Outcomes
Assessment
Reports
a newsletter and Web log
by Frank Vozzo
 
Director of Student Learning Outcomes Assessment
 

 
July 24, 2006

In this report:

Over the last 16 months, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education has issued warnings to eight colleges that have submitted self-study reviews.  The warnings state that accreditation may be jeopardized by failure to comply with Middle States guidelines, and require that monitoring reports be filed within one year after which follow-up visits can be expected.  The latest institution receiving such a warning was Fulton-Montgomery Community College: on June 22, FMCC was cited for failure to provide "(1) an organized and sustainable assessment process and plan to evaluate student learning, including evidence that faculty have developed learning goals and objectives for all course syllabi, evidence that learning goals are clearly articulated at all levels (institutional, degree/program, course), and evidence that assessment results are shared with all constituencies and are used to improve teaching and learning; (2) an organized and sustainable assessment process and plan to evaluate overall institutional effectiveness in achieving mission and goals (including student learning), and evidence that assessment results are used to improve institutional effectiveness and for institutional planning and budgeting; and, (3) an updated rolling three-year financial plan, approved by the Joint Commission of Trustees and Supervisors, that is consistent with expenditures outlined in the institution's three-year strategic plan."

I have added the emphasis above.  In its latest Periodic Review (2005), Sage described its "plans" very well, but in my opinion we were spared from having to provide much in the way of "evidence."  The language above is quite clear: Middle States now expects us to prove that ALL course syllabi address learning goals and objectives.  We are also expected to widely share, as well as use, our assessment results.

You probably remember that the Federal Commission on the Future of Higher Education is due to report its findings to Education Secretary Margaret Spellings by August 1.  A draft of that report has been leaked, and posted on the Web by Inside Higher Education.

Much has already been written about the draft, which seems to take a softer stance than feared on standardized tests.  The draft report recommends that States consider mandatory use of tests such as the Collegiate Learning Assessment at public colleges, but for private institutions the draft speaks of "providing incentives", and "encouraging" and "expanding" efforts along these lines.  The administration at Sage is seriously considering how the CLA might be used as part of our outcomes assessment efforts.

Back on January 9, I offered to assist any faculty member who was willing to apply for a VPAA Outcomes Assessment Summer Grant.  Nobody applied, as it turns out (although two faculty members did ask me about applying).  I'll assume that the lack of applications doesn't mean you all know everything you need to know about assessment going into the coming Academic Year.  So I now offer my assistance to any faculty member who would like help in preparing or refining course goals and objectives for their course syllabi.  This is a limited-time offer, folks!  I still have a lot of work to do before I'll be ready for my own courses, so please get your requests in soon.  Send me a copy of a syllabus as an attachment to your e-mail and I will provide some private feedback.  And don't forget to check out the resources mentioned in my January 9 report on "syllabusology."

 

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