University Assessment Committee Agenda

September 6, 1:30 – 3pm

W.A. Franke College of Business, Rm. 207

  1. Call to order
  1. Approval of the UAC minutes from May 3, 2013
  1. University Assessment Committee
  2. Meeting dates AY 2013-14: Sep 6, Oct 4, Nov 1, Dec 6, Feb 7, Mar 7, Apr 4, May 2
  3. Our purpose
  4. What we accomplished last year toward that purpose (see attachments)
  5. Draft Charge/ Objectives
  6. Assessment Policy
  7. Seals Overview
  8. Senate Report
  9. UAC responses to vision and purpose questions last spring
  10. NAU University Outcomes
  1. Degree Program Student Learning Outcomes
  2. Preparation for website
  3. Process to obtain revisions
  1. Faculty Outreach & Engagement
  2. With which activities would each of you like to be engaged this year?
  1. Report on Annual Assessment Reporting
  2. Recommendations for Seals & Letters of Commendation
  1. Summer Working Group (which emerged from responses to vision and purpose questions last spring)
  1. Future agenda items

a. Orientation to Annual Assessment Report Template & Feedback

b. Exploration of the Summer Work Group work

  1. Adjournment

The purpose of the University Assessment Committee (UAC) is to create a positive culture of assessment by guiding and supporting faculty as they collect and use evidence for the continual improvement of student learning at the course, program and university levels.The committee’s primary goal is to develop recommendations and mechanisms for good assessment practices to flourish at NAU, working directly with faculty members and degree programs to support this goal for all academic units (undergraduate, graduate, Flagstaff Mountain, and Extended Campuses).

The objectives of the UAC are to:

  • review, develop, and recommend institutional assessment policies and procedures; and
  • provide feedback to departments regarding
  • the development of useful and meaningful assessment strategies, and
  • how to use their assessment findings to celebrate curricular strengths and identify areas for enhancement of curriculum and learning design.

The committee will maintain close communications with the Faculty Senate, the Office of Curriculum, Learning Design & Academic Assessment, and other appropriate committees, administrative bodies, and academic units. The committee recognizes that the charge of enforcing programs to conduct assessment at the University resides within the jurisdiction of the Provost of Academic Affairs. In keeping with shared governance, the committee will:

  • Make recommendations and reports to the Senate and other units and officials of the University concerning student learning outcomes assessment policy and effective integration/linkage of learning outcomes assessment with program- and course-level curriculum design;
  • Facilitate periodic evaluation of the academic assessment efforts occurring across all areas of the University;
  • Set standards for good practicefor academic assessment and ensure mechanisms are in place for faculty to achieve those standards; and
  • Assess its internal assessment and curricular policies and processes to identify how well they are working and identify methods for continual improvement.
  • In addition, the UAC carries out other duties as charged by the Faculty Senate.

The UAC bylaws address membership, terms, election process, and scope of responsibility.

The UAC works in collaboration with the Office of Curriculum, Learning Design, and Academic Assessment, assisting in:

  • Building relationships with degree programs and faculty about the value of assessment in curriculum and learning design;
  • Developing and/or delivering work sessions, panels, roundtables, and other learning approaches to develop faculty members’ knowledge and skills in assessment strategies and using assessment to enhance curricular innovations;
  • Tailoring resources (websites, workbooks, archives, etc.) to best assist faculty at NAU in achieving assessment standards for good practice;
  • Cultivating the connections across assessment and curriculum within current administrative processes (UCC, UGC, Faculty Senate, Academic Program Review, etc.); and
  • Soliciting proposals and awarding funding, as available, for programmatic and department assessment activities and initiatives.

The Faculty Senate is committed to student learning outcomes assessment as a means of understanding, documenting, and improving the quality of student learning at NAU. This policy reaffirms the central role of faculty in the assessment process. Assessment of student learning is expected to stimulate discussions among faculty about degree program student learning goals, learning opportunities, program curriculum, and teaching techniques as means to improve student learning. Academic units and programs will use assessment information, derived from multiple direct and indirect measures, to identify both strengths and areas for improvement within their programs.

1.0Purpose

Establishes university policies for the assessment of student learning at Northern Arizona University

2.0Definitions

Assessment of student learning – Assessment is the systematic collection, review, and use of information about student achievement and performance in relation to academic goals and academic strategic plans undertaken for the purpose of improving student learning and development.

University Assessment Committee (UAC) – a committee of faculty, staff and students chartered by the Faculty Senate.

Office of Curriculum, Learning Design, and Academic Assessment (OCLDAA) - administrative unit charged with the centralized support for and reporting of assessment of student learning and its utilization in the continual improvement of curriculum and learning design.

Academic unit - a department or unit with one or more courses of study with a prescribed set of requirements that a student must complete (major and emphases, stand-alone certificate)

Academic program – a prescribed set of University-level requirements that a student must complete (e.g., Liberal Studies, Diversity)

Curricular initiative – curricular contentprescribed at the University-level (e.g., Global Learning Initiative)

3.0Policies

3.1NAU Policy for Assessment Governance. The University Assessment Committee, a Faculty Senate committee, is the official institutional body responsible for creating and recommending policies that govern academic assessment practices across the university. The Faculty Senate, Academic Chairs Council, Academic Associate Deans Academy, Provost’s Academic Leadership Council, and the President’s Cabinet will be consulted about any policy changes. The approval process will include the Faculty Senate and the Provostand Vice President for Academic Affairs.

3.1.1The University Assessment Committee (UAC), with support from the Office of Curriculum, Learning Design, and Academic Assessment (OCLDAA), is responsible for developing and revising the Annual Assessment Reporting process and feedback rubrics for alignment with NAU organization development initiatives and best practices in assessment and reporting. The UAC is responsible for reviewing submitted Annual Assessment Reports by utilizing the publicized reporting and feedback rubric criteria for the purpose of providing clear, consistent peer feedback to the academic unit, academic program, and/or curricular initiative in a timely manner. Meaningful feedback on assessment efforts should focus on documenting and celebrating student success, improving student learning, and refining academic assessment activities at NAU.

3.2NAU Assessment of Student Learning. Each academic unit, academic program, or curricular initiative involved in the content and delivery of curriculum is required to engage in meaningful assessment of student learning for each of their undergraduate and graduate programs (major and emphases, stand-alone certificate, or academic program), regardless of delivery mode or location of study, and to submit an Annual Assessment Report documenting their assessment and decision making activities each academic year. See Annual Assessment Reporting process, procedures, and reporting templates on the UAC website.

3.2.1Efforts toward coordination and assessment of student learning outcomes at the course level, the degree program level, and the university should be apparent.

3.2.2Each academic unit includes documentation (Annual Assessment Reports) of the use of the assessment of student learning outcomes and achievement of academic goals and long-term academic strategic plans in the Arizona Board of Regents Academic Program Reviews and accreditation, when applicable.

Northern Arizona University

Seals of Assessment Excellence and Letters of Commendation for Assessment

Purpose

The purposes of Northern Arizona University’s assessment seals and letters are to 1) recognize academic programs for outstanding work in assessing student learning through meaningful assessment approaches and the application of assessment findings to document and/or enhance curriculum, learning design and assessment practices, 2) encourage academic programs to showcase program-level achievements in student learning as well as innovations in curriculum, learning design, and academic assessment, and 3) promote promising practices in assessment and its application to learning design by sharing strategies and experiences across the disciplines.

The Seal of Assessment Excellence

The Seal of Assessment Excellence recognizes outstanding work on all three assessment phases (Phase 1: Mission, Student Learning Outcomes, and Assessment Strategy, Phase 2: Data Collection, and Phase 3: Summary of Findings, Interpretations, and Recommendations) as evidenced by the annual assessment report.

Academic programs earning this recognition have carefully planned for assessment, including developing a program mission, student learning outcomes, and a curriculum map. Additionally, they have designed assessment measures and a strategy that facilitated answering an assessment question of importance to the program. Finally, they have included the majority, if not all, faculty members in developing and implementing the assessment strategy as well as discussing and using assessment results to make recommendations for changes to curriculum, learning design, and assessment. Following best practices of assessment, these programs demonstrate the integral connection between curriculum, learning design, and assessment processes.

The nomination process for the Seal of Assessment Excellence is conducted jointly by the University Assessment Committee (UAC) and the Office of Curriculum, Learning Design, and Academic Assessment (OCLDAA). UAC members review annual assessment reports submitted during the academic year by using a detailed rubric that provides feedback to academic programs. In addition to providing feedback, UAC review teams identify programs to be considered for the Seal of Assessment Excellence based upon the distinguished ratings provided by UAC members across all three phases of their assessment reports. During the summer, OCLDAA staff review the rubric feedback and assessment reports for all programs recommended as possible seal recipients and determine which programs will receive a Seal of Assessment Excellence. At the first UAC meeting each fall, the UAC reviews the list of nominated programs, prior to seeking endorsement from the Provost and the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

The Letter of Commendation

The Letter of Commendation recognizes specific outstanding work in any of the three assessment phases. The letter might acknowledge, for example, academic programs that effectively used curriculum mapping for understanding and improving student learning, developed an innovative approach to assessment design, or made improvements in the use of assessment results over time.

Similar to the nomination process for Seals of Assessment Excellence, UAC review teams identify programs to be considered for a Letter of Commendation as they are reviewing Annual Assessment Reports. During the summer, the OCLDAA staff reviews the rubric feedback for all recommended programs and compiles a list of possible recipients. Following endorsement by the Associate Vice Provost for Curriculum and Assessment, Letters of Commendation are sent to the academic programs early in the fall semester.

Recognition of Seal and Letter Recipients

To recognize our Seal Recipients, the Seals of Assessment Excellence are presented at a celebration dinner during the fall semester. Additionally, an electronic seal is sent to the program for display on their program website. Finally, program annual assessment reports that have received the Seal of Assessment Excellence are specially designated on the OCLDAA website in the report archives so that program faculty campus-wide can easily find these outstanding reports and peruse them for assessment ideas.

Recipients of the Seal of Assessment Excellence or Letter of Commendation will be invited to participate in a variety of events to share their assessment expertise with their colleagues. As recognized leaders of assessment efforts, recipients will be invited to share their assessment experiences with colleagues at a Café Meeting (the Café meeting is an informal opportunity for faculty from an academic program to meet with UAC members and OCLDAA staff over coffee and talk about assessment). Recipients will also receive a special invitation to present their work and be recognized at the Spring NAU Assessment Fair.

Update from the University Assessment Committee

AY 2012-13

Robert E. Till

UAC Chair

This report includes a summary of UAC accomplishments. During AY 2012-13, the UAC

  • revised the NAU Assessment of Student Learning Policy (subsequently approved by Senate and Provost)
  • developed and implemented a communication plan to Chairs, Colleges and Departments about assessment so as to bolster assessment efforts on campus.
  • requested to have the Senate charge the UGC and UCC with collecting degree program student learning outcomes and working toward displaying the outcomes centrally
  • examined the new criteria set forth for accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission and ensured our assessment processes align with HLC requirements
  • developed a new web site with resources and support for annual assessment reporting

The UAC engaged in several additional activities. In particular, we

  • finalized and implemented a streamlined Annual Assessment Reporting Process with clearer standards for reporting, including a new reporting template and feedback guidelines
  • worked with faculty to streamline connections between specialized program accreditation and NAU assessment reporting
  • developed and implemented new Seal Criteria that aligned with the streamlined reporting process, creating a single Seal of Assessment Excellence for programs accomplishing the entire assessment process in a distinguished fashion, and Letters of Commendation for programs developing distinguished sections of the assessment process
  • identified areas for UAC outreach and engagement to bolster assessment efforts on campus
  • provided feedback on the new university-level learning outcomes and discussed best ways for assessment of these to occur
  • directed sub-committees to review Annual Assessment Reports as they were submitted

With regard to the future of assessment efforts at NAU, the UAC generated and discussed several questions. We considered, in particular,

  • Faculty Workload concerns: How can the UAC work with college leadership to ensure promotion of the value of strong assessment efforts for high quality academic programs and acknowledgement of time and energy required for assessment? How can UAC encourage and facilitate conversations about how this can be incorporated into SOEs for teaching, research, and service?
  • Relationship of curriculum and learning design to assessment: What is the relationship between the UAC, the University Curriculum Committee, and the University Graduate Committee? How would the connecting of assessment to curriculum and learning design affect the relationship of the three committees? What is the role of the UCC and UGC in programs’ assessment processes? Should the UAC, UCC, and UGC work together to review curriculum relative to assessment findings? Most importantly, what roles and processes should be developed among the committees to ensure that learning outcomes and student assessment at the program level (UAC) are aligned with the learning outcomes and student assessment at the course level (UCC/ UGC)?

Purpose, Stakeholders, Vision/ Goals & Process Responses: A Qualitative Analysis

University Assessment Committee

In March of 2013, the University Assessment Committee responded to a series of questions about its purpose, stakeholders, vision and goals, and process. Eleven of sixteen committee members responded. Below is a summary of responses. In addition, an appendix is attached containing the questions and responses of all participants, sorted by area.

In your opinion:

Purpose:

1.What is the purpose of the University Assessment Committee (UAC)?

2.Why does the UAC exist?

Purpose of the UAC:

  • To promote, develop and create a culture of assessment that is positive and constructive, yet realistic.
  • A positive culture is characterized as providing hope, encouragement and guidance to faculty’s assessment efforts, particularly assessment efforts focused on the continual enhancement of student learning.

UAC’s Perception of the Purpose of Assessment

  • The primary purpose of assessment at NAU is for continuous improvement.
  • All programs can be improved, no matter how good they are
  • Assessment is meant to be used to determine whether and to what degree students’ learning improves, and whether program or course level curricular and learning design changes either maintain or enhance student learning
  • The UAC desires assessment to be a key component in faculty reflections upon their daily practice of teaching and learning
  • Assessment ensures student learning is occurring at the frequency and standard desired
  • Assessment assists in defining what student learning we desire to occur, and using information from assessment to determine if student learning is being achieved
  • Creates meaningful connections between what we desire students to learn, what they actually learn, and how our learning and curricular design affects what they learn.
  • Some on the committee desire that assessment never be episodic or summative, while others believe that sometimes summative assessment is necessary to get a “lay of the land” of the learning occurring across the program.

The Role Reporting Plays in Continuous Improvement

  • The feedback process as a key component of the continuous improvement process.
  • The reporting and feedback process:
  • encourages annual reflection and action for the continued enhancement of student learning, and
  • engages faculty in continuous improvement by providing feedback that is meant to support them in their enhancement processes.
  • Reporting is to ensure assessment is effective, provide feedback to make it more efficient and ensure assessment is providing meaningful information to improve curriculum.

Continuous Improvement is Fundamental to Curriculum Design