Assessment: Assessment is the examination and review of evidence representing levels of performance, accomplishment, and knowledge. Often, but not always that evidence is quantifiable (modification from Pet-Armacost & Armacost, 2012).
Benchmark: Results that are used for comparative purposes. A program can use its own data as a baseline benchmark against which to compare future results. It can also use data from another program as a benchmark (modified from James Madison University, 2013).
Best Practice: A method or technique that has consistently shown results superior to those achieved with other means, and that is used as a benchmark (Businessdictionary.com, 2013).
Educational Program: An educational program is a set of courses leading to a credential (degree, diploma, or certificate) awarded by the institution (SACSCOC, 2011).
Goal: A goal is an end result written in broad terms. At Asbury Theological Seminary, for degree assessment, the less measurable idea of goal has been replaced with Program Level Outcome (modification from Henning & Busby, 2007).
Mission Statement: The mission statement is a succinct description of institutional purpose that should be reflected in all aspects of institutional function. The institutional mission statement must be formally adopted, published, implemented, and made available to all the constituencies of the institution and to the general public. Because the statement describes what the institution does, it is the foundation for planning and assessment processes. The mission statement thus provides the basis and context for evaluating institutional effectiveness (modification from SACSCOC, 2012).
Private Institutional Repository: The Private Institutional Repository (PIR) captures, distributes and preserves important documents and data, such as meeting minutes or the Faculty Handbook. In the PIR content is organized around Communities which correspond to the academic programs and operations units at Asbury Theological Seminary. The PIR will be used as a storage location for documents for SACSCOC and tATS, but it can also be used for other documents that departments would like to securely digitally store.
Program Level Outcomes: What your program accomplishes. What is measured to determine institutional performance in the provision of a degree or other program (most PLOs use cumulative scores from course SLOs; modification from Henning & Busby, 2007)
Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP): Required of all SACSCOC member institutions undergoing Reaffirmation of Accreditation. The Quality Enhancement Plan is a carefully designed and focused course of action that addresses a well-defined issue directly related to enhancing student learning. For Asbury Theological Seminary's last accreditation reaffirmation the QEP was Christian Formation Process (modification from SACSCOC, 2012).
SACSCOC Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC): One of two separately incorporated entities of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the SACSCOC Commission on Colleges is the regional body for the accreditation of degree-granting institutions of higher education in the eleven Southern states - Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia; SACSCOC also accredits international institutions of higher education (SACSCOC, 2012).
Student Learning Outcomes: Learning outcomes are statements of what is expected students will be able to do and/or know as a result of participating in a learning activity which could be a class, a project, an educational program, or an individual interaction (modification from Henning & Busby, 2007).
The Association of Theological Schools (tATS): The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS) is a membership organization of more than 270 graduate schools that conduct post-baccalaureate professional and academic degree programs to educate persons for the practice of ministry and for teaching and research in the theological disciplines. The Commission on Accrediting of ATS accredits the schools and approves the degree programs they offer (tATS, 2011).
