Senior assessment day is required for all seniors with 90 or more credit hours on Wednesday, and all other students have the day off.

Night classes will, however, meet on Feb. 16.

The day is used to measure how much a student has learned in his or her major and core curriculum studies. The students received a letter of notification in early February. Students who are completing a baccalaureate degree in the spring, summer or fall 2005 are required to participate.

“We’re very fortunate to have the administration’s support in general in that the students don’t have classes,” said Dr. Delores Honey, assistant vice president of assessment and institutional research. “The is a day set aside during the daytime, so students can focus on the testing.”

She said they have faculty from every department and every school and most departments will be giving tests during the senior assessment day.

“I think it’s an important thing to do, to do their best on the tests,” Honey said. “The departments will be gathering information on their majors in the disciplines to see how they are doing in general education skills how they are able to use their core curriculum skills.”

She said there are two main reasons the administration does senior assessment tests. The first one is to take a measure of student achievement and improvement. The other reason is the state requires it for higher education institutions in Missouri.

“We were doing it before it was required to assure quality,” Honey said. “We’ll be testing 600-700 students so it’s a big project. I just want to encourage every student to give their best effort.”

For students enrolled exclusively in night classes, an evening session will be held on Thursday.

Students had mixed opinions on the senior assessment tests.

“I’m not really looking forward to it, but it’s something we have to do, so might as well get it over with,” said Summer Blake, senior biology.

Others find the tests to be a refresher.

“It’s good for students; brings back some of the knowledge we were taught as freshman,” said Jason Hall, senior marketing major. “Overall it’s a good thing to do.”

In general, seniors had varied opinions on the senior assessment day, but, since it’s required, every graduating senior has to do it.