For decades, discussions regarding assessment have been taking place in higher education, which has forced institutions to take a look at outcomes and indicators of student achievement. Although the literature indicates an acceptance that assessment is not going away, the process that takes place within higher education institutions has led to levels of disengagement among faculty and a culture of compliance. The purpose of this study was to uncover the underlying attitudes of full-time faculty members in higher education toward program assessment. By understanding faculty members' perceptions about program-level assessment, the factors for successful implementation, and the participation of faculty within the university community, this study confirms the findings of prior research, provides recommendations for both faculty and institutional leaders to increase program-level assessment initiatives and introduces a program-level assessment framework for use in higher education. This study utilized a qualitative approach with a phenomenological strategy, which focused on the shared phenomenon on participating in program assessment. Semi-structured interviews allowed the researcher to focus on the attitudes and perceptions of faculty and how they respond toward program assessment within their given institution. Since the faculty members' experiences are subjective and their individual views are constructed based on their situations, this research study further utilized a constructivist approach with an ontological assumption (Creswell, 2013; Seidman, 2013). The findings of this research study provide critical insight into faculty perceptions of program-level assessment that can be used by leaders when developing an assessment culture. The findings include: (1) Faculty have strong feelings about program-level assessment, and often feel that it is only utilized as a requirement for accreditation or a mandate from superiors. (2) Faculty are often unsure of what they are looking for and do not even fully understand the process. (3) Faculty tend to become involved in assessment due to their assigned role within the university, but sometimes become involved due to an expressed interest. (4) Involving faculty as much as possible is important. (5) Program assessment should provide multiple and varied opportunities to engage faculty. (6) Faculty most often cited time as a barrier to successfully implementing program assessment. (7) In order to increase faculty engagement and participation, transparency and communication are important. (8) In addition, institutional leaders must build a culture of assessment by being aware of the broader institution. Understanding these findings can help leaders in making decisions toward an improved culture of assessment. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]