Developing and Conducting Assessment of a Technical Communication Program

摘要

At the urging of the U.S. Department of Education, regional accrediting organizations have, during the last few years, placed greater emphasis on implementation of assessment as a requirement for accreditation. In March 2006, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools reviewed the University of Houston-Downtown to determine if the University's accreditation should be reaffirmed. The review was critical of the University's assessment effort. To preserve its accreditation, the University, including its Professional Writing and Technical Communication Program, was compelled to remedy the assessment defects. This document introduces assessment as a topic of growing importance for accreditation and summarizes the actions taken by the Program faculty.