From Compliance to Collaboration: Building a Holistic and Data-Informed Culture of Assessment for Learning Improvement

This paper examined two central questions about assessment culture transformation in higher education. First, what does a holistic culture of academic assessment look like in practice? Second, how can higher education institutions move from a compliance-driven assessment to one centered on improving student learning? The authors identified change management and collaboration frameworks that supported the college’s transition from an assessment approach focused on addressing accountability to a model aimed at advancing student learning and continuous improvement. This shift was achieved through strengthened collaboration between academic program leads and assessment professionals, integrated guidance across the instruction life cycle, implementation of structured support mechanisms, intentional recognition and cultural reinforcement, and sustained engagement grounded in continuous improvement principles.