Feedback Loops in Action: Closing the Assessment Loop Beyond Compliance

In higher education, assessment is too often used as a mechanism for compliance rather than a catalyst for change (Miller & Felix, 2025). Data is gathered within institutions, analyzed and disseminated for accreditors or ranking purposes; however, the voices and meaning behind this data frequently remain unexplored. While compliance processes are indispensable and enduring, Carnegie Mellon University’s (CMU) Office of Institutional Research and Analysis has been working to establish deliberate feedback loops between assessment and action, continually exploring how our data can inspire insight and meaningful change for our students. This process of “closing the loop” involves engaging campus stakeholders in conversations all the way from survey design to evidence-based decision-making, ultimately ensuring data leads to action.

The Process of Closing the Assessment Loop

For institutions to close the loop beyond compliance, there must be a mindset shift from obligation to intention (Jonson, Guetterman, & Thompson, 2014); in other words, moving from “we did the assessment because it was required” to “we did the assessment to inform our practices.” So again, while compliance-oriented data remains essential and enduring, our focus is on the process of how researchers and stakeholders leverage data to inform decisions and practice.

To ensure an action-oriented feedback loop, our process at CMU begins with a collaborative survey design process in partnership with the relevant stakeholders to verify that the survey is adequately assessing the desired outcomes. Next, data is collected and analyzed by the institutional researcher. Once reports are completed, they are shared with the same stakeholder group. After initial reactions, the researcher(s) and stakeholders collaborate to come up with “data stories” that reflect the salient findings and key thematic areas that warrant attention and action. These data stories ultimately provide actionable insights that help prioritize programmatic changes and influence strategic decisions.

From Data to Action: Partnership in Practice

The first component of a successful feedback loop is a strong partnership between stakeholders. At CMU, a powerful partnership that will be highlighted here is between our Office of Institutional Research and Analysis and the Division of Student Affairs.

In short, this partnership is symbiotic in nature where institutional researchers at CMU collect, analyze, and visualize the data. Then, working in tandem, the IR assessment specialist and survey stakeholder collaboratively interpret the data and translate findings into action that positively impact and shape the student experience.

An example of an annual assessment at CMU is our First Year Orientation (FYO) Survey, which is taken during the final day of orientation by all incoming students. Since becoming intentional about closing the assessment loop, student affairs teams have been challenged to consider data as actionable insights and adjust their practices based on student voices.

The following section will demonstrate a few ways that student affairs has enhanced its orientation structure and strategies, driven by survey data from the FYO 2024 Survey.

Lessons Learned

Throughout this work, several themes have emerged as we consider both the successes and challenges of “closing the assessment loop:”

1. PARTNERSHIPS DRIVE PROGRESS
   Institutional researchers can easily fall into the trap of siloed reporting when partnerships are not in place. Data is gathered and shared with initial stakeholders; however, without a symbiotic partnership and effective feedback loop, accountability and action remain out of reach.
2. ACCOUNTABILITY IS KEY
   Accountability is truly the determinant of whether a feedback loop will be successful. Without it, stakeholders inevitably allow data to fall through the cracks, and findings remain stagnant. Therefore, it becomes crucial for partners to set deadlines and structure dialogue to ensure follow-through.
3. FOCUS ON CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
   It is crucial to recognize that a single assessment does not close the feedback loop. Instead, it is necessary to continue assessing meaningful measures to understand whether changes in practices, strategies, or structures have been effectively implemented.
4. MAKE DATA ACCESSIBLE AND ENGAGING
   To be effectively consumable, it is essential for data to be appropriately reported and displayed. Between dashboards, executive summaries, and presentations of data stories, data should be represented in interactive ways that are accessible to a campus community.
   

Closing the assessment loop extends beyond procedure; it represents a commitment to cultivating a culture of continuous improvement. By moving beyond compliance-driven assessment and prioritizing partnerships, CMU has demonstrated how data can become a living and influential part of institutional and student affairs culture—one that continually informs, challenges, and strengthens student experiences. By engaging intentionally with data and the stories it reveals, assessment truly becomes a catalyst for institutional excellence.

Citations

Jonson, J. L., Guetterman, T., & Thompson, R. J., Jr. (2014). An integrated model of influence: Use of assessment data in higher education. Research & Practice in Assessment, 9, 18–35.

Miller, W., & Felix, E. (2025). Nine ways collaborative assessment can drive student success. Intersection: A Journal at the Intersection of Assessment and Learning, Association for the Assessment of Learning in Higher Education Conference Proceedings, 6(2), 120–127.