Weekly Report
April 8, 2016
The Office of Planning and Assessment reports its weekly activities and contributions toward Texas Tech
University’s institutional effectiveness efforts.
OUTCOME 1: Texas Tech will be found in compliance with all external accrediting agencies and State
of Texas mandates
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An updated list of items considered for substantive change was prepared on April 4, 2016. This
included information from new minutes as of the February 2016 TTU Academic Council. The TTU
eLearning Council and TTU System Board of Regents have not published updated minutes recently.
Chair Meeting Update:
Date of Meeting
1-21-16
Name of Chair
Sindee Simon
Department
Chemical
Engineering
Primary issues addressed
Simon is well-versed in TracDat, and
the July 1 revised assessment deadline
was not problematic. Follow-Up
needed to revise DM Faculty Roster.
2-8-16
Mark Webb
Philosophy
No areas of concern identified. FollowUp needed to revise DM Faculty Roster.
2-12-16
Louisa HopeWeeks
Chemistry
New Chairperson – Hughes explained
both TracDat and DigitalMeasures.
Weeks attended a formal TracDat
training session. Follow-Up needed to
revise DM Faculty Roster, and to also
explain the “Top 5” DM reports.
Weeks also identified the following
program coordinators: Chemical
Biology (David Ness); Chemistry PHD
(Bill Pourier); Chemistry MS (Bill
Pourier); Chemistry BS (Louisa HopeWeeks). Additional academic
assessment consultation
recommended per Hughes.
2-17-16
Ron Chesser
Biology
New Chairperson - Hughes explained
both TracDat and DigitalMeasures.
Follow-Up needed to revise DM Faculty
Roster. Additional academic
assessment consultation
recommended per Hughes. OPA has
provided an assessment “checklist” to
Dr. Chester to assist with assessment
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reporting. Chesser asked about lowproducing programs, and Hughes
followed up with James. Chesser also
requested to be among the first degree
programs to be reviewed after the July
1 deadline, due to summer travel and
research.
3-4-16
Dave Ernst
Civil,
Environmental, and
Construction
Engineering
First distribution of Chair Packet. Ernst
was interested in iPortfolio and DQP.
Follow-Up needed to revise DM Faculty
Roster. Ernst is a long-time TracDat
user and understands mechanics of
reporting; Ernst disclosed that he is
Interim Chair, and will likely not be
doing assessment reporting for the 1718 academic year.
3-9-16
Nichole
Morelock
Community, Family,
and Addiction
Services
Morelock received Chair Packet. No
academic assessment follow-up
needed. Hughes confirmed that the
analysis received was from 14-15
assessment data. Follow-Up needed to
revise DM Faculty Roster.
3-9-16
Shannon
Bichard
Advertising
Bichard received Chair Packet, minus
the degree program analysis. Bichard
discussed challenges to assessing her
degree program relating to chair
leadership changes. Degree program
has developed the “6 C’s” that are all
student learning outcomes. Hughes to
ask Bichard to give a Fall TAN talk.
Follow-Up needed to revise DM Faculty
Roster. OPA needs to send Advertising
Assessment Analysis to Bichard.
3-10-16
Brian Ott
Communication
Studies
New Chairperson – Hughes described
both TracDat and DigitalMeasures to
Dr. Ott. Ott received Chair Packet. Ott
indicated that he might need to confer
with other TTU faculty to double-check
the accuracy of the Faculty Roster.
Follow-Up needed from OPA.
Additional academic assessment
consultation recommended.
3-11-16
Robert Peaslee
Electronic Media
Peaslee received Chair Packet. No
academic assessment follow-up
needed. Follow-Up needed regarding
DM Faculty Roster. Peaslee expressed
interest in iPortfolio; portfolio
consultation recommended.
3-22-16
Weiwu Zhang
Public Relations
Zhang received Chair Packet. New
Chairperson – Hughes discussed uses of
TracDat and DigitalMeasures in the
Chair’s role. Zhang said the following
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people need to be removed from
roster: Shafer, Autumn; Phillips,
Andrea; Kiambi, Dane; Haislett, Robin;
Gardner, Elizabeth, and Conduff, Lexie.
Follow-Up needed to ensure these
people are correct. Additional
academic assessment consultation
recommended.
3-23-16
Susan
Tomlinson
Honors College
Tomlinson received Chair Packet.
Hughes confirmed that Tomlinson
received analysis regarding HAL
(Honors & Letters degree), not the
phased-out degree. Follow-Up needed
to correct Faculty Roster. Tomlinson
indicated that a staff member was
incorrectly listed.
3-24-16
David Doerfert,
Claudia
Cloglisier, Tim
Dallas
Graduate School
Doerfert received Chair Packet.
Doerfert asked many questions
regarding Faculty Roster. Follow-Up
needed to explain how faculty are
attributed to DM Faculty Roster.
Hughes reiterated Cindy Lopez’s
contributions to strengthening
academic assessment evidence.
Doerfert expressed interest in
iPortfolio, and sent a follow-up
meeting request. Doerfert also
requested a DigitalMeasures-specific
training, particularly more information
on 18 Doctoral Characteristics Report.
3-29-16
Karen
Alexander
Family and
Consumer Sciences
Alexander received Chair Packet.
Alexander was interested in iPortfolio
information. OPA to set up a demo for
Alexander and other departmental
faculty. Alexander would like specific
information about how Chalk and Wire
integrates with high school-level
electronic portfolios. Alexander asked
about Raiders Engaged reporting
information; specifically, how does DM
engagement reporting filter to DM?
Alexander has significant outreach and
engagement activity, and she decided
to complete DM rather than duplicate
efforts with Raiders Engaged.
Alexander also requested a new DE
TracDat account, with outcomes and
methods copied from campus-based
account. Also, Alexander asked OPA
staff to analyze whether the Center for
FCS was engaged in strategic plan
reporting. Patricia Rambo is the point
of contact for the FCS Center.
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DigitalMeasures Activity:
(Number of
Logins)
Activities
Database University
(117,876)
•
1 Week
1 Month
6 Months
1 Year
439
2,098
53,924
71,318
QEP- Communicating in a Global Society: Bear Our Banners Far and Wide Update:
o The CTC Director Search Committee just completed interviews of four finalists. Each finalist
made a Research Presentation and delivered a Vision Statement for the CTC. The search
committee will be meeting on Friday, April 8 to draw up a list of strengths and weaknesses for
each candidate, which it will then pass along to Dean David Perlmutter. The search committee
does not make a formal recommendation.
Candidate
Pineda, Richard
Koerber, Amy
LeFebvre, Luke
Waisanen, Don
Current Rank & University
Associate Professor of Communication
U of Texas at El Paso
Professor of English
Texas Tech University
Assistant Professor of English
Iowa State University
Associate Professor of Communication
Baruch College, CUNY
OUTCOME 2: The Office of Planning and Assessment will contribute to the Office of the Provost’s
institutional planning processes
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The Online Senior Assessment (OSA) has 235 responses out of 2,928 emailed students, at a response
rate of 8.03%. The survey is open for two more weeks, closing on April 25th.
An IRB is being drafted to measure distance students’ critical thinking skills. This assessment will be
used to replace the CLA+ administration.
The Raiders Engaged report is in its final stages of completion. Dr. Green submitted her edits to OPA
and a report will be finalized in the coming weeks.
CAAP writing skills and mathematics data has been received and analysis has begun. The first step
will be to notify students who scored above the national mean that certificates are available to be
picked up. Consistent with past administrations, TTU scored at the national mean overall in both
modules. A final report will be available early summer.
OPA is scheduled to meet with Rob Stewart in collaboration with Genevieve Durham-DeCesaro April
14 to discuss options for seeking funding for institution-wide iPortfolio implementation.
Additionally, meetings are scheduled with Dr. John Barkdull from Political Science, Dr. Karen
Alexander from Family and Consumer Science, and Dr. David Doerfert from Agricultural Education to
discuss the potential for implementation of iPortfolios into their degree programs.
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OUTCOME 3: The Office of Planning and Assessment will continually monitor the university’s
compliance with laws, policy statements, and policies deriving from the State of Texas, THECB, and
SACSCOC
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THECB’s Committee on Affordability, Accountability and Planning met on March 30, 2016.
Discussion centered around the 60x30TX goal that by 2030 at least 550,000 students will complete a
certificate, associate, bachelor’s or master’s from an institution of higher education in Texas. If
reached, Texas will award a total of 6.4 million certificates or degrees during the 15 years of the
plan. This will include a 65% increased enrollment of Texas public high school graduates in higher
education by 2030. Economically disadvantaged students are especially targeted for this increase
and statistics show they are twice as likely to enroll in college if they attend 12 or more hours of
dual credit while in high school. Persistence plays an important role in the graduation rate and must
be improved for economically disadvantaged students, African American and Hispanic students,
two-year college students, and males since they persist at lower rates.
THECB’s Committee on Academic and Workforce Success met on March 30, 2016. Discussion
centered around the Texas Higher Education Star Awards. These awards were established by the
THECB in 2001 and recognize exceptional contributions toward meeting the goals of Closing the
Gaps by 2015. It was suggested that the awards continue with some revisions to incorporate
60x30TX goals. Proposed revisions are outlined below. A call for 2016 nominations will be on May
6, 2016 with an application deadline on July 18.
• Recognition to “exceptional contributions toward achieving one or more of the goals of
60x30TX”
• Example of groups/organizations to “such as those that help promote student completion of a
certificate or degree, or help reduce student loan debt”
• Data evaluation criteria to “a clear demonstration of improvement and excellence through the
use of benchmarks and other comparison data”
• Number of potential awards annually to “up to 7”
OUTCOME 4: Texas Tech University faculty and staff will be well-prepared to meet OPA’s faculty
credentialing, assessment, and strategic plan expectations
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OPA continues to work with COE assisting Dr. Valerie Paton in her efforts to build an information
base on the activity of faculty and graduate students in the Higher Education PhD program.
OPA assisted Jim Brewer from the Library on how to do keyword research with the Public Access to
Course Information website.
In addition to direct contributions toward the departmental goals, OPA continues to focus on continuous
improvement measures.
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OPA is gathering student participants for a PPI outcomes survey which will collect faculty
perceptions of student performance in their graduate program. Six students have consented to
participate in the survey so far, and invitations will continue to be sent to bolster student
participation. Survey outcome data will be submitted to ETS in June.
Elaina Cantrell Robinson attended the Texas Women in Higher Education (TWHE) conference in
Corpus Christi. She had the opportunity the learn ways that women are leading at higher education
institutions across Texas.
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