Mission Statement
The Office of Assessment and Research develops methods to measure the undergraduate experience at Holy Cross. Guided by the College’s mission statement and academic goals of a liberal arts education, the office supports the campus community in its effort to gather information to support teaching, learning and programmatic excellence and contributes to campus dialogue on these and other topics, such as social justice, diversity and inclusion, and spiritual growth and development.
The office also works closely with divisions and departments on the development of formative and summative assessment projects in support of the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) standards for accreditation. OAR’s staff provide expertise in the development of student learning goals and outcomes and program objectives, the selection of appropriate assessment measures, and the analysis and interpretation of assessment data. Established in 2007, the office reports to the provost and dean of the College.
The department’s objectives include:
- Design research, assessment, and evaluation studies for multiple purposes, including but not limited to understanding Holy Cross and its community members, and continuous improvement of the College’s academic programs and services.
- Consult with Holy Cross community members to design and implement research, assessment and evaluation studies.
- Build capacity, through training and consultation, across departments and programs at the College to ask and answer research, assessment, and evaluation questions.
- Collect data using a variety of methodologies, including both quantitative and qualitative, as well as direct and indirect measures, to provide relevant data for research, assessment, and evaluation efforts.
- Create research summaries, as well as reports of assessment and/or evaluation analyses.
- Identify constituents and stakeholders that are relevant to the Office of Assessment and Research’s research, assessment, and evaluation activities.
- Distribute and/or present summaries and reports internally and externally to relevant constituents and stakeholders.
Governance
The Office of Assessment and Research reports to the provost and dean of the College. Policy for the office and College related to data collection, use and dissemination is established by the Campuswide Assessment Committee.
Campuswide representation includes:
- Denise Schaeffer, Chair, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Professor of Political Science
- Denise Bell, Director, Office of Assessment and Research,
- Loren Cass, Dean for Experiential Learning and Student Success and Professor of Political Science
- Jane Corr, Special Assistant to the President
- Paul Irish, Assistant to the Vice President for Student Affairs and Director, Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards
- Neal Lipsitz, Associate Dean for Student Development
Policies
The purpose of the Data Collection, Use and Dissemination Policy is to provide the proper guidelines for research and data collection, use, and distribution, in order to facilitate the decision-making, planning, and policy-formulation of the College of the Holy Cross.
Assessment Data Collection, Use and Dissemination Policy (PDF)