When defining assessment the focus is usually on student
learning. At Coastal Carolina University the term assessment
takes on a much broader vision to include the concept of
institutional effectiveness. Assessment is seen as the
foundation by which we measure how our mission and major
institutional values and commitments are achieved. Continuous
institutional improvement is accomplished through a systemic and
systematic thoughtful process that measures and uses results to
increase academic quality and enhance students’ knowledge,
skills, and values. Student learning and development is a major
component of the assessment of institutional effectiveness and
is determined by how units and programs contribute to the
university culture, environment, and student growth. Our
systemic and systematic assessment system follows a four step
cycle that aligns with the assessment definition stated by
Thomas Angelo in 1995, then director of the AAHE Assessment
Forum. "Assessment is a means for focusing our collective attent