Program Review and Assessment Committee

Minutes of October 23, 2003

Present: L.L. Berman, C. Coron, J. Critzer, M. Kennedy, M. Moss, R. Mugno, H. Podnar, E. Schmitt, J. Tolis

Started: 9:45am

Dr. Marianne Kennedy discussed the two types of assessment processes that colleges and universities have put into place: one, a centralized approach involving administrators with a focus on accountability and the second, a faculty-driven approach with greater faculty input that focuses on student learning not accountability. Colleges and universities with the faculty-driven approach emphasize assessment as a means to improve student learning by determining what students are learning, how this is known, how to measure learning, and what to do with the information. It was noted that North Carolina State University has departments submit a departmental assessment portfolio every seven years.

Discussion ensued about the issue of measurement with alumni surveys given as one example. Members also discussed the need for student feedback that might be acquired through faculty-student meetings or student surveys. Teaching evaluation summaries by department, not by faculty members, obtained from Institutional Research, are used by departments for graduate assessment. Determining if departments require a capstone course for its majors was raised as an avenue to assess the learning process. Means for obtaining information about graduating seniors included questioning employers or distributing a card to seniors at graduate exercises requesting information about employment and future education plans.

Annual department reports were considered as one way departments attempt to align department goals with the goals of the University. Discussion ensued about the role of the Deans in the assessment process; the issue of remediation; and assessment information from comparable college and universities. Cynthia Coron will distribute members' notes from last year about other university approaches to assessment at the next subcommittee meeting at which time the meaning of assessment will be discussed. Members going to the Assessment Conference in November should make sure that their paperwork has been completed.

Adjourned: 11:05am

Recorder: J. Critzer