate and continually improve institutional effectiveness and student learning and success.
Serving as a mechanism to address this Standard, NECHE requires the submission of its 鈥淓1A鈥 aka 鈥淢aking Assessment More Explicit鈥 form.聽 All curricular and co-curricular programs complete this form annually so as to foster 自慰视频鈥檚 culture of continuous improvement, while also maintaining compliance with the NECHE requirement.
- The E1A template can be found here:
- The E1A is due annually on July 1st聽
For example, a typical assessment cycle for a program/department would be along these lines:
- July 2023: Program staff and/or faculty meet during the summer to identify which learning outcome to assess for the upcoming academic year
- Academic year 2023 (fall semester) and 2024 (spring semester): During the academic year, assessment data are collected and reviewed
- April 2024: The assessment results and ideas for changes, along with a plan to implement proposed changes, are discussed at a late spring/early summer program and/or department meeting聽
- July 2024: The E1A is prepared and submitted by July 1st
The completed E1A is submitted to the following contacts:
- Core Curriculum 鈥 Elizabeth Shlala
- MCAS Undergraduate Programs 鈥 Tom Mogan
- MCAS Graduate Programs 鈥 Christine Murphy
- Carroll School Undergraduate Programs 鈥 Peter Martin
- Carroll School Graduate Programs 鈥 Peter Martin
- Connell School Undergraduate Programs 鈥 Peter Martin
- Connell School Graduate Programs 鈥 Peter Martin
- Lynch School Undergraduate Programs 鈥 Jess Greene
- Lynch School Graduate Programs 鈥 Jess Greene
- Clough School Programs 鈥 Peter Martin
- Law School Programs 鈥 Jess Greene
- School of Social Work Programs 鈥 Peter Martin
- Woods College Undergraduate Programs 鈥 Jess Greene
- Woods College Graduate Programs 鈥 Jess Greene
- Prison Education Program 鈥 Peter Martin
- Messina College Programs 鈥 Jess Greene
- University Mission and Ministry 鈥 Kate Daly
- Division of Student Affairs 鈥 Claire Ostrander
E1A Template
Please use the current E1A form template found here: 鈥 note that this has been updated by NECHE (2025) and now replaces the former form (active 2016-2025).
E1A Forms
These example E1A forms explain the pertinent sections of the sample program鈥檚 assessment write-ups.
Examples:
