From Chaos to Consistency: A Human-Centered Framework for AI-supported Assessment at a Mission-Driven Liberal Arts College

Abstract

This practitioner inquiry reports on a pilot at a small Catholic liberal arts college that used generative artificial intelligence (GenAI)-supported tools to help faculty complete program-assessment documentation during a structured Education Day. Grounded in Catholic social teaching and human-centered AI principles, the pilot tested a framework organized around human judgment, ethical stewardship, and formative human-AI partnership. Survey results from the pilot cohort (N = 10; item-level valid responses varied) showed strong faculty endorsement, including unanimous agreement that the process deepened thinking about evidence of student learning and unanimous intent to use AI-supported tools in future cycles. Qualitative findings identified five themes: efficiency and cognitive scaffolding, human-in-the-loop validation, platform reliability and trust, data governance, and institutional support infrastructure. Findings suggest that mission-driven institutions can integrate AI into assessment responsibly when faculty formation, verification checkpoints, and governance structures precede broad implementation.