Georgia Perimeter College has a multi-faceted assessment plan drawing both from its mission and the strategic planning process.

Overview of Strategic Planning and Relation to Assessment

The first, the GPC Strategic Plan develops priority initiatives drawn directly from our mission, the results of strategic analysis, and campus and department planning. Strategic planning as demonstrated in Chart 3.2 (Strategic Planning Process), includes strategic analysis, strategic decision making and campus and departmental planning.

Strategic analysis is focused on the current state and external environments of Georgia Perimeter College. This phase is composed of three steps: external; internal assessment and review of critical success factors.

The GPC Institutional Factors of Success include student learning outcomes, and program access and quality. In student learning outcomes, the success of GPC's students is the principal indicator of its success as an educational institution. A successful student possesses essential knowledge of a discipline and has developed skills to learn independently, think analytically and provide leadership. This indicator is measured by the General Education Outcomes, knowledge assessment in the GPC Academic Unit Assessment Plans, Regent's Tests, retention rates, and graduation rates. This information is located in our Institutional Factors of Success and in the Board of Regents data on graduation and retention. Program Reviews, conducted on a seven year cycle, are also used to analyze quality indicators in our academic offerings.

Program access and quality, as guided by our mission, provides learning opportunities to individuals who demonstrate ability to benefit from its educational program. Program access means maintain a diverse student populations and ensuring that the institution is financially affordable for all those qualified to attend. The quality of programs is determined by the academic stature of the faculty, the integration of learning and scholarship and the outreach provided by the College. Assessment of program quality involves continuous evaluation of the degree, curriculum, and demand for academic programs, the use of innovative teaching and learning techniques, and success in recruitment and retention. These areas are evaluated in our Institutional Factors of Success (see infra), Program Review and the GPC Fact Book.