<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:st1="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)">
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="PostalCode"/>
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="Street"/>
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="address"/>
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="City"/>
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="place"/>
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="PlaceName"/>
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="PlaceType"/>
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="State"/>
<!--[if !mso]>
<style>
st1\:*{behavior:url(#default#ieooui) }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<style>
<!--
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-believe-normal-left:yes;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.MsoAutoSig, li.MsoAutoSig, div.MsoAutoSig
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
p
{mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
span.EmailStyle19
{mso-style-type:personal;
color:black;}
span.EmailStyle20
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:Arial;
color:navy;}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->
</style>
<![if mso 9]>
<style>
p.MsoNormal
{margin-left:37.5pt;}
</style>
<![endif]><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body bgcolor=white background="cid:image001.jpg@01C83331.F181F860" lang=EN-US
link=blue vlink=purple style='margin-left:37.5pt;margin-top:15.0pt'>
<img src="cid:image001.jpg@01C83331.F181F860"
v:src="cid:image001.jpg@01C83331.F181F860" v:shapes="_x0000_Mail" width=0
height=0 class=shape style='display:none;width:0;height:0'>
<div class=Section1>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=3
color=black face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>MEMORANDUM<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>TO:
Deans, Department Heads, Program Directors, Faculty Members<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>FROM:
Randy McBroom, Planning & Institutional Effectiveness<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>DATE:
November 30, 2007<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>RE:
Assessment Initiatives<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>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.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>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 <a href="http://weaveonline.com/">http://weaveonline.com/</a>.
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.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>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 <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Texas</st1:PlaceName>
A&M <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType> Assessment
Conference in February. Details on this conference can be found at <a
href="http://assessment.tamu.edu/conference/index.html">http://assessment.tamu.edu/conference/index.html</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>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 <a href="http://bondessays.carnegiefoundation.org/">http://bondessays.carnegiefoundation.org/</a>.
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>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.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>Thank you,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>Randy McBroom<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoAutoSig align=center style='margin-left:1.0in;text-align:center'><font
size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
color:black'>*******************************<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoAutoSig align=center style='margin-left:1.0in;text-align:center'><b><i><font
size=3 color=blue face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
color:blue;font-weight:bold;font-style:italic'>Randy McBroom, Ph.D</span></font></i></b><font
color=blue><span style='color:blue'>.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoAutoSig align=center style='margin-left:1.0in;text-align:center'><font
size=2 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
color:black'>Assistant to the President for Planning and Institutional
Effectiveness<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoAutoSig align=center style='margin-left:1.0in;text-align:center'><font
size=2 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
color:black'>Associate Professor, Sociology & Criminal Justice<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoAutoSig align=center style='margin-left:1.0in;text-align:center'><font
size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
color:black'>Texas A&M University-Commerce<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoAutoSig align=center style='margin-left:1.0in;text-align:center'><st1:address
w:st="on"><st1:Street w:st="on"><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>P.O. Box</span></font></st1:Street><font
color=black><span style='color:black'> 3011</span></font></st1:address><font
color=black><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoAutoSig align=center style='margin-left:1.0in;text-align:center'><st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>Commerce</span></font></st1:City><font
color=black><span style='color:black'>, <st1:State w:st="on">Texas</st1:State>
<st1:PostalCode w:st="on">75429-3011</st1:PostalCode></span></font></st1:place><font
color=black><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoAutoSig align=center style='margin-left:1.0in;text-align:center'><font
size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
color:black'>Phone: (903)886-5926<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoAutoSig align=center style='margin-left:1.0in;text-align:center'><font
size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
color:black'>Fax: (903)468-3201<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoAutoSig align=center style='margin-left:1.0in;text-align:center'><font
size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
color:black'>****************************************<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<p><font size=2 color="#006666" face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial;color:#006666'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>