A clarion call is heard throughout the world of education on the need to document student learning outcomes. Learning institutions at all levels are under increasing pressure from government agencies, the public at large, and even students to show that graduates are achieving the desired learning goals. This article describes the efforts of a department of psychology to achieve and document its undergraduate student learning goals. Through a research-intensive senior capstone experience, the department demonstrated its undergraduate curriculum results in significant and positive student learning outcomes. The department received the 2006 Council for Higher Education Accreditation Award for Institutional Progress in Student Learning Outcomes in recognition of its efforts. The cry for higher education to have greater accountability for student learning has reached a fever pitch in state legislatures across the country. As recently as February 2007, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices issued a brief addressing accountability in higher education and offered three recommendations for governors to follow. The first recommendation addressed the identification and assessment of statewide learning outcomes while the second required student competencies to be assessed on both an institutional and statewide basis. The third recommendation clearly indicated the high stakes nature of documenting student learning outcomes by tying student learning outcome data directly to resource and program approval decisions.
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