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The Office of University Assessment aims to connect school leadership, departments, and instructors with resources to support their work in curriculum and course development, assessment, and program effectiveness. This page contains resources available within our office, other campus partners working in assessment, external and national partners. 

Getting started

It can be difficult to first approach the answer to a research question, or even identify the research question for your situation. If you are seeking data for your department or program and need help taking the next steps, submit a support request form. We also maintain a large collection of educational resources great for getting started under our Assessment Fundamentals page.

Checklist for New Directors, Chairs, or staff involved in assessment

This list of responsibilities ensures your department or program is leveraging available resources and following University assessment expectations. If you have any questions, contact assessment@duke.edu.

  • Confirm that you can access reports in Watermark and Tableau for course evaluations and other information about students affiliated with your program.
  • Check in with your colleagues about who has access to departmental data and request additions or removals accordingly.
  • Make sure that the designated staff member in your department checks and approves the list of courses that require evaluation each term.  Watch for email notifications from the Office of University Assessment. 
  • [For Trinity departments] Review expectations and procedures for the submission of your Department Assessment Portfolio (DAP).
  • Obtain a copy of the program’s assessment plan from your predecessor, if applicable.
  • Review and understand your program’s current Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs). Prepare to discuss them with faculty colleagues. 

Consultation for Survey Development

The Office of University Assessment can can offer consultation to academic programs looking to develop and revise surveys. Contact assessment@duke.edu to discuss your survey objectives and design. Please note that we require as much notice as possible, especially during busy periods (e.g., at the end of the term).  Other Duke resources for survey guidance include:

We support the creation of thoughtful surveys and sound methodologies, while recognizing that survey fatigue is a real concern. An effective way to encourage meaningful response data is by minimizing the frequency and length of surveys.

Campus partners in assessment & evaluation

We are happy to consult on the development of your research questions or plan; however, we may connect you to a different Duke group that is more appropriately suited to support your work and/or provide data.

Student Affairs Office of Assessment 

The Student Affairs Office of Assessment (SAOA) provides resources, training and support to effectively implement assessment across the Division of Student Affairs. We cultivate data-informed practice toward transforming programs, services and climate to enhance student learning and the Duke experience.  

Office of Undergraduate Education Research 

Conduct scholarship on student development and well-being, with a focus on the diverse processes that impact student success. Provide leadership for research, assessment, and evaluation to support the mission of the Office of Undergraduate Education.

Duke Learning Innovation and Lifetime Education 

Support research and development on teaching and learning across Duke, emphasizing experimental and translational learning research, support individual faculty researchers and evaluate supported projects.

Office of Institutional Research 

Provide executive-level support for research, analysis, and policy recommendations. Create standard reports for external agencies and internal management to allow for longitudinal and benchmarking analysis. Oversee institutional surveys and provide guidance on best practices in survey research.

Social Science research institute

Brings together researchers with interests in problems that cross the various social and behavioral sciences, including problems that connect with the humanities and natural sciences. Promotes multidisciplinary collaboration among such scholars as they work on important social issues that are challenging to address fully from within any given discipline.

The Graduate School

Provide research-based graduate training that will help students learn the analytical skills to be future leaders in a wide variety of professions in academia, industry, education, government, nonprofits, and beyond. The education our students obtain here is intended to be applicable to any job that involves the discovery, creative application, and teaching of new knowledge.

Student Opportunities

The Office of University Assessment has five full-time professionals, and we regularly employ graduate and undergraduate Research Assistants. Students who are interested in work opportunities are encouraged to monitor DukeList or reach out to assessment@duke.edu.

External resources