[VPAAEtal] Assessment Initiatives

[Academic Affairs]

MEMORANDUM

TO:                  Deans, Department Heads, Program Directors, Faculty
Members

FROM:            Randy McBroom, Planning & Institutional Effectiveness

DATE:             November 30, 2007

RE:                  Assessment Initiatives

Following a year in which a great deal of emphasis was placed on the new
University Strategic Plan, and its implementation, a renewed emphasis will
begin in January, 2008, on the assessment component of institutional
effectiveness.  While some see assessment as bureaucratically imposed
busywork, the fact is that we must engage in ongoing assessment of our
academic programs, through student progress by learning outcomes assessment,
as well as student support programs.  The Texas Higher Education
Coordinating Board, all accrediting bodies, and, most importantly, best
practices in higher education, dictate that we engage in assessment
activities, and use the results of that assessment to improve our programs.

To this end, several initiatives will take place this spring.  First, we
will be moving from the SUPER system to a new, online, commercial assessment
reporting tool, WEAVEonline.  This system will be implemented this spring,
and training sessions on its use will take place early in the semester.  You
can preview the system at their website http://weaveonline.com/
<http://weaveonline.com/> .  Reports using this tool will be a very
important component of our SACS mid-tem report on graduate level learning
outcomes assessment, due in March, 2009.

To assist departments in developing, and using, appropriate program
outcomes, the Office of Planning and Institutional Effectiveness, along with
the Office of the Provost, will sponsor a Learning Outcomes Assessment
workshop in the spring semester.  Deans and Department Heads are also
encouraged to attend the Texas A&M University Assessment Conference in
February.  Details on this conference can be found at
http://assessment.tamu.edu/conference/index.html
<http://assessment.tamu.edu/conference/index.html> .

Also, articles, essays, and other assessment material will be disseminated
to the University community.  An example of this is a collection of essays
from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.  These Lloyd
Bond essays, along with links to others, can be found at
http://bondessays.carnegiefoundation.org/
<http://bondessays.carnegiefoundation.org/> . 

Finally, we have resources in the Office of Planning and Institutional
Effectiveness to assist Department Heads and Program Directors in developing
and using learning outcomes assessments.  Please contact me at any time.

Thank you,

Randy McBroom

 

*******************************

Randy McBroom, Ph.D.

Assistant to the President for Planning and Institutional Effectiveness

Associate Professor, Sociology & Criminal Justice

Texas A&M University-Commerce

P.O. Box 3011

Commerce, Texas 75429-3011

Phone: (903)886-5926

Fax: (903)468-3201

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