We are pleased to announce the 2026-28 Assessment for Advancing Equity Learning Community Program. Proposals are due by May 29, 2026, and acceptance will be announced in early June.
Overview:
Assessment is an essential tool for measuring educational outcomes, improving instructional quality, and propelling program-level innovation. At UC San Diego, the Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE), the Teaching and Learning Commons (TLC), and Institutional Research (IR), have spent the past several years engaging faculty in data-driven course- and curriculum-based analysis and reform. In doing so, we have been encouraging units to extend their assessment focus from student performance to the design and delivery of courses and programs. This lens provides a powerful opportunity to advance equity within our undergraduate programs of study and to foster a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement that is responsive to our student needs.
One way this work has taken shape is through the Assessment Learning Community (ALC). The ALC provides a structured community of practice and support for faculty across departments, interdisciplinary programs and the Colleges in using course- and program-level data to: (1) better understand the student experience; (2) identify equity gaps; and then (3) monitor progress after a curricular or pedagogical intervention aimed at strengthening the academic program is implemented. As defined in the EVC’s Collective Impact Framework, an equity gap refers to differences in student engagement and outcomes between groups (for example, first-generation college students) that arise from structural barriers and disproportionate access to opportunities. In the context of courses and programs, equity gaps may appear as differences in course grades (such as DFW rates or grade distributions), in-course or in-program retention, time-to-degree, program-level GPA, or other measures of academic success and satisfaction across student groups. The creative and committed work by members of the ALC is helping departments and the broader campus community to critically examine and strategically reshape the educational structures that are causing these equity gaps. Together, we are fostering more equitable teaching and learning experiences and enhancing the academic achievement of our undergraduate students. To date, our ALC initiative has engaged faculty from sixteen departments and all eight colleges in assessment for advancing equity projects!
We invite faculty - individuals or teams - to join the Assessment Learning Community. Participating in the ALC provides faculty with the following benefits:
