Oct 11, 2024  
2023-2024 Undergraduate Bulletin 
    
2023-2024 Undergraduate Bulletin [ARCHIVED BULLETIN]

Accreditation and Assessment


 

Accreditation

The University of Tulsa is a national doctoral institution and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and approved by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. The University has several educational programs that are nationally accredited by specialized accreditation organizations.

In the Henry Kendall College of Arts and Sciences, programs in elementary education, English education, and math education are accredited by the Oklahoma Office for Educational Quality and Accountability. The Ph.D. program in clinical psychology is accredited by the American Psychological Association. The School of Music of The University of Tulsa is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM). The following degrees are listed by NASM: Bachelor of Arts in Music, Bachelor of Music Education, Bachelor of Music in Performance, and Bachelor of Music in Composition.

The Collins College of Business is accredited at both the graduate and undergraduate levels by AACSB International-The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The TU undergraduate and graduate energy management programs are accredited by the American Association of Professional Landmen (AAPL).

The College of Engineering and Computer Science is an institutional member of the American Society for Engineering Education. The Bachelor of Science degree programs in chemical engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and petroleum engineering are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org. The Bachelor of Science degree program in computer science is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org.  

In the Oxley College of Health and Natural Sciences, the baccalaureate nursing program is approved by the Oklahoma Board of Nursing and accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 850, Atlanta, GA 30326. The Master of Athletic Training Professional Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) and coursework is designed to prepare students for national athletic training certification through the Board of Certification (BOC) Inc. The Master of Science program in speech-language pathology is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech Language Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 2200 Research Boulevard #310, Rockville, MD 20850, 800-498-2071 or 301-296-5700. The Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.) programs are approved by the Oklahoma Board of Nursing. The DNP Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) and Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AG-ACNP) programs are accredited by the ACEN.  The DNP Nurse Anesthesia program is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs (COA), 222. S. Prospect Avenue, Park Ridge, IL, 60068-4001, 847-692-7137.  The Bachelor of Science degree program in engineering physics is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org.

The University of Tulsa College of Law is fully accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) Council Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar (address: 321 N. Clark St., 21st Floor, Chicago, IL 60654 / phone: 312.988.6738 / email: legaled@americanbar.org / website: https://www.americanbar.org/groups/legal_education/contact_us.html) since 1953.

Assessment

The University of Tulsa demonstrates, through its ongoing assessment initiatives, a commitment to educational achievement and improvement of student learning. Institutional and program level methods focus on student attainment of The University of Tulsa mission. Institutional learning outcomes are measured at the college, program, and course level.

The annual assessment of student learning process is a faculty-driven initiative that measures attainment of program learning outcomes for undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs. The Annual Program Assessment Report provides evidence that The University of Tulsa is satisfying its mission using information gained each academic year to evaluate the achievement of student learning and program improvements. The review process also provides faculty with information to guide programmatic and curriculum changes.

The academic review process evaluates undergraduate and graduate academic programs to record and demonstrate achievement of program outcomes, student learning, retention, and degree completion. Programs are reviewed every seven years with a one- year follow-up. The requirement is met through an internal faculty-driven academic review process along with a selected external reviewer.  Academic program reviews provide a mechanism for faculty and administration to evaluate academic quality, effectiveness, and status of an academic program on a continuing basis through the feedback loop.

The University of Tulsa institutional assessment initiative uses direct and indirect assessments of students’ abilities to measure the accomplishment of learning objectives. The following methods give feedback of student performance at multiple levels and in various ways across the curriculum:

  • The Tulsa Curriculum assessment process evaluates student achievement of the Tulsa Curriculum Outcomes in block and core courses through foundational and comprehensive course assignments using a common Course Assessment Report. The Tulsa Curriculum is a University framework developed by faculty to advance broad knowledge and intellectual concepts, which the University believes every college student should acquire.
  • Contributions that advance the students’ educational learning experience are evaluated through the co-curricular and student services assessment process.
  • The National Survey on Student Engagement (NSSE) elicits experiential and perception information from freshmen and seniors.

Students are also provided opportunities to give direct feedback to faculty about learning experiences at the course level through the end-of-semester course evaluations.

Results of these activities are analyzed for trends and evidence of student learning and proficiency. Results are compared to national cohorts. Student confidentiality is maintained by removing identifiers from artifacts prior to analyzing data and presenting results to stakeholders. Collectively, these assessment activities provide the institution with a comprehensive picture of what is working well for students and faculty and areas where opportunities for improvement exist.