Topics Map > Program Proposals
Lumen Program Form: Program Learning Outcomes and Assessment Section
Series of linked KnowledgeBase documents that includes instructions for accessing and completing the Lumen Program form, start to finish. This document provides direction for completing the fields in the Program Learning Outcomes and Assessment section of new and change proposals.
All academic programs (degree/major or certificate) are required to have program learning outcomes (PLOs). For programs that have named options, the PLOs are at the parent plan level.
For edits to PLOs, updates are made once a year with a fall effective date (they are not a part of midcycle updates).
About Program Learning Outcomes and Assessment Plans.
UW-Madison's Assessment Plan (see https://assessment.provost.wisc.edu/institutional-plan-for-assessing-student-learning/) sets the context for student learning assessment. All academic programs (degree/major or certificate) are required to have program learning outcomes (PLOs), an assessment plan, and report on assessment following a schedule set by the Office of the Provost.
PLOs are a statement of what students are expected to know or be able to do upon completion of the program. They should be clear and measurable and written in a way that can be assessed. Approved program learning outcomes are listed in the Guide.
Program learning outcomes are documented for new degree/major and certificate programs through the Lumen Programs form. For existing programs, program learning outcomes may be revised through the Lumen Programs form. Any changes to PLOs require approval of the academic unit (i.e. department) that owns the program and the school/college through the Lumen Programs workflow. Changes to program learning outcomes may necessitate corresponding changes in an academic program's assessment plan. Changes to program learning outcomes will be effective for the fall term following approval of the changes coincident with the Guide publication cycle; changes to program learning outcomes are not made in mid-cycle updates.
List the program learning outcomes.
Enter one learning outcome per box in the Lumen Program Proposal System. Use the green + to create additional boxes.
Utilize the resources from the Office of Student Learning Assessment for writing learning outcomes.
For degree/major programs, PLOs are set at the degree/major level. If named options are added, the learning outcomes of the parent program apply. For named options, the summary of the assessment plan and the attached assessment plan are also for the parent degree/major plan. If the addition of the named option results in changes to the program learning outcomes or the assessment plan, those changes should be made in a companion proposal that revises the parent degree/major plan.
Explain briefly the program's plan for assessing student learning outcomes, including: a.) How the program will continuously assess (using both direct and indirect assessment measures) the extent to which the learning outcomes are accomplished, and b.) Describe the processes that will be in place to make use of assessment evidence to improve the quality of the program.
At UW-Madison, each academic program is required to articulate and adopt an assessment plan. Conducting ongoing and systematic evaluation of student learning is an integral component of high-quality academic programs.
Assessment plans are established as part of the approval process for degrees, majors and certificates. For programs that have named options, the assessment is at the parent plan level. Revisions to assessment plans require approval of the academic unit (i.e. department) that own the program and school or college approval. Schools and colleges will notify the Student Learning Assessment office when changes to an assessment plan are approved at the department level. Please upload the assessment plan as a .pdf file.
For help and information about preparing an assessment plan, use the additional resources on program assessment from the Office of Student Learning Assessment, including further information on the basic assessment cycle and planning process.
Note: For minor Lumen Programs changes (i.e., those for which the answer is Yes to the "Select yes if this proposal is only to add, remove, or rearrange curricular requirements, and will change less than 50% of the curriculum"), an assessment plan does not need to be uploaded to the proposal (the online form does not provide the option to upload the plan). For all other Lumen Programs proposals, even those that do not change the program learning outcomes and assessment plan, a current version of the assessment plan must be uploaded with the proposal.