Explores what is at stake in the work of assessment in the literature classroom, what we stand to gain, what we fear to lose, and whether current assessment methods can capture the outcomes we care about most: the complex, subtle, seemingly ineffable heart of learning. The essays in this volume are divided into four sections that focus on: outcomes assessment in the context of current national discussions of higher education and the work being done by various professional organizations; approaches to assessing "sublime learning" (that is, learning that can seem unassessable) and creativity; the question of what outcomes assessment can measure in the literature classroom, as well as the theoretical and political implications of doing so; case studies and templates for the assessment of literature programs, with related discussions of the assessment of writing and foreign language acquisition.--From publisher's description.