SPOTLIGHT ON NOTABLE DEPARTMENTS 2015-2016:
ACHIEVEMENTS IN ACADEMIC ASSESSMENT AND PROGRAM REVIEW
NOTABLE DEPARTMENTAL ACHIEVEMENT
IN SELF STUDY & PROGRAM REVIEW PROCESS
This category of achievement honors Department excellence related to the SUNY Program Review self-study process, including (1) the self-study report and (2) faculty engagement and participation in the review process. Exemplary practices include self-studies that provide clear evidence of thoughtful and ongoing program assessment and the use of assessment results to improve programs, as well as engagement of program faculty in the SUNY Program Review process itself and in the ongoing department-based program assessment and improvement processes.
Allied Health Sciences Department: Commended for an exemplary self-study report for the Radiologic Technology A.A.S.program. The program submitted a report that reflected a thoughtful, thorough and complete self-study process undertaken by the department Chair and program Co-Chairs. The report was informative for external reviewers and provided clear evidence of student learning and the use of student outcomes assessment results to improve studentperformance and to enhance the program overall.
[For information, contact: Gary Klinger, Department Chair; Lawrence Jacob Lisa Tine, Program Co-Chairs]
NOTABLE DEPARTMENTAL ACHIEVEMENT
IN ASSESSMENT-BASED QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PRACTICES
This category of achievement honors Department excellence related to practices that support the assessment of student learning outcomes and the documentation and use of assessment results to facilitate quality improvement. Exemplary practices include the use of Taskstream® workspaces (1) to enable implementation of meaningful program level and course level assessment plans and (2) to establish connections between these two levels of student learning outcomes assessment in order to ensure the systematic use of assessment results to improve courses and programs.
History, Political Science, and Geography Department: Commended for the department’s well-developed course level assessment plans that are fully structured around the SUNY General Education goals for History, Political Science, and Geography. The department Chair and faculty continue to document the results of student outcomes assessments and to document as well the use of those results to improve student outcomes. The department has been a leader in transitioning its assessment processes and documentation to the online assessment management system.
[For information, contact: Miguel Alonso, Department Chair; Robert Genter & Joel Vessels, Department AMS Coordinators]
Nursing Department:Commended because faculty in the department consistently implement well-developed and systematic course and program level assessments based on learning outcomes identified by the program’s external accrediting body. Department faculty continue to identify course-level modifications based on assessment results, to connect these to program outcomes, and to “close the assessment loop” through implementation and re-assessment of modifications and documentation of improvements in student performance. The department has been a leader in transitioning its assessment processes and documentation to the online assessment management system.
[For information, contact: Thomas Rich, Department Chair; Maryann Snow, Department AMS Coordinator]
Physical Sciences Department:Commended for the department’swell-developed assessment plans and its ongoing and consistent use of multiple measures to assess student learning outcomes. The department systematically documents the identification, implementation and reassessment of data-based modifications to demonstrate improvements in student performance. The department has been a leader in transitioning its assessment processes and documentation to the online assessment management system, andassessment work at course and department levels is well-documented in the department’s assessment workspaces, which are complete and actively used.
[For information, contact: Thomas Bruckner, Department Chair; Richard Cohen, Tracy Imperator, & Adrienne Altman, Department AMS Coordinators]
Reading and Basic Education Department: Commended for documenting in an ongoing and consistentway their incorporation ofthe use of direct measurements of student learning to track andimprove student learning outcomes at course and department levels. The department consistently provides data that clearly document assessment results, and details the use of assessment results to (1) identify areas for course and program improvements or ongoing development and (2) to revise pedagogy and course content within the curriculum accordingly. The department displays ongoing leadership in developing a departmental culture of assessment that extends to incorporating the use of the online assessment management system as a documentation tool.
[For information, contact: Christine Berg, Department Chair; Cheryl Novins, Kerry Golde, & Allison Bressmer, Department AMS Coordinators]
Special ACHIEVEMENT mentions
Special mention is made for departments that are leading the way in fully implementing and providing findings for all course level learning assessment plans in the online assessment management system.
Biology Department
[For information, contact: Jacqueline Lee, Department Chair; Wes Doody, Department AMS Coordinator]
Chemistry Department
[For information, contact: Alfredo Mellace, Department Chair; Daniel Resch & Charles Hicks, Department AMS Coordinators]
Psychology Department
[For information, contact: Sidney Hochman, Department Chair; Beth Gaudino-Goering, Department AMS Coordinator]