Major technical issues concerning the assessment of student learning in higher education are presented in light of the authors' own knowledge of principles and methods of testing and measurement. This information is intended to help academic administrators and faculty draft a charge to a committee for the design and implementation of an assessment program; to converse intelligently with consultants and faculty members charged with writing the specifications; and to evaluate both the program design and the results of its implementation. Following an introduction by Clifford Adelman, essay topics are as follows: "Designing a College Assessment" (Jason Millman); "Diverse and Subtle Arts: Assessing the Generic Outcomes of Higher Education" (Leonard L. Baird); "Assessment of Basic Skills in Mathematics" (Mark I. Appelbaum); "Issues in Evaluating Measures of Basic Language Skills for Higher Education" (Stephen Dunbar); "Assessing General Education" (John Centra); "Assessment through the Major" (Mark I. Appelbaum); "Assessing Changes in Student Values" (Jerilee Grandy); "Indicators of Motivation in College Students" (Sandra Graham); "Difficulty Levels and the Selection of General Education Subject Examinations" (Clifford Adelman); "Value Added: Using Student Gains as Yardsticks of Learning" (Leonard L. Baird); "Computer-Based Testing: Contributions of New Technology" (Jerilee Grandy); "States of Art in the Science of Writing and Other Performance Assessments" (Stephen Dunbar); "Using the Assessment Center Method To Measure Life Competencies" (William C. Byham); and"Conclusion: Metaphors and Other Guidances" (Clifford Adelman). Appendix A is an annotated bibliography of 79 items (Gary Pike); appendix B contains data on 22 selected assessment instruments (Gary Pike). (SM)