General Education Committee – Review of Outcomes
AY 2007 – 2008

Committee members:
o Mary Been
o Cheryl Brooks
o Maureen Delaney-Lehman
o Paige Gordier, Chair
o Maureen O’Shea
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Outcome area: Communication Skills
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Current Description:
Communication skills are principally imparted through core courses dedicated to
their cultivation. Responsibility for maintenance and further cultivation of those
skills is shared by those faculty whose courses are taken subsequent to completion
of general education courses in communication skills. Continued demonstration
of skills first developed in these courses is emphasized as an aspect of competent
performance in subsequent academic activity.

Current Outcomes:
o The LSSU graduate is able to comprehend, analyze and evaluate scholarly
and professional material.
o The LSSU graduate is able to write prose at a professional or advanced
level and to demonstrate correct usage of Standard English and evaluation
of the relationship between a writer’s purpose and the reading audience.
o The LSSU graduate is able to comprehend, analyze and evaluate spoken
communication.
o The LSSU graduate is able to gather and orally present information to
effectively communicate in public, group and interpersonal situations.

Courses:
Outcome
Communication Skills

Core Courses
EN110
EN111
SD101
Method of Assessment:
Assessment of the communication skills outcome is a shared
responsibility. The University assesses outcomes in this and other areas
through continued use of instruments such as the Academic Profile. The
department responsible for communication skills courses conducts
assessment including, but not limited to, the following:
 Quantitative tests of progress in skill development.
 Evaluation of portfolios to track skill level.
1. Convert courses from 2 character department to current 4 letter departmental
designation. Place results below:
Outcome
Communication Skills
Core Courses
ENGL110
ENGL111
COMM101
For the following questions, all responses must be supported.
2. Are the current outcomes measurable? If so, are they measurable by quantitative
or qualitative means?
The current outcomes are not easily measured. Outcomes 1, 3 and 4 are very
qualitative in nature and difficult to assess unless a portfolio was required of the
students. The second outcome could be asses by the use of an objective test.
3. Does the current method of assessment measure the stated outcomes?
The current method of assessment was to involve the use of the APT test and
portfolios.
4. Who are the stakeholders in the current outcomes?
The stakeholders are many. The students are stakeholders as they need to have
communication skills to obtain employment.
Faculty in all disciplines are stakeholders as they must assess the students writing
and oral communication in many settings. Faculty must also need to assess the
communication skills of the students so they may grade the students and also
determine if students are meeting class outcomes. This would allow the faculty to
make adjustments to courses if outcomes are not being met.
5. How are the results of the assessment method delivered to the stakeholders?
The APT test has not been administered since 2004 to seniors. No portfolios have
been used to assess students’ communication skills.
When the APT was administered it is unclear as to where the results were
reported to. The English department and other academic departments were not
given these results.
6. How does LSSU use the results of the assessment method?
The results of the APT assessment were not given to the stakeholders in any
manner. There was no feedback loop in place.
7. What changes, if any, do you propose to the outcomes? Support your position.
8. What changes, if any, do you propose to the method of assessment? Support your
position.
This review is to be completed and sent to the Chair (bsnyder@lssu.edu) by Thursday,
February 14 2008.