The Department of Psychology will receive the inaugural Assessment Excellence Award, which will be conferred at the Founders’ Day Faculty Recognition Luncheon Tuesday, April 18.

The award, which was established in the fall 2005 by Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost Virinder Moudgil, recognizes a program that models the North Central Association’s culture of assessment goal by integrating assessment findings with program revisions.

The Department of Psychology’s educational goals flow from the university’s mission statement where students’ learning outcomes are linked to the program’s goals and measures have been established to evaluate the learning. The department also has developed measures to ensure students take the assessment seriously.

Nearly all psychology faculty participate in the department’s assessment activities. Results of the assessments are used for program reforms such as standardizing PSY 100 courses and designating all 300-level courses as writing intensive.

The Department of Psychology will received $5,000 and is encouraged to use the money to fund enhancements to the assessment process. Additionally, the department will receive recognition on a plaque to be displayed in the Kresge Library lobby.

For more information on the Assessment of Excellence Award, visit the Assessment of Student Learning Web site.