[an error occurred while processing this directive]

Assessment Guidelines

 

California State University, Long Beach

Division of Academic Affairs

Assessment: Revised Responsibilities and Timetable

November 29, 2005

(DRAFT)

 

 

Introduction

In 1995, California State University, Long Beach, established a University Assessment Committee as a cross-divisional body with a broad mandate concerning assessment on campus. Following this mandate, as well as Academic Senate Policy #98-06 on Assessment and a draft campus assessment plan written in 1995, the Committee encouraged best practices in the assessment of student learning across the campus by offering assessment retreats, workshops, and numerous grants programs. As a result, individual faculty as well as entire programs and departments throughout the University have become actively engaged in collecting and using assessment findings to promote student retention, graduation, and academic success.

 

After ten years, responsibility for assessment both in the Division of Academic Affairs and in the Academic Senate has recently re-organized.  At this point it is important to build upon past successes by taking the next steps in the process of institutionalization of assessment at CSULB, as well as to review responsibilities for accomplishing these goals, as detailed below and on the following pages.

 

 

Assessment Next Steps

For academic year 2005-2006:

By the end of AY 05-06, all degree programs will have:

  • defined their student learning outcomes;
  • identified assessment methods to be used;
  • developed a plan for using the results of assessment for program improvement to enhance student success;
  • begun writing annual reports on assessment activities.

 

For academic year 2007-2008:

By the end of AY 07-08, all degree programs will have:

  • conducted assessment for at least two years;
  • used assessment for program improvement at least once.

 

For academic year 2009-2010:

By the end of AY 09-10, all degree programs will have:

  • incorporated their assessment process into program review.

 

Assessment Responsibilities

The University Assessment Committee, the seven college assessment coordinators, and the Associate Vice President for Graduate and Undergraduate Programs have recommended that the responsibility for taking these next steps be distributed as follows:

1.  Division of Academic Affairs

The Associate Vice President for Graduate and Undergraduate Programs will:

  • provide overall leadership for activities pertaining to student learning outcome assessment on campus.
  • provide resources for the accomplishment of these activities.
  • establish timelines for assessment of student learning outcomes
  • hold appropriate actors accountable for fulfilling their responsibilities 
  • monitor the assessment results reported in annual reports and/or program reviews
  • synthesize information for reporting purposes to external agencies such as WASC or the CSU Chancellor’s Office
  • convene the academic deans each year to review the results and to recommend actions for the subsequent academic year.

 

2.  Campus Coordinator for Program Review and Assessment

The coordinator will:

  • contact academic programs to determine their needs for assistance with their responsibilities for assessment;
  • provide workshops and other assistance to faculty, in conjunction with the Faculty Center for Professional Development, external consultants, members of the campus Assessment Talent Bank, and others;
  • provide or arrange for mentoring, sample assessment instruments and sample assessment plans, examples of using assessment in program review, and other relevant materials;
  • make presentations to faculty during new faculty orientations and GE workshops and at other times and places as requested;
  • perform other duties related to assessment as requested.

 

3.  Academic Programs

Faculty of academic programs or units will:

  • define student learning outcomes for each degree program;
  • identify appropriate assessment methods;
  • conduct program level assessment on an ongoing basis;
  • develop a plan for using the results of assessment for program improvement;
  • send an annual report on assessment to the AVP for Graduate and Undergraduate Programs via the college assessment coordinator. (once a program has completed its program review, the assessment report will be incorporated from that point on into the annual report that updates progress on the MOU).
 

4.  Colleges and College Assessment Coordinators

The Colleges and the College Assessment Coordinators will:

  • propose assessment activities and projects for funding, and match funds provided by Academic Affairs;
  • provide a brief report at the end of each academic year regarding how funding on assessment was deployed and what was accomplished;
  • provide assistance to academic programs on student learning outcomes assessment;
  • monitor the progress of the academic programs in respect to assessment;
  • review the annual reports on assessment from each degree program sent to the AVP for Graduate and Undergraduate Programs.

 

5. Program Assessment and Review Council

The Program Assessment and Review Council will:

  • recommend policies to the Academic Senate related to assessment;
  • provide other advice and reports as detailed in the charge of the Council related to assessment, accountability, and program review.

 

6.  Faculty Center for Professional Development

The Faculty Center for Professional Development:

  • will offer workshops on assessment and program review for individuals and groups of faculty;
  • will provide resources on student learning outcome assessment;
  • will maintain the Assessment Talent Bank;
  • may assemble teams for program review and assessment consultation.