By-laws for the
Northern Arizona University Assessment Committee
(Updated and Approved: May, 2009)
The Assessment Committee of Northern Arizona University was established by the Faculty Senate
as an Advisory Committee in 2002. It is an elected body comprised of faculty, students, and
professional staff from throughout the University. It replaces and expands upon the role played by
the NAU Assessment Council originally appointed in 1998. It should be noted that the University
Assessment Committee and the University Program Review Committee carry out separate and
distinct functions for the Senate. The UAC is responsible for providing oversight for the
development and implementation of student learning assessment; the UPRC is responsible for
providing oversight for each academic unit’s seven-year review, which includes student learning
assessment, but encompasses the total operation of each unit including teaching, research,
service and administration of the unit.
I. NAME
The name of this committee shall be the Northern Arizona University Assessment Committee.
II. MISSION
The charge of the Committee is to ensure that the assessment of educational (student learning)
outcomes offers NAU an opportunity for strengthening the University and enhancing its
accountability. In keeping with shared governance, the Committee will provide as needed, the
University-wide perspective on student assessment as carried out in undergraduate and graduate
programs delivered on the Mountain Campus as well as through Extended Campuses of Northern
Arizona University (formerly Distance Learning). The UAC serves all undergraduate and graduate
programs including Liberal Studies and Honors, which are required to submit an assessment plan
and annual reports on student assessment.
The Committee will provide oversight, identify key issues, develop recommendations, and develop
policies with respect to institution-wide assessment of student learning. It will also identify gaps in
assessment information; recommend changes in assessment processes; review the usefulness of
assessment strategies, reporting strategies and feedback processes; and ensure that assessment
data are used to inform decision-making at NAU. In addition, the UAC reviews assessment plans
and reports, and provides feedback to academic units based on criteria that were developed to
match NCA requirements regarding assessment of student learning, and as mandated by NAU
policy. This feedback takes the forms of letters and a rubric sent to each unit and the OAA in a
timely fashion after the submission and review of the plans or reports.
The Assessment Committee reports to the Office of the Faculty Senate and Office of the Vice
Provost for Academic Affairs, and focuses on all aspects of academic assessment. The
Committee advises and coordinates its activities with the Office of Academic Assessment and
appropriate NAU administrative bodies. The Office of Academic Assessment serves as the
administrative unit that supports the Committee and the campus in development and
implementation of assessment efforts.
The Committee maintains close communications with the Faculty Senate, the Office of Academic
Assessment, and other appropriate NAU committees, administrative bodies, and academic units
through meetings, telephone conversations, e-mails, memos, reports and other media as needed.
The Committee provides an annual activity report to the Faculty Senate and updates the Faculty
Senate on assessment issues and concerns.
The objectives of the Assessment Committee include:
1) Review, development and recommendation of institutional assessment procedures and
policies.
2) Development of mechanisms for using assessment data in decision-making.
3) Review of the usefulness of assessment strategies, reporting strategies and feedback
processes.
4) Review of the place of pre-assessment models at NAU.
5) Work in cooperation with the Office of Academic Assessment to assist in:
o familiarizing NAU faculty with the uses of assessment to strengthen student learning
o familiarizing NAU with issues and strategies of assessment
o interpreting assessment data for decision-makers
o facilitating periodic evaluation of the academic assessment effort at NAU
o soliciting proposals and awarding funding, as available, for programmatic and
department assessment activities and initiatives.
6) To carry out other duties as charged.
III. MEMBERSHIP
Voting members of the Committee shall be elected by their units. Membership of the Committee
consists of:
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Two full-time faculty members from each of the following academic units:
o College of Engineering, Forestry and Natural Sciences
o College of Arts and Letters
o College of Health and Human Services
o W.A. Franke College of Business
o College of Education
o College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
One representative from NAU Yuma
One representative from the Faculty Senate
One representative from Cline Library
One representative from E-Learning Center
One representative from Extended Campuses
One representative from Student Affairs
An undergraduate and a graduate student representative elected by the student
organizations
Ex-officio members of the Office of Academic Assessment
Terms of the Members: Terms begin in the Fall Semester, and members serve three-year rotating
terms. The exception to this is for the Faculty Senate Representative and the student
representatives where the appointment is for one year.
IV. OFFICER DUTIES
CHAIRPERSON: The Chair will be elected by the Committee and will have the following duties:
 Preside at all meetings (at least two meetings per semester) of the committee and ensure
that minutes are taken
 Appoint subcommittees as necessary
 Coordinate the writing of reports
 Report significant results to the President, Provost, Faculty Senate, and University
Community
 Develop an agenda for each meeting in consultation with technical and ex-officio members
VICE-CHAIR: The Vice-Chair will be identified by the Committee Chair and will perform the duties
of the chair in the event that the designated chair is unable to serve.
V. SUBCOMMITTEES
The Chair will convene subcommittees on an ad hoc basis to address issues considered as being
within the purview of the Committee.
Subcommittees may include members who are not members of the committee, although
subcommittees must be chaired by a committee member (voting or non-voting). The findings of any
subcommittee must receive the approval of full committee before they may be reported outside of
the committee.
VI. MEETINGS
A voting quorum will consist of fifty percent plus one member of the voting membership. An
electronic vote requires an affirmative vote of a majority of the voting members of the committee.
Minutes of the meeting and reports will be distributed to the membership, President, Provost, and
members of the University Community requesting to be informed about the committee.
VII. AMENDMENTS
This Charter may be amended by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the voting UAC membership,
and approval by the Faculty Senate.