Assessment at Chandler-Gilbert Community College
At Chandler-Gilbert Community College, assessment is a collaborative, faculty-driven process focused on improving student learning and success. It takes place at the course, program, and institutional levels using clearly defined learning outcomes to evaluate what students know and can do.
Faculty assess student work using rubrics aligned with course competencies, General Education Student Learning Outcomes (GESLOs), and program learning outcomes (where applicable). Results are collected through Canvas and used to reflect on instruction, identify learning trends, and inform curriculum planning.
The Center for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment (CTLA) works with faculty and staff across campus to evaluate instruction, support assessment efforts, and engage in a cycle of continuous improvement that strengthens teaching and promotes equitable student outcomes.
Faculty assess student work using rubrics aligned with course competencies, General Education Student Learning Outcomes (GESLOs), and program learning outcomes (where applicable). Results are collected through Canvas and used to reflect on instruction, identify learning trends, and inform curriculum planning.
The Center for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment (CTLA) works with faculty and staff across campus to evaluate instruction, support assessment efforts, and engage in a cycle of continuous improvement that strengthens teaching and promotes equitable student outcomes.
What is Assessment?
Assessment is the systematic, ongoing process of improving student learning by establishing measurable learning outcomes, collecting and analyzing data, and using that data to make informed decisions about teaching and curriculum. Effective assessment ensures that students have sufficient and equitable opportunities to achieve those outcomes.
At Chandler-Gilbert Community College (CGCC), assessment is aligned to outcomes and indicators selected at the institutional, district, division, or discipline level. Faculty and staff use a range of instruments to produce objective data, which is then analyzed to identify areas of strength and improvement in student learning.
At Chandler-Gilbert Community College (CGCC), assessment is aligned to outcomes and indicators selected at the institutional, district, division, or discipline level. Faculty and staff use a range of instruments to produce objective data, which is then analyzed to identify areas of strength and improvement in student learning.
Purpose, Philosophy, and Commitments of Assessment at CGCC
At Chandler-Gilbert Community College, assessment is more than a compliance requirement, it is a reflective, faculty-driven process grounded in our mission to empower student growth through learning and community engagement. The purpose of assessment is to support student learning and success through continuous improvement, not to evaluate individual performance.
Our assessment work is aligned with CGCC’s core values:
Our assessment work is aligned with CGCC’s core values:
- Collaboration – Assessment is developed and sustained through dialogue among faculty, staff, and departments to address shared goals for learning.
- Advocacy – We use assessment to identify and remove barriers, ensuring equitable opportunities for all students to succeed.
- Excellence – We strive for ongoing improvement by using evidence to enhance curriculum, instruction, and support systems.
Culture of Assessment
CGCC fosters a culture of assessment in which all academic units engage in thoughtful, sustained reflection on student learning. This culture emphasizes:
- Data-informed decision making
- Transparent practices
- Institutional alignment from course to program to college-level goals
Steps Toward Creating a "Culture of Assessment" at an Institution*
Where is your unit in developing a culture of assessment?
STEP
ATTITUDE
Denial
It’s a fad. If I ignore it, it will go away.
Acceptance
OK. I guess we have to do it.
Resistance
I feel threatened. My department feels threatened. My campus feels threatened. Can I subvert it by not participating in the process or in some other way?
Understanding
Maybe we can learn something useful. Can we use what we’ve already been doing?
Campaign
We have a plan. Maybe it’s not perfect, but let’s get moving!
Collaboration
We have a plan with long-range objectives that are clearly defined, and based on our experiences with assessment, we believe it works.
Institutionalization
We can’t imagine working without assessment. It’s a permanent part of our institutional culture.
*Adapted from Allen, M. J. (2004). Assessing academic programs in higher education, p.7. Anker Publishing Company: Bolton, MA.
Institutional Commitment
CGCC affirms the following institutional commitments to guide our assessment work:
- Non-punitive Use: Assessment results will never be used to make staffing, hiring, or evaluative decisions about faculty or staff.
- Faculty Autonomy: Faculty retain professional judgment over instructional methods and curriculum design.
- Respect for Complexity: Assessment is not expected to capture every dimension of every student's experience.
- Internal Value First: While we meet external accountability requirements, our assessment efforts are primarily for internal improvement and reflection.
Program Review and Program Assessment
Program Review is a five-year cyclical process designed to evaluate the quality, effectiveness, and direction of academic programs. It integrates assessment findings into planning efforts and ensures alignment with strategic priorities and resource decisions.
- Reviews are evidence-based and include both qualitative and quantitative data.
- Programs are encouraged to prioritize improvements that can be made with existing resources. Requests for additional resources must be clearly justified.
- Program Review is closely tied to institutional planning, budgeting, and decision-making processes.
Program Assessment Using Course Assessment
Proceeding from district-level Guided Pathways work, CGCC initiated a pilot process of curriculum mapping laying the groundwork for assessment of Program Learning Outcomes along with Course Competencies and GESLOs. This work will continue and become the overarching method of assessment in which the Program Learning Outcomes are assessed through the assessment of course-level outcomes to ensure that at all levels students are learning what they are promised.
The Assessment Cycle
Assessment at Chandler-Gilbert Community College is a faculty-led, collaborative process designed to support student learning and foster continuous improvement. All faculty, including: residential, adjunct, and dual enrollment instructors, are responsible for assessing course competencies (CLOs) and General Education Student Learning Outcomes (GESLOs) as defined by their discipline. Beginning in Fall 2023, the college initiated curriculum mapping to align CLOs with Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs), enabling course-level assessment data to inform program-level assessment.
Assessment is organized into multi-semester projects scheduled over a five-year cycle, ensuring that each course is assessed at least once. Discipline Assessment Teams (DATs), supported by the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment (CTLA) and the Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Committee (SLOAC), coordinate the planning, implementation, and analysis of assessment activities. Each project uses multiple measures such as Canvas Outcomes, shared assignments, and analytic rubrics across all instructional modalities and term lengths.
Assessment results are used to inform course and program improvements, enhance teaching practices, and contribute to institutional effectiveness. Program-level assessment complements course-level work by documenting where students demonstrate mastery of outcomes across the curriculum. Together, these processes reflect CGCC’s commitment to meaningful, evidence-based assessment that supports educational quality and student success.
This shared framework creates the foundation for assessing CGCC’s General Education Student Learning Outcomes and course competencies, which represent the college’s promise to students and community stakeholders.
Assessment is organized into multi-semester projects scheduled over a five-year cycle, ensuring that each course is assessed at least once. Discipline Assessment Teams (DATs), supported by the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment (CTLA) and the Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Committee (SLOAC), coordinate the planning, implementation, and analysis of assessment activities. Each project uses multiple measures such as Canvas Outcomes, shared assignments, and analytic rubrics across all instructional modalities and term lengths.
Assessment results are used to inform course and program improvements, enhance teaching practices, and contribute to institutional effectiveness. Program-level assessment complements course-level work by documenting where students demonstrate mastery of outcomes across the curriculum. Together, these processes reflect CGCC’s commitment to meaningful, evidence-based assessment that supports educational quality and student success.
This shared framework creates the foundation for assessing CGCC’s General Education Student Learning Outcomes and course competencies, which represent the college’s promise to students and community stakeholders.
Faculty Role in Assessment
All faculty are expected to support and assess both course competencies and CGCC’s General Education Student Learning Outcomes (GESLOs) as defined by their academic discipline. Faculty implement assessment plans developed collaboratively within their departments and are responsible for carrying out these plans across all course modalities, including in-person, hybrid, online, and dual enrollment formats.
- Faculty are responsible for integrating designated SLOs into course design and instruction, following the outcomes and measures determined by their discipline.
- Assessment results are used to inform teaching practices and improve student learning, aligning with CGCC’s commitment to continuous improvement and institutional effectiveness.
Discipline Assessment Teams
It is recommended that each discipline form an assessment team of key stakeholders for designing assessment projects, interpreting and reporting assessment results, and making changes to courses and curriculum. There is no limit to the number of participants. Each discipline is free to choose the composition of their assessment team according to the conditions unique to each discipline.
The Assessment Project
Each assessment project at CGCC is a faculty-led initiative designed to evaluate student learning using multiple, discipline-defined measures aligned with course competencies and General Education Student Learning Outcomes (GESLOs). Projects are collaboratively planned by Discipline Assessment Teams and implemented within the college’s five-year assessment cycle.
The Assessment Project Activity Template, shared via Google Docs by the CTLA, is the primary tool for planning and documentation. The cloud-based format supports real-time collaboration, transparency, and visibility across faculty and staff. Rather than being “submitted,” templates remain accessible for iterative planning, reflection, and refinement throughout the project lifecycle.
As a public institution, CGCC upholds transparency in assessment processes while maintaining the privacy of individual student data. Aggregated results from assessment projects are used to inform curricular improvements, instructional practices, and institutional planning.
Assessment projects serve as structured collections of direct and indirect measures that provide a holistic view of student learning and development. These projects are intentionally designed to capture student performance and growth in relation to specific learning outcomes and competencies.
Each assessment project includes:
Project planning also includes:
This comprehensive approach ensures alignment with CGCC’s commitment to continuous improvement and faculty-led assessment.
The Assessment Project Activity Template, shared via Google Docs by the CTLA, is the primary tool for planning and documentation. The cloud-based format supports real-time collaboration, transparency, and visibility across faculty and staff. Rather than being “submitted,” templates remain accessible for iterative planning, reflection, and refinement throughout the project lifecycle.
As a public institution, CGCC upholds transparency in assessment processes while maintaining the privacy of individual student data. Aggregated results from assessment projects are used to inform curricular improvements, instructional practices, and institutional planning.
Assessment projects serve as structured collections of direct and indirect measures that provide a holistic view of student learning and development. These projects are intentionally designed to capture student performance and growth in relation to specific learning outcomes and competencies.
Each assessment project includes:
- The course(s) participating in the assessment project
- The student learning outcomes or objectives being assessed
- The learning processes (e.g. activities, assignments) that support achievement of those outcomes, often documented through a curriculum map
- A long-range timeline for implementation and review
- The location where learning outcomes and goals are published (e.g., course materials, websites, advising resources)
Project planning also includes:
- The purpose of the assessment activities and how results will be used
- The data collection and analysis methods
- The specific outcomes/objectives assessed by each method
- The intervals for evidence collection and review
- The individuals responsible for implementation, review, and dissemination
This comprehensive approach ensures alignment with CGCC’s commitment to continuous improvement and faculty-led assessment.
Collecting Assessment Data: Canvas Outcomes Overview
NOTE: Beginning Fall 2025 CGCC is transitioning to the HelioCampus Assessment and Credentialing platform as a replacement for Canvas Outcomes. The Canvas LMS will continue to serve as the primary data collection platform. See the HCA Guides page for more information.
Canvas is the official platform for collecting assessment data at CGCC. It enables faculty to use rubrics embedded with Canvas Outcomes aligned to General Education Student Learning Outcomes (GESLOs), Course Competencies, Program Learning Outcomes, and other Institutional Outcomes. These rubrics are attached to graded assignments in Canvas, and when faculty score them using SpeedGrader, the resulting data is stored in a centralized system.
This centralized structure allows the CTLA to aggregate, analyze, and report assessment results across courses, programs, and instructional modalities.
Every course section at CGCC, regardless of format (in-person, hybrid, or online), has a Canvas shell. This ensures that all instructors, including those who may not use Canvas for regular instruction, can participate fully in assessment activities.
Canvas is the official platform for collecting assessment data at CGCC. It enables faculty to use rubrics embedded with Canvas Outcomes aligned to General Education Student Learning Outcomes (GESLOs), Course Competencies, Program Learning Outcomes, and other Institutional Outcomes. These rubrics are attached to graded assignments in Canvas, and when faculty score them using SpeedGrader, the resulting data is stored in a centralized system.
This centralized structure allows the CTLA to aggregate, analyze, and report assessment results across courses, programs, and instructional modalities.
Every course section at CGCC, regardless of format (in-person, hybrid, or online), has a Canvas shell. This ensures that all instructors, including those who may not use Canvas for regular instruction, can participate fully in assessment activities.
Rubrics: Primary Data-Collection Instrument
At CGCC, rubrics serve two complementary purposes within the Canvas LMS:
Using rubrics in this dual way allows faculty to meet institutional assessment goals while preserving academic freedom in instructional design. Faculty can build discipline-specific rubrics or adapt ready-made templates from the SLOAC Canvas course.
Learn more by visiting the CGCC Assessment Process page.
- Data Collection Rubrics
These rubrics are directly connected to Canvas Outcomes. They are used to collect assessment data for institutional reporting and must be built using the correct imported Outcomes to ensure accurate tracking and aggregation. - Analytic Rubrics for Instruction
Faculty may also use or develop analytic rubrics to communicate performance expectations to students and maintain consistent scoring across course sections. These rubrics help clarify mastery levels for learning outcomes and support actionable feedback.
Using rubrics in this dual way allows faculty to meet institutional assessment goals while preserving academic freedom in instructional design. Faculty can build discipline-specific rubrics or adapt ready-made templates from the SLOAC Canvas course.
Learn more by visiting the CGCC Assessment Process page.
Read more about assessment at CGCC:
Assessment Resources | HelioCampus Guides | Learning Outcomes at CGCC
