Motlow State Community College
Action Plan & Outcome Assessment Report for Institutional Effectiveness
Planning Year: July 1, 2013– June 30, 2014
Assessing Year: July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2013
Unit: Vice President for Academic Affairs
Related Strategic Goal:
3.1 Monitor and improve the effectiveness of educational programs and services.
Action Plan #: VPAA-07
Action Plan Title: Assessment of General Education Core
Desired Outcome: The general education core will be assessed in accordance with, and as required by,
the institution’s general education core assessment schedule and as outlined in the Action Plan provided
below.
Description of Action Plan and Related Activities: Through a systematic assessment of all courses in
general education, the institution is able to assess that the courses are meeting the learning outcomes
specified in each class. General education core courses will be assessed on a two year rotation cycle for
the majority of the classes, and for ENGL 1010, MATH 1530, and SPCH 1010 the assessments will occur
every semester in accordance with requirements by TBR. Furthermore, the required documentation
required by the TBR will be submitted each fall.
For all general education assessments, the department head will complete the required paperwork and
will submit the forms to the Vice President for Academic Affairs for review and to examine the change
from one assessment cycle to the next. The Vice President for Academic Affairs will affirm the plan and
forward it on to the Office of Institutional Research, Planning, and Communication. If changes are
requested by the Vice President for Academic Affairs, the plan will be returned to the department head
with questions, comments, and/or suggestions. The relevant department head is the liaison with the
departmental faculty for data sharing and improvement plan creation if required. Periodically, general
education assessment will be a topic on the agenda for discussion at the Academic Affairs Leadership
Team (AALT) meetings.
Team Members: Vice President for Academic Affairs, Assistant VP of Academic Affairs, and department
heads whose departments contain general education courses
Timeline: Review annually
Est. Cost: $0
Budgeted: Included in current budget
Evidence of Success: All general education assessment documents will be clearly and accurately written
and will contain supporting documentation. The reports will contain clear action items for any needed
improvement plans, and follow-up documentation will be provided. The documents will be submitted
on time. The required reports for TBR will be submitted on time and will be in good order when they
are presented to Vice President for Academic Affairs.
Complete the following when assessing a plan
Current Status: On Schedule
Describe Progress: All general education classes that were scheduled in the rotation were evaluated
this year. Additionally, the required documentation that TBR requests each fall was submitted on time.
Spring 2013
The following classes were evaluated this term: ENGL 1010, ENGL 1020, ECON 2020, THEA 1030, MATH
1530, MATH 1710, GEOL 1030, CHEM 1120, PHYS 2120, HIST 2030, and SOCI 1020.
Fall 2012
The following classes were evaluated this term: ECON 2010, ARTA 1030, SPCH 1010, ENGL 1010, ENGL
1020, MATH 1530, MATH 1630, BIOL 1110, BIOL 2010, HIST 2010, and SOCI 1010
Describe Needed Changes: All department heads discussed the results with faculty, and if needed,
changes were made in the teaching of the class or to the instrument itself. The inclusion of
documentation is improving but some areas still need to be strengthened. With the appointment of
five new department chairs at the end of the 2012-2013 academic year, training in accurate writing and
documentation will be provided over the summer.
Spring 2012
The following classes were evaluated this term: ENGL 1010, ENGL 1020, ENGL 2130, ENGL 2330, BIOL
2020, BIOL 1120, PSYC 1030, HIST 2020, MATH 1010, and MATH 1530.
Fall 2011
The following classes were evaluated this term: HPE 2340, MUSA 1030, ENGL 1010, MATH 1530, CHEM
1110, PSCI 1030, ANTH 2010, and POLS 1030.
Describe Needed Changes: All department heads discussed the results with faculty, and if needed,
changes were made in the teaching of the class or to the instrument itself. The overall writing of the
general education assessments has improved but attention to proper writing and documentation is still
ongoing.
List of Supporting Documentation: TBR general education report and all gen ed reports mentioned
above – On file in RPC office
Date Last Updated: June 2013