University Assessment Committee

September 16, 2008 Minutes

I. Announcements and Updates

A. Introduction of New and Returning Members

B. 2008-2009 Meeting Schedule: Fall 2008 meeting times will be on Tuesday

mornings from 8:30-9:30; spring meeting times needs to be confirmed.

C. Higher Learning Commission Annual Meeting—April 17-21, 2009 (Chicago)

Proposals for programs/presentations are due October 10; call distributed.

D. Web updates: see Assessment tab under AEA.

1. Distributed copies of the 2007-2008 Annual Assessment Report to each

member of the committee; electronic copies are found on the web site.

II. New Business: Summer Committee Updates

  1. 1. Exploratory review of electronic systems of collecting and reporting

assessment data (Paul Turner*, Colette O’Meara-Hanson, Danielson) September 2008 Outcome: Recommendation for UAC review: Report with recommendations distributed.

  1. Electronic Toolbox (Mike Monaghan*, Gail Jensen*, Tom Meng, Lee

Budesheim)

September 2008 Outcome: Sharing of preliminary resources and infrastructure available for faculty use: Committee chairs were not present but will be working on resources. Interest in use of Critical Thinking instrument to be explored.

  1. Curricular and Co-Curricular Program Review and Rubric Development

(Richard Rossi*, Tom Kelly, Richard Super, Maria Teresa Gaston, Stephanie Wernig)

September 2008 Outcome: Report on Program Review and Drafted Rubric. Current work includes a proposal to the HLC highlighting program outcomes. About Campus article (May-June 2008) on “Casting the Assessment Net Wide: Capturing All Student Learning” was distributed.

  1. Campus Conversations (Palma Strand*, Brenda Coppard, Katie Huggett, Fran Klein, Jim Knudsen, Joan Norris, Jeff Maciejewski)

September 2008 Outcome: Report on conversations with deans was shared; continuing planning for campus events to be announced later in fall.

  1. Related Activities:
  2. Campus Conversations: 2008-2009 Topic “Deliberative Reflection on Personal and Professional Formation”
  3. 2009 CASTL Theme: Ethics of Inquiry (An inquiry into Ethics)
  4. December deadline for Dean’s response to (plans for) “Resolution on the Catholic-Jesuit Mission of Creighton University”
  5. Information literacy assessments (SAILS) for UG students

III. Next Steps: Our Plans for 2008-2009

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead

Time did not allow for much planning but our “next steps” include invitations to the University of Nebraska at Lincoln staff who have successfully implemented an electronic assessment reporting system (scheduled for October 14, 2008), a presentation on current assessment applications within the Angel Learning System by Rick Murch-Shafer (DoIT), and Tom Purcell, Creighton University’s strategic planning facilitator.

IV. Adjournedat 9:30.

Next Meeting: October 7, 20088:30-9:30 a.m.Harper Center 2066.