Educational Program Review and Assessment | New River Community College

Educational Assessment

Assessment at New River Community College is a faculty-driven, on-going, systematic process of collecting, analyzing, and responding to data related to both general education and program goals and their related outcomes. The process is documented in NETSPACE, which is planning software developed at NRCC that ties strategic planning, budgeting, and institutional effectiveness activities together across all educational programs and administrative units at the college. The intent of this process is to improve student learning and to assist the College in achieving its goal “To ensure that teaching and learning remain the institution's focus.”

General Education Assessment

General education assessment at NRCC strives to improve what the college cares about most: student learning. NRCC’s commitment to student learning is expressed in the college goal “To ensure that teaching and learning remain the institution's focus.” To aid in achieving their college goal of student learning, New River Community College has established a six-year general education assessment reporting plan that is in accordance with a policy established by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) and complies with the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) Policy Manual, including Section 5 (Educational Programs). Provided is an excerpt regarding General Education (Section 5.0.2.0) and the Core Competencies set by VCCS:

5.0.2.0 Associate degree programs provide a coherent, shared experience for students to develop the general education core competencies expected of them as college-educated individuals. General education, as an integrated and cohesive whole, provides the educational foundation necessary to promote intellectual and personal development. Upon completion of the associate degree, graduates of Virginia's Community Colleges will demonstrate competency in student learning outcomes (SLOs) determined and assessed by each college in 1) civic engagement, 2) critical thinking, 3) professional readiness, 4) quantitative literacy, 5) scientific literacy, and 6) written communication.

Collectively, these general education core competencies distinguish graduates of Virginia's Community Colleges as individuals with a breadth of knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to pursue further education and their careers, continue to develop as learners, and contribute to the well-being of their communities. The six competencies are defined in policy with aspirational statements of learning goals for graduates. Each community college will determine and assess specific learning outcomes based on the definitions and aspirational statements.

Student achievement in these six core competencies is updated here annually, as that data is collected.