Assessment at Iowa Lakes

The Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILO) support Iowa Lakes’ mission: To provide opportunities for quality lifelong learning.  Individuals who acquire the basic foundations of learning will be valued citizens who will contribute to the economic development in communities and globally.

An integral part of assessment at Iowa Lakes is assessing the three Institutional Learning Outcomes. The Assessment of Student Learning and Program Review Committee (ARC) approved the following definition of Institutional Learning Outcomes:

Institutional learning outcomes are broad macro-level transferable knowledge, skills, and abilities a student is expected to master as a result of their entire experience at Iowa Lakes. These outcomes transcend all (or most) courses and extend to co-curricular activities as well. These outcomes are determined at the institutional level. 

Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILO): 

Professionalism and Civility (I-1) 

• Demonstrate personal responsibility in one’s civic, social, and academic life.
• Interact respectfully with individuals of diverse backgrounds, perspectives, beliefs, and values.
• Work cooperatively as a member of a team.

Oral and Written Communications (I-2)

• Convey information professionally through verbal, written, technological, or visual means.

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving (I-3)

• Locate, interpret, and apply information.
• Solve problems through conceptualization, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.

The Iowa Department of Education requires a general education component for Associate in Arts (AA), Associate in Science (AS), Associate in Applied Science (AAS), and Diploma programs. 

The Iowa Department of Education requires the general education component “to address the student ability to reason, think, compute, communicate, and adapt to change.”  General education is intended to provide a breadth of learning to the community college experience. 

General education imparts common knowledge, promotes intellectual inquiry, and stimulates the examination of different perspectives, thus enabling people to function effectively in a complex and dynamic world.  Iowa Lakes’ General Education program consists of 40 plus general education credits for an AA or AS degree and a minimum of 15 credits for an AAS degree.

Iowa Lakes awards degrees, diplomas, and certificates to those individuals who complete programs in arts and science, career and technical, or continuing education areas. The following degrees are awarded for college credit two-year programs: Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, and Associate in Applied Science. Diplomas are awarded for college credit vocational and technical programs of less than two years. 

Program Learning Outcomes (PLO) outline the knowledge, skills, and abilities students obtain due to completing a certificate, diploma, or degree program.  All program learning outcomes are listed on the Iowa Lakes website to provide transparency to prospective students and employers.  With the assistance of their advisory committee members (some programs additionally align with third-party accrediting agencies,) program coordinators draft their Program learning outcomes; outcomes are then reviewed and approved by the Curriculum Committee.   

All program learning outcomes are assessed in the five-year program review cycle using an ARC Committee-approved form. Program coordinators, along with their advisory committee members, analyze the assessment data and make changes based upon the results.

Iowa Lakes regularly monitors student learning outcomes for all courses. The course learning outcomes are the major knowledge, skills, and aptitudes that a student obtains through course learning experiences. Course outcomes are clear, concise, measurable, and observable while focusing on the learner.  Course learning outcomes are reviewed annually to ensure their relationship to the program learning outcomes.  

Iowa Lakes has adopted the Higher Learning Commission’s (HLC) definition of Co-Curricular. The HLC defines Co-Curricular activities as “Learning activities, programs, and experiences that reinforce the institution’s mission and values and complement the formal curriculum.”

Examples include: Study abroad, student-faculty research experiences, service learning, professional clubs or organizations, athletics, honor societies, career services, etc.  Iowa Lakes’ examples include, but are not limited to, student senate, convocations, housing, TRIO-SSS, career services, intramurals, counseling services, Laker Life, College 101, athletics, and the Presidential Scholars program. 

Iowa Lakes uses Co-Curricular assessment data from student participation in these activities to increase engagement, define what was of value, and to further complement the curriculum.  The design for all Co-Curricular assessment activities links to and complements Iowa Lakes' institutional learning outcomes.

The following co-curricular activities have been assessed and will continue on a three-year rotation schedule (a comprehensive list is available in Canvas):  

Iowa Lakes Co-Curricular Programs 2019-23 

Assessment Conducted 2019-20 Academic Year

Student Leaders – Camp Foster, Leadership Training 
Convocations- Amy Dee, “Your Destiny is Paved with Choices” 
Housing-  
Athletics- men’s basketball, men’s & women’s golf, baseball, and softball 
College 101-Title IX 

Assessment to be Conducted 2020-21 Academic Year

Presidential Scholars/PTK-  
Laker Life-  
Performing Arts 
Trio/SSS- Bridge Program 
Athletics- 5 teams (TBD) 

Assessment to be Conducted 2021-22 Academic Year

Convocations-    
Intramurals-  
Counseling-    
Career Services-  
 Athletics- 6 Teams (TBD)-  

Assessment to be Conducted 2022-23 Academic Year 

For more details regarding assessments conducted at Iowa Lakes, please see the college's Assessment Plan which, is adjusted, as necessary, to reflect the changing and evolving roles of assessment at Iowa Lakes Community College.