Assessment Committee Meeting Report for November 7, 2005
Attendees: Mike Allen, Joe Badamy, Janet Boeckman, Kate Peresie, Diane Hipsher, Anne Vinson
Anne called and conducted the meeting.
TOPIC
DISCUSSION
ACTION STEPS
Logo
Anne had examples of a logo for the Committee’s
communications/coorespondence.
Reports received from Health Sciences and Business
Divisions. No response from Engineering or A&S in spite
of two communicated requests.
Tweak it some more.
Follow up with Deans from
Engineering (Jacquet) and A&S
(Coleman).
Anne
Committee members to evaluate submitted reports in
preparation for next meeting – part of program outcomes
assessment review and feedback process.
Develop/provide a rubric for
evaluating reports to Committee
members.
Anne/Kate
One week
Evaluate Health Sciences and
Business Divisions’ reports
using rubric.
Committee
Members
Prior to next
meeting
Offer WAC and Speech training
session.
Kate, Mike
(& P. Martin)
Winter
Quarter
Report to Academic Council and
President – results from last
year, plans for this year.
Anne
December 1
2. New Excel spreadsheet has been developed by ???.
Deliver to Tom Prendergast.
???
3. Edit WAC 2005 report.
Edit report.
Mike
5-column reports
Institution-wide
outcomes
assessment
WAC:
1. We need greater participation this year. Last year
we asked for volunteers from programs with
capstone courses. This year we will seek broad
participation.
CAAP Critical Thinking:
1. Do the testing this spring.
PERSONS
RESPONSIBLE
Mike
TIME-LINE
?
By next
meeting.
2. Identify test sites (rooms).
Mandatory Core
Learning
Outcomes Adhoc Committee
3. Get broad participation, good sample.
Report to Academic Council and
President – results from last
year, plans for this year.
Anne
December 1
4. Discussion of the CAAP report was tabled until
next meeting due to Tom’s absence.
Put on next meeting agenda.
Anne
One week
Mike and Kate, representing this committee, and Paul
Sukys, Ross Justice, and Bob Lewis, representing the
Curriculum Committee, met to discuss mandatory core
learning outcomes. Kate and Mike reported that:
 There was considerable disagreement over the
value, necessity, and practicality of identifying and
assessing core learning outcomes.
 The Ad-hoc Committee did not determine
mandatory core learning outcomes nor did they
determine a process for determining them.
 The Ad-hoc Committee did decide to assess the
outcomes of writing and critical thinking through
the joint efforts of the Humanities, Social Science
and English Departments as follows:
o To assess writing and critical thinking
through writing samples.
o To obtain writing samples in response to
writing prompts -- to be developed and
based on the combinations of humanities
and social science courses taken by each
student.
o To administer the prompts in the last course
English, humanities, or social science
course taken by the student.
o To flag students who are in their last course
so that faculty know when/to whom to
administer the writing exercise.
o To use the existing writing rubric and to
develop and use a rubric for critical
thinking.
The Committee decided to pursue the establishment of
mandatory core learning outcomes by developing a
proposal to be submitted to the Curriculum Committee,
then to the Faculty Caucus. We reviewed our Statement of
Learning and agree the mandatory core learning outcomes
are a subset of that statement. We will include critical
thinking (or just thinking) and writing/speech and will
consider adding an outcome related to attitudes/values and
to math skills. (At least math survival skills for students
with low COMPASS scores in math.)
HLC Assessment Consider attending.
Workshop
Membership
Randy Storms has agreed to join the Committee,
representing the Engineering Division.
Next meeting
Next meeting is Friday, 11/18, 1:00-3:00.
Investigate Sinclair’s core
learning outcomes as a model.
Send link to Committee.
Anne
Prior to next
meeting
Hold further discussion. Put on
meeting agenda.
Anne
Prior to next
meeting
Send link to info to Committee.
Kate
Prior to next
meeting.
Get out agenda, schedule room.
Anne
One week