All students at Missouri S&T are required to participate in appropriate assessment activities. The requirement to assess students originates from a directive from the Governor’s Office and from the legislature of the State of Missouri. Public universities are accountable to the state, and are expected to prove, by demonstrating student learning outcomes, that funds are being spent appropriately and learning objectives are realized.

Consistent with the university’s mission and values, the following seven learning outcomes define skills and knowledge that students are expected to have when graduating from Missouri S&T:

    1.    an ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing;

    2.    an ability to think critically and analyze effectively;

    3.    an ability to apply disciplinary knowledge and skills in solving critical problems;

    4.    an ability to function in diverse learning and working environments;

    5.    an understanding of professional and ethical responsibilities;

    6.    an awareness of national and global contemporary issues; and

    7.    a recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning.

    Student learning outcomes are assessed at the course, program, and institutional levels. Participation in the assessment activities ensures continual improvement and a quality education for current and future generations of students.

    Changes in assessment requirements can affect enrolled students immediately as they are not linked to the catalog year and may change during a student's undergraduate career.

PROFICIENCY PROFILE LETTER TO STUDENTS

Student Roles and Responsibilities

General Education

Major Field

Student Satisfaction and Engagement

  Student Roles and Responsibilities -

    All graduating seniors must fulfill assessment requirements as determined by their major field department, consistent with the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment, the Campus Assessment Committee, and the Board of Curators’ guidelines, before graduating.

    All other full-time students must fulfill assessment requirements as determined by the campus, consistent with the Board of Curator’s guidelines, before registering for further course work.

    Assessment is a process intended to help students and faculty improve student learning and learning experiences. Assessment results help students align their educational goals, learning experiences and outcomes with the courses and services offered by the University. All academic advisors and department chairs have access to the assessment data. Students are encouraged to communicate with their academic advisors and faculty to identify, and enroll in, appropriate courses and seek support services to fulfill their educational goals. Assessment also helps the faculty to improve instruction, pedagogy, course content and technology to better meet the needs of the students.

    Compliance is important to Missouri S&T students, programs, and the entire institution. Specifically, students must cooperate in the following manner, which is subject to change.

General Education -

    Students who have completed between 45-75 credit hours will be scheduled to take a general education test such as the Proficiency Profile (formerly called MAPP) test, which measures four general education skills: reading, mathematics, writing, and critical thinking. Students will be notified the semester they are expected to fulfill the requirements. Should a student fail to meet the requirements as scheduled, registration for future courses will be withheld.

Major Field -

    Seniors are scheduled to take a major field test, such as the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) test or the Major Field Test (MFT), before being approved for graduation. The major field test assesses students’ ability to apply disciplinary knowledge and skills in solving critical problems. Some engineering departments administer faculty developed tests in lieu of the FE examination.

    Students receive the MFT notification from their department. Information about FE test dates and requirements are available through the engineering departments.

Student Satisfaction and Engagement -

    At Missouri S&T, student learning outcomes are also assessed indirectly through surveys of student engagement and satisfaction. Freshmen are scheduled to complete the Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) survey prior to their first day on campus. CIRP collects information about student characteristics: parental income and education, ethnicity, and other demographic items; financial aid; secondary school achievement and activities; educational and career plans; and values, attitudes, beliefs, and self-concept.

    Freshmen and seniors are scheduled to complete the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), which obtains information about student participation in programs and activities that institutions provide for their learning and personal development. 

    All students are scheduled to complete the Student Satisfaction Inventory (SSI), which measures student satisfaction and priorities, as well as what issues are important to them.