Student Affairs Assessment Council
Minutes
December 2, 2004
Attendance: Rick DeBellis, Kent Sumner, Rosemary Garagnani, Lee Ann Baker, Ann
Robinson, Kami Smith, Annette Martel, Cori Hall, Sheila Roberts, Ryan Collay, Pat Ketcham,
Nicole Stoller, Susie Leslie, Beth Dyer, Gina Shellhammer, Rebecca Sanderson
Symposium Outcomes:
Rebecca distributed several pieces of information about the symposium in terms of attendance
and some feedback. The web evaluation data is being compiled as is the data for each session.
Comments from each session were distributed. As things are compiled they will be posted on
the symposium website. Rebecca will also forward the web evals to the group for review when
they are compiled in a more readable format. Also Beth and her staff have thankfully scanned
all the session evals and are in process of getting them into a format that can be analyzed.
One issue that was discussed had to do with how to engage faculty in these sorts of
conversations when they can come and not have class conflicts. While we realized that people
make choices about when they cancel class or have someone else cover their classes, some
ideas were also suggested. For instance having one day per term when classes don’t meet and
that time is used for this kind of symposium or training.
Overall, the feedback about the symposium has been very positive and seems to be having a bit
of a springboard effect on some other initiatives.
Upcoming Issues:
Assessment Plans due in January: Plans are due January 15. Biggest issue to make
sure that folks include is how they have used the data they have collected. We need to
show how we are closing the loop of assessment. Rebecca suggested that folks have
other people outside their department read their plans for understandability, etc.
Overall, the plans and reports that Rebecca has seen have been much improved from
the early ones. Good job!
New computer system for keeping track of assessment plans and
outcomes/results/decisions—due out in January: The software system that BSG is
working on will likely be out in January. Student Affairs will likely be asked to pilot the
software to help work out the bugs—since our plans are due in mid-January. There will
be some glitches but it should allow us to have a particular place to post these plans and
to refer to them. When the software is ready to go live, we will talk more about how to
implement in as painless a way as possible!
What is our learning agenda? Since most of our time has been dedicated to the
symposium since last May, Rebecca indicated that we may need to consider what we
want our learning agenda to be for winter and spring term this year. Suggestions
included: exchanging our assessment plans to learn from each other; basic data
management and statistics; development of tools for assessment other than surveys;
refresher workshops open to anyone—like how to write outcomes, review of the process
of assessment, etc. (As an aside, Academic Programs will also be offering some of
these kinds of workshops as well.)
Plans in Academic Programs: Susie and Leslie updated folks on the plans that
Academic Programs is working on in terms of assessment. In brief:
1. Designation of at least one person per college who will work with Academic Programs
and be their contact for assessment in the college.
2. Development of a University Assessment Council with broad representation and with
subcommittees to work on Bac Core, Academic Advisement, and Academic Program
assessment.
3. Susie and Gina will also be conducting an Assessment Audit to determine what is
being done and what needs to be done.
Some questions arose about how the Student Affairs Assessment Council will
coordinate with the University Assessment Council. There will be representatives from
Student Affairs on the University Assessment Council who can bring information back
and forth from each council.
University Learning Outcomes: Rebecca talked with folks about a proposal that
occurred in the Student Affairs Department Heads meeting about convening a working
group to begin to articulate university learning outcomes. Since this is also something
that Academic Programs is considering, Rebecca and Mina have met and will be
meeting with Larry to talk about collaboration on this effort. Larry also suggested some
reading that might put the group on the same page in terms of background to the topic.
Rebecca will send the web URL to the group to down load the papers. One document,
Learning Reconsidered was also a part of the reading material. SAAC members should
have copies of that booklet. The other two documents are Our Students’ Best Work: A
Framework for Accountability Worth of our Mission and Greater Expectations: A New
Vision for Learning as a Nation Goes to College. Both of these documents are available
for download on the American Association of Colleges & Universities website.
Time for winter and spring term Meetings:
The group decided to go back to 1 hour meetings twice a month for winter and spring
terms. The possible times are:
Wednesday 9-10
Wednesday 10-11
Wednesday 11-12
Thursday 9-10
Thursday 10-11
Thursday 11-12
Rebecca will send this out over email to get preferences and then will set time and
dates.
December 16—meeting cancelled!!
Have a wonderful holiday and we’ll reconvene in the new year!