McNeese Other Institutional Data

Institutional Research and Effectiveness

General Program Evaluation

All academic programs at McNeese State University undergo numerous internal and external evaluation processes. Programs with professional accreditation bodies (such as those in Engineering, Business, Nursing, Clinical and Health Sciences, Art, Music, and Education) undergo external evaluations on a 3 to 7 year basis depending on the accrediting association. Programs for which there is no professional accreditation entity (or for which one is not required by the state), undergo an internal evaluation by a broad constituency of McNeese faculty and administrators on a seven-year cycle. In general, program evaluations are based on several factors, including but not limited to the following:

Strength and currency of curriculum/course offerings
Strength of faculty in terms of teaching ability and professional accomplishments
Level of success at meeting student learning outcomes and measurements
Overall productivity and contribution to the university including such items as
1. number students recruited and enrolled
2. students graduated
3. student retained
4. importance of program’s course offerings to general education and for supporting the curriculum of other programs
5. ability of program to draw students to the institution, even if they choose other majors along the way.

Program and Student Learning Outcome Evaluation and Measurement

McNeese State University follows the principles of the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) as part of its Reaffirmation of Accreditation process.

In The Principles of Accreditation: Foundations for Quality Enhancement, Comprehensive Standard 3.3.1, subset 3.3.1.1, addresses the process for evaluating the effectiveness of each program and for explaining student outcomes expected for each program and their measurement:

3.3.1 The institution identifies expected outcomes, assesses the extent to which it achieves these outcomes, and provides evidence of improvement based on analysis of the results in each of the following areas:

3.3.1.1 educational programs, to include student learning outcomes.
Each program measures general university learning outcomes, general education outcomes, and discipline-specific outcomes. These are measured by using a variety of tools including standardized test, course-level embedded assessments (exams with keyed questions), evaluation rubrics, and in some cases professional licensure exams.

Additionally, on an annual basis every academic program and educational unit submits a report that details progress toward reaching specific university goals and learning outcomes. A selection of these progress reports are evaluated annually by a cross-section of campus personnel, and the Office of Institutional Effectiveness prepares an annual report of learning outcome attainment.

Evaluation of Student Experiences

Student Affairs personnel annually review data pertaining to student satisfaction of a broad range of student life experiences. These reviews inform the development of activities and events pertaining to student life and support services.

McNeese partners with the University of Louisiana System to administer the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) and the Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory. These surveys are administered on an alternating basis each spring semester. Our response rate for the Spring 2014 NSSE Survey was 39%. Our response rate for the Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory was 61%.