Assessment
In line with the LAU culture of assessment, the mission and goals of its Department of Institutional Research & Assessment, and in compliance with the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) Standards and Guidelines for assessment and evaluation, the LAU School of Pharmacy has developed a comprehensive plan for School-related assessment and evaluation activities. A standing School Assessment and Evaluation Committee is in charge of planning, overseeing and directing all of these activities.
Assessment and Evaluation Committee
The School Assessment and Evaluation Committee consists of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs as a standing member, two elected members from each department, one assessment officer, and one pharmacy student from the professional program. One of the faculty members also serves as a liaison on the School Curriculum Committee in order to closely coordinate the committee’s activities for curricular assessment. The main duties and responsibilities of the committee are to identify, plan, implement, support, report and monitor all School-related assessment and evaluation activities. The assessment officer main responsibilities are to coordinate and assist in the planning and execution of assessment and evaluation plans and activities in line with the ACPE Standards and Guidelines, the School’s curriculum needs, program evaluations, students’ learning assessment, and any other quality improvement initiatives.
Assessment Plan
The School of Pharmacy assessment plan is aimed at programmatic assessment of the School Mission, Program Educational Goals (PEGs), Program Educational Outcomes (PEOs), Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs), and other school programmatic components including student affairs and admission, facilities, governance and organization, faculty, preceptors, and staff. The plan incorporates direct and indirect methods of assessment in order to provide comprehensive measures that allow triangulation of results. The plan follows a clear schedule and timeline with identified instruments, responsible parties, and a strategy for its administration and application. Assessment findings are incorporated within the assessment plan for periodic feedback and improvement of programmatic components.
The assessment of the achievement of the School mission and PEGs are based on the input of the following program constituencies: students; alumni; employers; and prominent leaders in the pharmacy field and higher education who make up the School Advisory Council. The assessment cycle extends over 3 years. The input of students and Advisory Council members on PEGs is gathered through focus groups. The input of alumni and employers is collected through surveys once every 3 years.
All PEOs are aligned with the School Mission and PEGs. For each outcome, 3 to 5 measurable Key Performance Criteria (KPC) have been identified. All courses are mapped to the KPC at three levels “Introduce, Reinforce, and Apply”. KPCs are assessed at the “Apply” level. PEOs and KPCs are assessed through direct evaluation instruments that include embedded questions, scoring rubrics, exit exam, oral exam, and behavioral observations, and indirect evaluation instruments such as exit survey, course evaluation, student survey by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP), student focus groups, and national survey of student engagement (NSSE). For each instrument, the frequency, type of data collected, population assessed, and performance standard were identified. The PEOs and KPCs are assessed over a three-year cycle (PEGs, PEOs and KPC Assessment Process).
The assessment of SLOs in courses is at the introductory and reinforced levels. To assess the achievement of SLOs, one direct (embedded exam questions) and one indirect (SLO evaluation survey) assessment instruments are used. SLO assessment is repeated once every 3 years, with every course assessed at least once.