A Work in Progress: Charter Oak's Model of Student Assessment and Accountability for Nontraditional Institutions

This article demonstrates the expansion of the assessment program at Charter Oak State College in measuring and improving student learning. The strength of the Charter Oak assessment process and, indeed, the quality of its educational programs is largely the result of Charter Oak's unique faculty structure. The "core faculty," recruited from the full-time faculties at two- and four-year higher education institutions in Connecticut, recommend policy and program enhancements, advise and mentor students, and serve as members of the assessment committee. Charter Oak's online teaching faculty members are selected based on their academic and practical expertise. Most teach at colleges and universities throughout the United States. While Charter Oak does not itself employ full-time faculty, both the core faculty and the online faculty participate actively in the assessment process.