Possibly; the answer depends on if the purpose of your survey is related to academic assessment, such as senior exit surveys or other surveys created to collect information about student learning.

The use of course grades or exam/assignment grades are not considered among assessment best practices because they are problematic as assessment data for several reasons:

• In most cases, grades are not easily linked to specific learning outcomes, especially for program assessment.
• A distribution of grades as assessment data does not yield meaningful information that can be used to improve student learning or encourage more effective teaching.
• Individual faculty rarely use the same grading procedures and policies, which would make any attempt to summarize grades—as a measure of the assessment of student learning—virtually meaningless.

The HLC also requires a uniform reporting process, which would be difficult with grades as an assessment measure unless all faculty—not only within the same program but across all programs at DU—agreed to apply the same grading policies. Course-embedded assessment, or using course assignments and portions of exams can be used as assessment data as long as:

• The assignments and items can be connected to specific student learning outcomes at the program level;
• A rubric is applied to evaluate the student work so that the actual assessment measure is not a grade; and
• There are at least two independent assessors who apply the rubric to evaluate student work (one of the assessors may be the course instructor).

A learning objective is a statement of the specific and measurable knowledge, skills, attributes, and habits that students are expected to achieve and demonstrate as a result of their educational experience in a program or course. Example:"Upon completion of this course, students will be able to describe the value of cultural diversity in today’s workforce."

A learning outcome is a DEMONSTRATION of the actual attainment of the knowledge, skills, attributes, and habits expected as a result of the educational experiences in a course, program or upon graduation. Example: A student’s actual description of the value of cultural diversity in today’s workforce.

A learning goal is a statement of what an instructor, course, academic program or the institution strives to achieve of "why we do what we do" in our classes, programs or as an institution. Example: "Upon completion of this course, students will gain an appreciation of the value of cultural diversity in today’s workforce."

Regular program-level assessment is typically focused on student learning and effective teaching. It occurs on an annual basis until programs have demonstrated that they have sufficient assessment systems in place to move to a biennial reporting cycle.

For those on a biennial reporting cycling, an interim report is submitted that provides a progress report on course and curricular changes that were suggested by the previous year’s assessment report findings.

Program review self-study occurs every five years and includes program-level assessment, but it is also designed for units to go beyond the assessment of student learning and effective teaching.

A program review self-study should involve a broader and deeper self-evaluative study of the entire program (e.g., enrollment trends, degree/major completion trends, faculty hire, research/scholarship trends) with an eye toward identifying overall areas of strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for improvement.

The HLC reaccreditation process currently occurs every 10 years if full institutional reaccreditation was recommended after the last comprehensive institutional site visit.

However, the HLC and other regional accrediting bodies maintain the right to alter reaccreditation criteria and processes over time, including the duration and content and number of criteria for the reaffirmation of accreditation. A fundamental part of institutional reaccreditation involves a self-study of the entire institution.

Therefore, the annual and biennial assessment reports and the regular cycle of program review self-study are key components that help to sustain institutional reaccreditation.

The Higher Learning Commission is the branch of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools responsible for accreditation, including the University of Denver.

While the University's efforts at self-improvement are ongoing, the next comprehensive site visit for the reaffirmation of our institutional accreditation took place on Nov. 8-10, 2010.

In June 2011, the HLC granted the University of Denver full accreditation for another 10 years.

Accreditation is voluntary and is the institutional equivalent of peer review in scholarship. Through a process of mutual evaluation, post-secondary education institutions can offer assurance to the public about the quality of education provided by member institutions.

Further, accreditation provides institutions with essential feedback for the pursuit of continuous improvement.