Using Assessment Center Methods for Measuring Undergraduate Business Student Outcomes

This article reports on the use of assessment center (AC) methods for student outcome assessment for undergraduate business school students at a large state university. Using the model of a traditional managerial AC, our student assessment center (SAC) project sought to use this technology for measuring business student outcomes. The SAC consisted of a 5-hour combination of performance-based exercises and a battery of pencil-and-paper tests and relevant personality inventories to assess students' work readiness. A total of 754 junior and senior students completed the AC. Reliability coefficients of ratings of SAC exercises were consistent with those found in professional managerial ACs. There was some evidence for the content and construct validity of our SAC, and cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses demonstrated the SAC's concurrent and predictive validity. Strengths, weaknesses, and costs of using AC methods for student outcome assessment are discussed and suggestions are made for using ACs in higher education.

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