{"id":503,"date":"2026-02-04T10:01:18","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T15:01:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/sacscoc\/?p=503"},"modified":"2026-07-27T01:36:03","modified_gmt":"2026-07-27T06:36:03","slug":"standards-showcase-section-8-student-achievement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/sacscoc\/2026\/02\/04\/standards-showcase-section-8-student-achievement\/","title":{"rendered":"Standards Showcase &#8211; Section 8: Student Achievement"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Section 8 of <em>The Principles of Accreditation<\/em> outlines the university\u2019s responsibility to design and improve educational experiences and enhance student learning and outcomes. During the On-Site Review, the Committee will confirm MTSU&#8217;s compliance with the following standards from this section:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-mtsu-blocks-expandable-block accordion expandable-group expandable-group-lightblock\" id=\"newExpandable\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-mtsu-blocks-expandable-item accordion-item expandable-heading expandable-heading-lightblock\"><h2 class=\"accordion-header\" id=\"headingstandard-8-1-student-achievement\"><button class=\"accordion-button collapsed\" type=\"button\" data-bs-toggle=\"collapse\" data-bs-target=\"#collapsenewExpandablestandard-8-1-student-achievement\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"collapsenewExpandablestandard-8-1-student-achievement\">Standard 8.1 Student Achievement<\/button><\/h2><div id=\"collapsenewExpandablestandard-8-1-student-achievement\" class=\"accordion-collapse collapse expandable-content expandable-content-lightblock\" aria-labelledby=\"headingstandard-8-1-student-achievement\" data-bs-parent=\"#newExpandable\"><div class=\"accordion-body\">\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Standard 8.1<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The institution identifies, evaluates, and publishes goals and outcomes for student achievement appropriate to the institution\u2019s mission, the nature of the students it serves, and the kinds of programs offered. The institution uses multiple measures to document student success. (<em>Student achievement<\/em>)<br><br>Core Requirement<br>U.S. Department of Education Requirement<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator alignwide has-text-color has-accent-1-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-accent-1-background-color has-background is-style-wide\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How does MTSU demonstrate compliance with this standard?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">MTSU identifies, evaluates, and publishes goals and student achievement outcomes that are appropriate to its mission, students, and programs. The University uses multiple measures to document student success as part of THEC\u2019s Quality Assurance Funding (QAF) initiative, as well as for the three goals established in the legacy 2015-2015 Strategic Plan: access, student success, and quality. Each measure includes baseline performance thresholds and targets. Goals and measures are summarized in the table below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-border-color has-accent-1-border-color\" style=\"border-width:2px\"><thead><tr><th>Goal<\/th><th>Measures<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Access<\/td><td>* New freshmen enrollment<br>* New transfer enrollment<br>* New graduate student enrollment<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Student Success<\/td><td>* Course completion rates<br>* Fall-to-spring persistence of first-time freshmen<br>* Fall-to-fall retention of first-time freshmen<br>* Graduation rates (four, six, and eight-year)<br>* Credentials awarded (undergraduate and graduate)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Quality<\/td><td>* Licensure\/certification exam pass rates\/scores (Nursing, Education, General Education)<br>* Undergraduate completers\u2019 enrollment in graduate programs<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Office of Student Success and the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, Planning, and Research (IEPR) evaluate outcomes for each measure, disaggregating data by student subpopulations, such as first-generation, Pell-eligible, adult learners, and veterans, to identify opportunities for improvement. MTSU publishes student achievement goals and outcomes through multiple channels. Public-facing institutional platforms include the IEPR website, MTSU Fact Book, population-level dashboards, and the Institutional Disclosures for Consumers webpage. The office also provides detailed, disaggregated dashboards restricted to institutional users and reports data externally to THEC, IPEDS, and higher education surveys and publications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator alignwide has-text-color has-accent-1-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-accent-1-background-color has-background is-style-wide\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What questions might the On-Site Review Committee ask during their visit to confirm MTSU&#8217;s compliance with this standard?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>How did the institution determine the metrics for student success?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In what ways does the institution disaggregate data??&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How did the institution determine the thresholds of acceptability\/targets for each metric?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Are both criteria and thresholds of acceptability clearly identified?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Does a state board or specialized accreditor expect certain student achievement rates that would be relevant for this standard?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Are data sources for this information clearly identified?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How does the institution publish this information to the public?&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-mtsu-blocks-expandable-block accordion expandable-group expandable-group-lightblock\" id=\"newExpandable\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-mtsu-blocks-expandable-item accordion-item expandable-heading expandable-heading-lightblock\"><h2 class=\"accordion-header\" id=\"headingstandard-8-2-a-student-outcomes-educational-programs\"><button class=\"accordion-button collapsed\" type=\"button\" data-bs-toggle=\"collapse\" data-bs-target=\"#collapsenewExpandablestandard-8-2-a-student-outcomes-educational-programs\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"collapsenewExpandablestandard-8-2-a-student-outcomes-educational-programs\">Standard 8.2.a Student Outcomes: Educational Programs<\/button><\/h2><div id=\"collapsenewExpandablestandard-8-2-a-student-outcomes-educational-programs\" class=\"accordion-collapse collapse expandable-content expandable-content-lightblock\" aria-labelledby=\"headingstandard-8-2-a-student-outcomes-educational-programs\" data-bs-parent=\"#newExpandable\"><div class=\"accordion-body\">\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Standard 8.2.a<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The institution identifies expected outcomes, assesses the extent to which it achieves these outcomes, and provides evidence of seeking improvement based on analysis of the results in the areas below:<br><br>a. Student learning outcomes for each of its educational programs. (<em>Student outcomes: educational programs<\/em>)<br><em><br><\/em>U.S. Department of Education Requirement<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator alignwide has-text-color has-accent-1-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-accent-1-background-color has-background is-style-wide\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How does MTSU demonstrate compliance with this standard?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">MTSU identifies expected student learning outcomes for each of its educational programs, regardless of delivery method or location, assesses achievement of those outcomes, and uses the results to inform improvement. Responsibility for student learning outcomes assessment lies with the undergraduate program coordinator or the graduate program director. These faculty are supported by their college assistant or associate deans, who are appointed by the college dean to serve as the college-level assessment coordinator. The Director of Institutional Effectiveness and the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, Planning, and Research (IEPR) oversee assessment processes and, in collaboration with the college assessment coordinators, provide training and assistance with the assessment software as well as professional development, including assessment-focused faculty learning communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Faculty identify student learning outcomes when designing a new program, in accordance with MTSU, THEC, and SACSCOC policies and procedures. These outcomes are reviewed by the department curriculum committee, the department chair, the college curriculum committee, the college dean, and the appropriate institutional curriculum committee during the curriculum development process. Once a program is approved, program faculty, coordinators, and department chairs are responsible for reviewing and revising student learning outcomes as appropriate to the field of study and program level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The university follows an annual assessment process that typically begins in the fall of the academic year, though some programs use a calendar-year or two-year cycle to best fit their data collection and analysis needs.&nbsp;&nbsp;At the end of the year, program coordinators use a standardized template in the assessment software to create an Institutional Effectiveness Achievement Report (IEAR) that documents student learning outcomes, measures, results, analysis, and planned changes based on those results (closing the loop). MTSU submitted three years of IEARs for each program, along with a three-year retrospective report summarizing assessment results and improvement efforts, as evidence for the Off-Site Review Committee&#8217;s review.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator alignwide has-text-color has-accent-1-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-accent-1-background-color has-background is-style-wide\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What questions might the On-Site Review Committee ask during their visit to confirm MTSU&#8217;s compliance with this standard?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Who do you call if you have an assessment emergency?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How do you learn how to assess student learning outcomes?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How do you ensure consistency across programs?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What happens when outcomes fall below target on the institution\u2019s IE report rubric?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What happens when a program achieves an outcome and determines no further improvement is needed?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How do you assess OCIS and online programs?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How are faculty engaged in setting outcome targets, collecting data, and making improvements?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator alignwide has-text-color has-accent-1-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-accent-1-background-color has-background is-style-wide\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--60);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--60)\">Recent Standards Showcase Features<\/h4>\n\n\n<ul style=\"font-size:12px\" class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__list wp-block-latest-posts\"><li><a class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/sacscoc\/2026\/03\/17\/standards-showcase-section-13-financial-and-physical-resources\/\">Standards Showcase Section 13: Financial and Physical Resources<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/sacscoc\/2026\/03\/17\/standards-showcase-section-14-transparency-and-institutional-representation\/\">Standards Showcase Section 14: Transparency and Institutional Representation<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/sacscoc\/2026\/02\/25\/standards-showcase-section-12-academic-and-student-support-services\/\">Standards Showcase Section 12: Academic and Student Support Services<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/sacscoc\/2026\/02\/18\/standards-showcase-section-10-educational-policies-procedures-and-practices\/\">Standards Showcase &#8211; Section 10: Educational Policies, Procedures, and Practices<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/sacscoc\/2026\/02\/11\/standards-showcase-section-9-educational-program-structure-content\/\">Standards Showcase &#8211; Section 9: Educational Program Structure &amp; Content<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Section 8 of The Principles of Accreditation outlines the university\u2019s responsibility to design and improve educational experiences and enhance student learning and outcomes. During the On-Site Review, the Committee will confirm MTSU&#8217;s compliance with the following standards from this section: Recent Standards Showcase Features<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":212,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-503","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/sacscoc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/503","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/sacscoc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/sacscoc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/sacscoc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/212"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/sacscoc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=503"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/sacscoc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/503\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":825,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/sacscoc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/503\/revisions\/825"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/sacscoc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=503"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/sacscoc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=503"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/sacscoc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=503"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}