University Assessment Council

UAC works to advance continuous improvement practices for administrative and academic support units at RIT. This council also provides guidance and coordination related to data collection and reporting across divisions. The council is comprised of a representative from each of RIT’s divisions and is chaired by the Director of Educational Effectiveness and the Director of Data, Analytics, and Planning for Student Affairs.

The UAC will support the process of continual self-evaluation and improvement at RIT. The purpose of the UAC is to sustain continued work in the assessment and preparation of RIT students for innovative, creative, and successful careers in a global society. The UAC conducts its work throughout the year and has a responsibility to:

• Foster a culture within the RIT community to support a continuous improvement model.
• Utilize a consistent and unified structure and processes to demonstrate the use of data to inform continuous improvement.
• Promote best practices that support institutional effectiveness initiatives. 
• Promote a campus-wide understanding of how various administrative units contribute to the university’s mission and goals. 

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education provides a clear direction for institutional assessment in Standard VI Planning, Resources, and Institutional Improvement. “The institution’s planning processes, resources, and structures are aligned with each other and are sufficient to fulfill its mission and goals, to continuously assess and improve its programs and services, and to respond effectively to opportunities and challenges.”

To meet this standard, the following goals have been prioritized:

• Share understanding of effective institutional effectiveness strategies and metrics.
• Develop a consistent and unified structure and process for using data in decision-making to make informed decisions, meaningful changes, and improvements within the divisions.
• Support and advise on the alignment of goals and outcomes with RIT’s Strategic Plan and institutional priorities.
• Promote continuous improvement practices among division leadership and within the university (e.g. reporting and sharing data with all divisions as appropriate).
• Monitor university compliance with Middle States institutional effectiveness requirements, standards, and expectations.
• Create opportunities for focused discussion and professional development on assessment across campus recognizing and learning from the variability of strategies and practices across campus.