Update on the Academic Assessment Coordinating Committee: Keeping Faculty Apprised

By Maria DeGiglio

Since August, the Academic Assessment Coordinating Committee (AACC) has been busy reviewing departmental annual goal reports.  We both thank you and commend you for the cumulative efforts that were put into these reports.  Many of them demonstrated clear, comprehensive, and detailed learning goals, assessment methodology, and plans for continuous improvement.

The AACC will report at the close of each semester where our processes are strong and where they might be improved upon.  So far, we observed that a number of departments used multiple assessment methods to measure individual learning goals, and assessments have been conducted at various points throughout the curriculum.  Some departments provided accompanying narratives and supplemental reports that were especially helpful to the committee members in their review.  We were particularly interested in the reports documenting participation in subject-related activities outside the classroom.  These are all strengths in our practice.

Three general areas where the AACC believes additional faculty discussion may be warranted are

• using multiple and valid methods to assess learning
• analyzing and presenting meaningful results
• using, not just reporting, assessment findings.

Moving forward, AACC members want to work directly with departments when they are completing their 2017 - 2018 annual goal reports.  We believe that providing formative feedback would be more helpful than simply offering summative feedback.  

Besides our own reviews, the AACC is interested in learning what you need with respect to assessment.  To this end, we will be sending all faculty a brief survey.  Your responses will be helpful to us because it is our desire not only to simplify our processes, but also to clarify them and make them more actionable, meaningful, and sustainable. Please help us improve our assessment processes by taking a few minutes to respond to this survey when you receive it via email.  Whatever you say will remain confidential and anonymous.

On a final note, the committee will begin the five-year program review assessment in mid-October.