Doesn’t the university’s increased focus on program learning outcomes fundamentally alter my job as a professor?

The answer to this question depends on one’s perspective. For those interested and focused on student learning, it is natural to define expected outcomes, evidence for how those outcomes are being fulfilled, and feedback mechanisms to improve what and how students learns. Efforts to systematically improve teaching and learning at the course level are not new to university professors. One reason why the NWCCU charge may feel foreign to some BYU faculty is that it is focuses on degree programs. Some may feel this requirement invites unwanted scrutiny or inappropriate dictation of course activities, assignments, and assessments from colleagues. Others, especially those not teaching in tightly integrated programs, or those who belong to large departments teaching large numbers of majors, or those who primarily teach service or highly specialized courses, may simply not see the value of discussions about student learning at the program level.  more