If the instructions in this article do not match what you see in your product, you might be using Watermark's Outcomes Assessment Projects. Please check the articles in the Outcomes Assessment Projects (OAP) section for the correct guidance.
Assessment Projects supports administrators juried assessment practices by providing features to configure an assessment project, identify eligible evaluators, timebox the assessment cycle, and utilize both common and specialized rubrics to assess student learning across multiple courses, departments, and programs. This guide is designed to walk you through the required steps for building and distributing your assessment projects to evaluators.
Getting Started - System Administration Imports
This document provides an overview of the required and optional data files necessary for system administration imports. Please review the schedules and structural requirements below to ensure data integrity and a smooth integration process.
Consult the CSV Guidelines and SLL templates for specific file formatting. Continue using this documentation even if Assessment Projects isn't visibly mentioned, since Assessment Projects is built into the broader Student Learning and Licensure system.
System Admin Imports
| System Admin Imports | Requirement level | Recommended import Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Organizations | Required | One time import |
| People | Required | Needs to be reviewed / updated each term |
| Roles | Required | Needs to be reviewed / updated each term |
| Terms | Required | Any time import; can be done in advance |
| Courses | Recommended | Needs to be reviewed / updated each term |
| Sections | Recommended | Needs to be reviewed / updated each term |
| Enrollments | Recommended | Needs to be reviewed / updated each term |
| Person attributes | Optional | Needs to be reviewed / updated each term |
| Student term attributes | Optional | Needs to be reviewed / updated each term |
Select a file name to review detailed requirements in the CSV Guidelines
Required files
- Organizations: Establishes the organizational hierarchy for your institution's assessment projects (e.g., departments, colleges, divisions).
- People: A comprehensive roster of all individuals participating in the system, including faculty, administrators, and students.
- Roles: Defines specific user permissions and access control levels across the platform. Users can be assigned as an Administrator, Faculty, or Student. Important Note: Students do not log into Assessment Projects directly; all artifacts and assignments are managed by the designated Assessment Project Administrator.
- Terms: Defines the specific academic terms and calendar periods for the system (e.g. Fall 2026, Summer 1 2027, AY 2026-27).
Recommended files
In AP there are different cases which dictate the need for Recommended files. Take a look at these cases and determine what files need to be uploaded into System Administration; outside of the required files.
| Case | Description | CSV file need |
|---|---|---|
| LMS | The primary function of LMS integration in AP is to collect artifacts directly from students. Instead of administrators manually uploading files, an AP activity can be connected directly to a specific LMS assignment. When students submit their work in the LMS (like Canvas, Blackboard, D2L, or Moodle), it is automatically pulled into the Assessment Project. | Enrollment, Courses and Sections file; Student info in People file |
| Individual File Upload | This method is used to manually upload files for a single, specific student. You can select "Upload Files" for any student and attach up to 3 accepted files (documents, spreadsheets, presentations, photos, movies, or audio) to create their artifact. | Enrollment, Course and Sections file; Student info in People file |
| Section Bulk upload | This method allows you to upload files for multiple students within an activity all at once. You do this by uploading a single ZIP file containing all the student files, along with a specially formatted CSV template that maps each file name in the ZIP to the appropriate student. | Enrollment, Course and Sections file; Student info in People file |
| Anonymous Bulk upload | This method is used to bulk-upload files that are not tied to students or courses for artifacts. It offers two specific approaches: Only 1 file per artifact: simply upload a ZIP file containing all artifact files. Each file automatically becomes a separate artifact, and no CSV is needed. 1-3 files per artifact: If you need to group multiple files into a single artifact, you must upload the ZIP file along with an accompanying CSV file that maps which files should be grouped. | Outside of the necessary files - no additional files needed. |
Optional files
To generate reports and exports that include your assessment data and student-specific data, such as demographics, or term-based data, like GPA, be sure to import Basic Attributes and Student Term files in the People section of System Administration.
Note: Student data imported into System Administration is used to build rosters for purposes of uploading artifacts.