SCORE

What is SCORE?
  • Student Core Outcomes & Readiness Evaluation. This is the name of the Core Assessment that students must take as part of their UNIV 4AA0 Pre-Graduation Expectations.
Why do I have to complete an assessment?
  • By taking a one-hour assessment, you allow Auburn to gather the evidence needed to document the strength of an Auburn education and explore areas that our faculty can target for improvement for future generations of Auburn students.
  • Auburn University is required by our regional accreditor, the Southern Association for Colleges and Schools- Commission on Colleges, to provide evidence of how well students perform on a set of student learning outcomes that guide general education (i.e., the Core Curriculum) and to demonstrate how we use this data to improve the Core Curriculum.
How will the information Auburn gathers be used?
  • The data gathered will not affect your GPA. The data will be used to help Auburn tell a story about the strength of an Auburn education (to our regional accreditor and beyond). When Auburn finds learning areas that can be further strengthened, we will create improvement initiatives to continually improve the Core Curriculum. The data will only be shared in aggregate form (e.g., displaying graphics or averages) and no identifying information about students will ever be released.
What are the General Education Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)?
  • • The general education learning outcomes are described in detail in the Auburn University Bulletin. The general education outcomes are introduced to students in the Core Curriculum courses and reinforced throughout the courses students take as part of their major. Most Core Curriculum courses include the general education outcomes being addressed in the course on the syllabus. If you are not sure which general education outcomes are being addressed in a Core Curriculum course, please ask your instructor.
Why does Auburn want to collect information on the General Education SLOs?
  • We know how strong an Auburn education is and we want to be able to share with graduates, alumni, and future employers evidence of how broadly educated Auburn graduates are. By taking a one-hour assessment, you allow Auburn to gather the evidence needed to document the strength of an Auburn education and explore areas that our faculty can target for improvement for future generations of Auburn students. Also, Auburn University is required by our regional accreditor, the Southern Association for Colleges and Schools- Commission on Colleges, to provide evidence of how well students perform on a set of student learning outcomes that guide general education (i.e., the Core Curriculum) and to demonstrate how we use this data to improve the Core Curriculum.
Why do I have to do this when I know past graduates who did not?
  • Auburn transitioned to the SCORE assessment system in Summer 2018. This system is the result of nearly two years of analysis, pilot projects, and thoughtful discussion and reflection by campus committees and focus groups that included students. The SCORE results provide us with reliable data that we can use to publicize our strengths and improve our general education program than our previous assessment system, which relied on assessments embedded in individual Core classes. That approach generated much more limited data that did not help faculty reflect on how to improve instruction as much as we would like.

Your Effort Matters

Why should I care about how strong Auburn’s Core Curriculum is?
  • The reputation of your Auburn degree will stay with you after you leave the plains. Whether you are planning to immediately begin a professional career, or whether you are going to professional or graduate career, you will be identified as an Auburn graduate. Prospective employers and admissions committees will make assumptions about you and your abilities based on their knowledge of Auburn graduates they have previously encountered. SCORE will assist us in publicizing the depth of Auburn graduates’ skills in such areas as critical thinking; oral and written communication; mathematic, scientific, and information literacy; and civic, global, and cross-cultural understanding. These skills are the foundation of career readiness and preparation for life-long learning.
Will my performance on the assessment affect my GPA?
  • No.
Why should I try my hardest on the assessment?
  • The more your effort demonstrates your true level of knowledge and skill, the better able we will be able to tell the story of the strength of an Auburn education.

The Details - What You Need to Know and Do

How will I know if I have to complete an assessment?
  • You will receive an email alerting you that a hold has been placed on your account (called an AT HOLD). Students who have registered for the graduation course (UNIV 4AA0) can expect to be notified about the AT HOLD.
What does AT HOLD impact?
  • The AT Hold prohibits delivery of your diploma. To remove the hold, students must take the SCORE, fill out the diploma application, and fill out a First Destination Survey at the end of the semester. The AT Hold does not affect your ability to register. The AT HOLD will be placed on your account at the start of the semester in which you are scheduled to graduate.
Can I still change my schedule or register for other classes before the AT HOLD has been lifted?
  • Yes.
What if I am going to be off campus during the testing times or am completing an off-campus internship during my final semester? Do I still have to take the assessment?
  • If you are off-campus (i.e., you are not currently enrolled in a course that meets on-campus), please fill out a waiver. Please allow 3-5 business days for your waiver to be individually verified and processed.
What if I want to reschedule my assessment session?
  • You can cancel your exam anytime up to 48 hours before your scheduled appointment. You can reschedule your appointment up to 48 hours before your desired appointment time. If you are unable to make your scheduled appointment and it is less than 48 hours before the appointment and you’d like to reschedule, please call Testing Services at 334-844-3110.
Where will I complete the assessment?
  • Students must take the test at Testing Services in Biggin Hall.
How long is the assessment?
  • One hour.
What if I miss the assessment session—will I still be able to graduate?
  • There will be limited opportunities for individuals who miss their assessment session to attend a make-up session. You will need to contact assess@auburn.edu for more information.
Will there be make up sessions if I accidentally miss my scheduled assessment time?
  • If you miss your scheduled session while testing is still open, please register for another testing time. Make-up sessions will be available immediately following the testing window on a first-come-first-serve basis during an evening (e.g., Thursday or Friday) or early morning (e.g., Saturday).