ISSUES, PROBLEMS, AND OPPORTUNITIES IN ASSESSMENT OF COMMUNICATION PROGRAMS.

This article presents a discussion related to issues, problems, and opportunities in assessment of communication programs in the U.S. Ideally, assessment is defined as an appraisal of the value of the student's educational experience. Practically, assessment is the new appraisal from which program reviews, resource allocation decisions, and other matters of departmental survival are judged. The intent of assessment is to show program quality rather than quantity. For programs funded primarily on enrollment growth, assessment is truly an opportunity to reward achievement levels over generating massive numbers of credit hours. These opportunities include more demanding curriculum, restrictive program entrance requirements, and comprehensive expectations based on the student's total achievement within the major. Capstone courses and senior seminars have exploded as one response to comprehensive evaluation of the student's grasp of the discipline. The intent of assessment is also to reward teaching.