Academic Assessment

Academic Assessment Overview

At NCC, academic assessment is a powerful tool — one that helps us ensure our programs are truly working for our students. We collect and analyze data to understand what our students know, how well they understand it, and what they’re able to do with that knowledge.

This is not a one-and-done thing; it’s about creating opportunities for all students to thrive. Assessment at NCC follows a process: all of our programs establish plans, try things out, review the results, and of course, make needed adjustments along the way. All of this is designed to be done on an ongoing basis to make our programs better and give students the best experience we can.

NCC's General Education (Gen Ed) Core Curriculum is part of the academic experience that all students enrolled in our degree programs have in common. The Gen Ed Core Curriculum is designed to go hand-in-hand with the major courses to develop skills that will serve students in their academic study, careers, and in their lives. The knowledge and skills that are part of the Gen Ed Core Curriculum are reinforced throughout the other major courses and electives.

 

What Middle States (MSCHE) says about Gen Ed

Standard III - Design and Delivery of the Student Learning Experience: An institution provides students with learning experiences that are characterized by rigor and coherence at all program, certificate, and degree levels, regardless of instructional modality. All learning experiences, regardless of modality, program pace/schedule, level, and setting are consistent with higher education expectations.

  • Offers a sufficient scope to draw students into new areas of intellectual experience, expanding their cultural and global awareness and cultural sensitivity, and preparing them to make well-reasoned judgments outside as well as within their academic field;
  • Offers a curriculum designed so that students acquire and demonstrate essential skills including at least oral and written communication, scientific and quantitative reasoning, critical analysis and reasoning, technological competency, and information literacy. Consistent with mission, the general education program also includes the study of values, ethics, and diverse perspectives.

NCC's General Education Outcomes

The curricular core requirements are expressed as learning outcomes across eight learning domains that fall into two categories: (1) Knowledge of Arts, Cultures, and the Natural World and (2) Intellectual and Practical Skills.

Knowledge of Arts, Cultures and the Natural World

  • Arts and Humanities
  • Social Science
  • Science
  • Diversity & Global Awareness

Intellectual and Practical Skills

  • Communication
  • Technological Competence
  • Quantitative Literacy
  • Information Literacy

Accreditation and program reviews are about making sure we’re always operating at our best by providing students with the highest quality education possible. The review processes ensure that our programs are not only effective, but also relevant, evolving with the needs of our students and the expectations of the world around us.

Institutional Accreditation

 

Program Accreditation

NCC partners with a number of organizations who ensure we meet the highest standards for our accredited programs. Below, is a list of those accrediting institutions, along with the programs they review and certify:

Academic Assessment Committee

The Academic Assessment Shared Governance Committee is charged with supporting a systematic, equitable, and meaningful approach to assessing student learning and academic programs. This work ensures alignment with institutional goals and accreditation requirements while fostering a culture of continuous improvement in teaching and learning.

The committee is responsible for:

  • Establishing procedures, requirements, and standards for annual assessment reports and five-year program reviews, ensuring consistency and effectiveness across all academic programs.
  • Facilitating faculty efforts to gather evidence of student learning, providing resources and technical support to enhance assessment processes.
  • Analyzing direct and indirect assessment measures to provide informed recommendations to deans and faculty for improving the student learning experience.
  • Promoting institutional transparency, the committee ensures that assessment findings are shared across the college, fostering a data-informed approach to academic excellence.

Membership:

  • Assistant Dean Academic Assessment
  • 1 School Dean
  • 1 Associate Dean
  • Between 1-3 full-time faculty members from each school
  • 1 representative from Budget Committee
  • 1 representative from Institutional Effectiveness


Ex-Officio Members:

  • Provost
  • Vice Provost, Academic Affairs

 

View College Effectiveness Council and College Operations and Support Services Assessment Committee

*Forthcoming Spring 2025*


Next Steps

With 120+ high-quality programs at a highly affordable cost, you can build specialized skills to advance in your career path — fast. And with flexible class formats and convenient locations, it's never been easier to join us.

Northampton Community College

Northampton Community College
3835 Green Pond Road
Bethlehem PA 18020
610.861.5300

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