Office of Assessment

Curriculum Maps
New Faculty Assessment Orientation
Student Assessment Plan
UAPB Assessment Manual
Longitudinal Assessment Transition Points
Entry Level
Entry Level assessments include information provided to the University through the application process and initially entered into our Student Information System. These assessments include college entrance exam scores (ACT, SAT), high school GPA, class rank, and demographic data. The University College is the academic unit responsible for monitoring student performance on entrance examinations and placement in developmental courses designed to remove academic deficiencies. Section 19 of Act 1052 of the 1987 Arkansas Legislature requires all state-supported colleges and universities to institute a Freshmen Assessment and Placement Program.
Mid Level
In early 2018, the Office of Assessment recommended that the ETS Proficiency Profile replace the discontinued CAAP exam as the institution’s mid-level assessment (i.e. rising junior exam). The Proficiency Profile was first administered during spring 2018. The ETS Proficiency Profile tests the same skill areas as the CAAP exam, including reading, writing, math, natural sciences, humanities (i.e. arts & literature), and social sciences. Unlike the discontinued CAAP exam, the Proficiency Profile also provides an assessment of Critical Thinking
Exit Level
Learning outcomes related to discipline-specific knowledge are assessed with Senior Assessments. Comprehensive Examinations are administered within Departments or degree programs. Scantron answer sheets, along with a key, are brought to the Assessment Office. Answer sheets are scored, and the data, in electronic format, are returned to the degree program or Department. The Comprehensive Examination is divided into sections related to knowledge, skill, or competency areas, such that performance on the exam can be traced back to mastery of specific competency areas. Some academic units are using standardized tests generated by accrediting agencies or other professional entities in place of a Comprehensive Examination. For example, the School of Education is using the ETS® Praxis II exam and the School of Business is using the Peregrine Academic Services standardized exam in Business Administration and Accounting. These types of standardized exams serve the same purpose as the Comprehensive Examination. The Assessment Office receives electronic scores from these standardized exams, which could be linked back to performance at other transition points using the Student ID as the common database element. A Senior Assessment can also take the form of a Senior Project. Departments must construct a rubric with 4 levels of accomplishment for each knowledge, skill, or competency demonstrated by the Senior Project. The Senior Project will be assessed according to the rubric, using a Scantron sheet. Scantron assessment sheets are brought to the Assessment Office. Assessments are scored, and the data, in electronic format, are returned to the degree program or Department.
Follow Up Level
Follow up assessment takes the form of a satisfaction surveys of alumni. Satisfaction surveys assess alumni’s preparation for life, the world of work and/ or graduate studies. They measure programs and extra-curricular activities and their effects on the achievement of learning outcomes vital to a student’s complete development. Although satisfaction surveys are a transition point assessment, they are not tied to the other transition point assessments through a student ID. Nevertheless, they are an integral part of assessing whether academic units are producing graduates competitive in the job market and in graduate school.
Field Experience Management (FEM) at UAPB
During the Fall 2019 term, UAPB contracted for Watermark’s Field Experience Management (FEM) add-on. FEM is a tool used to manage assessments of learning outcomes during internships, field experiences, and student teaching. FEM allows assessment of learning outcomes by a Mentor (such as principals or teachers in a school district or the direct report at the field site), a Supervisor (a UAPB instructor for the course associated with the field experience), or even the Intern (student undertaking the internship or field experience). For the Supervisor and the Intern, assessments are conducted in their existing LiveText account. Mentors receive, via email from support@watermarkinsights.com a username, password, and login instructions for an account where assessments are conducted. Assessment rubrics unique to each type of field experience are created and shared with the Mentor, Supervisor and Intern, and archived within LiveText.
Field experiences are managed within degree programs by Placement Coordinators. The Placement Coordinator is responsible for updating a database of site data, Mentor data (especially the mentor’s email address), and subject data. This is done using templates provided by the FEM Administrator (Mr. Arthur Thomas). Templates are Excel files with standardized fields, required for setting up FEM in LiveText. Placement Coordinators send updates of these templates to Mr. Thomas each semester. Placement Coordinators are also responsible for assigning an Intern to a site and to a Mentor at the beginning of every field experience.
The Office of Assessment takes responsibility for administering FEM, while Placement Coordinators and degree programs themselves are responsible for providing Mentor and Site data, via the FEM Mentor and FEM Sites templates, and for generating assessments for various actors in the field experience.
Click training session for Placement Coordinators to review the session for Placement Coordinators held on August 20, 2019.
- Mentors who don’t know their username or password
- Interns (i.e. students) log on to LiveText and work in the Field Experience Module (self-assessment, tracking hours, etc.)
- How supervisors, interns, and mentors use FEM University of Florida
LiveText FAQ’s
How do I access LiveText for my use?
You will need Internet access and a LiveText Standard Student Membership. The menu on the left provides a link to the LiveText Website.
How much does it cost and what do I get for it?
It has already been paid for by the University.
The LiveText Student Membership – Standard Edition – offers you full access to LiveText Solutions for the entire time you are enrolled in a program. Renewal rates to extend services after LiveText membership expiration are available for one, two, and three-year periods.
Where can I get help learning how to use LiveText?
The LiveText website has a number of training resources for your use. In addition, the LiveText Help Center provides additional training and information.
Does it matter which browser I use to access my LiveText account?
Yes, FireFox is the recommended FREE Internet browser for use with LiveText, But Chrome and Safari work just fine.
Why use LiveText when students already use Blackboard?
Students can create and store documents in LiveText for long-term access even after graduation.
LiveText allows the college to align student work with professional standards for program accreditation purposes.
LiveText also allows the College to aggregate student assignment data for reporting purposes.
I forgot my username and/or password. What should I do?
Contact LiveText and they will email you your information. Also the popup menu under login has a “Forgot Password” link.
I recently got married and changed my name. Should I update it with LiveText?
Yes! keeping your contact information up to date with LiveText will prevent unnecessary delays and confusion.
To change your name in LiveText, log into your current account and submit your request to support@livetext.com.
Contact Us
Arthur Thomas, LiveText Administrator
Office of Assessment
thomasa@uapb.edu
870-575-8173
Steve Lochmann, Director
Office of Assessment
assessment@uapb.edu
870-575-8170
Go to LiveText
Annual Assessment Reports
Degree Program Learning Outcomes

Office of Assessment

Oral Communication and Critical Thinking are the Institutional Student Learning Outcomes to be assessed during the 2024-25AY.

Goal of Assessment

The basic goal of assessment is to improve student learning. Students, instructors, and co-curricular personnel are all involved in the collection of data to support assessment of student learning. Adequate analysis and interpretation of assessment data is necessary to support the decision-making process at the University, School, Department, degree program, and co-curricular unit levels. The Assessment Office includes a Director, responsible for all aspects of assessment at UAPB. One of the primary responsibilities of the Director is assessment data analyses and interpretation of analyses in conjunction with academic and co-curricular units. The LiveText Administrator also works in the Office of Assessment. This administrator is responsible for all aspects of the University’s assessment management system, including instructor training, reporting, and troubleshooting.

What is Livetext?

The assessment management system, LiveText, will be the repository of key assessments of University-wide learning outcomes (a six-year rotation of seven learning outcomes, two to three outcomes assessed every two years). The artifacts demonstrating the learning outcomes of the key assessments will be archived in the system. The rubrics used for these learning outcomes will be consistent across the University, allowing comparisons among units.

University-wide Student Learning Outcomes

The Assessment Office has identified six student learning outcomes that are aligned with the mission and vision of the University. The learning outcomes are a subset of outcomes identified by the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) in their Value Rubrics. They include Written Communication, Oral Communication, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, Teamwork and Foundations and Skills for Lifelong Learning. The Assessment Office is developing curriculum maps of key assessments of those learning outcomes across academic and co-curricular units. The Assessment Office plans to assess two to three of the seven learning outcomes every two years in a 6-year rotation. Key assessments of University-wide student learning outcomes are archived in LiveText and assessed according to the AAC&U Value Rubrics. LiveText facilitates reporting on learning outcomes within and among academic units.

Student Learning Outcomes in Academic Units

The Assessment Office is working with each academic department to plan assessments of degree program student learning outcomes for each baccalaureate degree programs. Departments have articulated degree program leaning outcomes and created curriculum maps indicating where student learning outcomes are introduced, reinforced and assessed for mastery. Departments are developing rubrics for each degree program student learning outcome allowing rubric-based assessments at key point during the student’s development. The key assessments are archived in LiveText and assessed according to rubrics standardized across the department’s curriculum.

Schools, Departments, and degree programs may have assessment needs relative to accreditation at the unit level. The Assessment Office works with accredited/licensed/state certified academic units to fulfill their assessment requirements and undertake program reviews for accreditation in two specific ways. The Assessment Office helps create curriculum maps, key assessments, and rubrics in LiveText related to professional standards outlined by accrediting agencies. The Assessment Office also helps units design database tables of unit-specific key assessments. If unit-specific key assessments are organized by Student ID, the relationships between transition point learning outcomes and discipline-specific learning outcomes can be examined. Examples of unit-specific key assessments would include portfolio assignments, capstone course assignments, professional licensure tests, or accrediting agency competencies.

The Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board revised their policy for review of existing academic programs (AHECB Policy 5.12) in 2008. The policy states that, “Accredited/licensed/state certified programs will follow the usual review practices and schedule of the accrediting/approval body.” Academic units not program-specific accredited will be “externally reviewed every 7-10 years.” The Assessment Office helps academic units not program –specific accredited undertake self studies by creating curriculum maps, key assessments, and rubrics in LiveText related to unit goals, by designing database tables of unit-specific key assessments, and by assisting with analysis and interpretation of relationships within and among unit-specific key assessments and transition point key assessments.

Student Learning Outcomes in Co-curricular Units

Through a variety of co-curricular activities, students gain social and academic skills important to success in their college endeavors. Assessments occur in a variety of co-curricular units in several divisions. Co-curricular units of the Academic Affairs division, which have undertaken assessments, include UAPB’s Quality Initiative, Honors College, Military Science, the Watson Memorial Library, the Viralene J. Coleman Computerized Writing Center, and the International Programs Office. Co-curricular units of the Student Affairs division, which have undertaken assessments, include Career Services, the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership, Disabilities Services and Veterans Affairs, and Title IX. The Stem Academy in the division of Research, Innovation, and Economic Development has undertaken an assessment. Co-curricular units in the division of Enrollment Management and Student Success include the Student Success Center, the LIONs Program, and the Harold Complex Living and Learning Center. The Division of Athletics has also undertaken assessments of a student learning outcome. Student learning outcomes in co-curricular programs revolve around themes of persistence and completion, leadership development, and career readiness.

Contact Us

Steve Lochmann, Director
Office of Assessment
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
UAPB | 1200 North University Drive
Pine Bluff, AR 71601
870-575-8000
assessment@uapb.edu
870-575-8170

Arthur Thomas, LiveText Administrator
Office of Assessment
thomasa@uapb.edu
870-575-8173