Taking Standards 2, 7, and 14 from
Draft to Implementation….
By when? It can be done!
Learning Objectives
Identify and utilize existing resources to
overcome obstacles;
Identify ways to empower and engage an
apprehensive faculty and staff;
Gain an understanding of how evidence
can be used to cultivate a culture of
assessment that shifts from an attitude of
accountability to an attitude of continuous
improvement.
Background
2008 MSCHE Self-Study completed
2009 MSCHE Team Findings
–Outdated Strategic Plan
–Lacking an Institutional Assessment
process
–Insufficient documentation of Learning
Outcomes Assessment
Board of Trustee Resolution
March 19, 2009
The Herkimer County Community College Board
of Trustees declared its commitment to:
“…support the college’s
efforts to create a culture
of assessment...”
MSCHE WARNING issued May 2009
DUE September 1, 2010
(REALITY = May 2010):
– Develop a culture of assessment
– Develop & implement:
• Strategic Plan
• Institutional Assessment Plan
• Student Learning Outcomes Assessment
Plan
Administrative Response
DIVIDE & CONQUER
–Standard 2 – Asst. to the President
–Standard 7 – Asst. Dean of AA
–Standard 14 – Assessment Committee
2
7
14
Strategic
Plan
Implement
Institutional
Assessment
Plan
Implement
Learning
Outcomes
Assessment
Plan
Implement
Standard 2
MSA Requirement:
In order to be in compliance with this
standard, the College must develop a new
multi-year Strategic Plan to address the
future direction of the College. It is
expected that this Plan should be
completed within the next 24 months.
Mapping Our Future
Development & Maintenance of a Strategic Plan
• CHALLENGES FACED
• OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES
• THE PROCESS: WHO? WHAT?
• USING EXISTING TECHNOLOGY
TO CAPTURE/ARCHIVE
EVIDENCE
Standard 2: Mapping Our Future
Developing & Maintaining a Strategic Plan
CHALLENGES WE FACED
• Apprehension
• Limited financial resources
• Capturing what we are doing
Standard 2: Mapping Our Future
Developing & Maintaining a Strategic Plan
OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES
1.
Get EVERYONE involved!! KEEP
everyone involved!!
2.
Start with the basics
3.
Do it in-house
Standard 2: Mapping Our Future
Developing & Maintaining a Strategic Plan
THE PROCESS – WHO?
Stakeholders
• Internal
• External
FOCUS GROUPS
• Strategic Goal Task Forces
• Strategic Planning Committee
Focus Group
Results
Focus Group
Results
Strategic Task
Force 1
Focus Group
Results
Strategic Task
Force 2
Strategic
Planning
Committee
Standard 2: Mapping Our Future
Developing & Maintaining a Strategic Plan
THE PROCESS – WHAT?
 Rule of Six
 Three conceptual levels:
GOAL: Big picture concept; overarching idea
OBJECTIVE: Mid-level concept; what’s needed to
realize the Goal
ACTION STEP: Specific, concrete steps for achieving
Objectives
Using Existing Technology to
Capture/Archive Evidence
 Web-Based Reporting System:
 Developed entirely in-house
 Convenient/User-Friendly
 Includes “Other” category for each Objective
 Links activities to Action Steps and MSCHE
Standards
 Archived by academic year
 Encourages effective intradepartmental
communication
Standard 7
MSA Requirement:
Develop and implement a
comprehensive institutional
assessment plan that demonstrates
its compliance with Standard 7 and
its overall effectiveness in achieving
its mission, goals, and values.
Standard 7
Challenges & Strategies
Develop & Implementing the IA Plan
Guiding Principals – Units & IE Comm
Cultivating a Culture
REALITY CHECK – August 2009
Can’t I just use the
final course grades
as student learning
assessment?
OLD MISSION
STATEMENT =
WAITING FOR A
NEW MISSION
STATEMENT
Outdated
Strategic Plan =
NO Strategic
GOALS
ACADEMIC
FREEDOM!!!
Challenge
Strategy
Institutional Assessment Audit
Effectiveness
internal
…what’s
that?
Clearly defined
written terms
Challenge
Strategy
BOT Resolution,
The “A”
word – the Highlight results,
USE the results,
value of
Kiss
My
assessment?
Assessment!
Challenge
Strategy
UNITS (nonSmall group
instructional) –
meetings,
Assessment & Meet where they
Documentation
are,
Examples/Model
Challenge
Strategy
Scarce
Research,
Resources Ask, Borrow,
Collaborate,
USE what you
have (ANGEL)
Challenge
Strategy
Old Mission Asst. Dean on
Statement
all three
& Strategic committees
Plan
Challenge
Strategy
Demonstrate
& implement
Institutional
Assessment
Plan
Research,
Written plan,
PILOT,
Graphic
Organizers
Mapped Unit Goals
II.
Serve learners by providing high quality, accessible educational
opportunities.
Serve learners by providing high quality, accessible services.
III.
Respond to the needs of the local and regional communities.
Strategic Goals
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Academic Programs and Support
Campus Life
Institutional Culture
Operational Sustainability
Outreach and Community Relations
Institutional Learning
Outcomes
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Communications
Knowledge Management
Problem Solving
Ethics and Social Responsibility
Aesthetic Responsiveness
Mission Reference
(not all units will align with ILO’s)
I.
Unit Name
Mission
Strategic Goals
-
I
1
Identified Goals
II
III
2
3
4
5
ILO’s
A
B
C
D
E
Academic Support Center
-
Support student learning goals through academic support services including
labs, disability services, workshops, and course embedded remediation.
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
-
Foster independent student learning through collaborative partnerships with
students, faculty, administration, and staff.
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
-
Facilitate the College placement assessment process and utilize data to
develop supportive programming.
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Units
MAJORS Strategic GENED
Goals
CLOPLO-ILO
Depts/
Units
Faculty
IE
Committee
Assessment
Committee
Faculty
ANNUAL
REPORT CARD
Standard 7 Guiding Principles
Units
– Assessment Audit
– Meet where they are
– Model what you want to see
– Facilitate/ Follow-up/Open
Door
– PRAISE & THANK
– CTL & Celebrate
Standard 7 Guiding Principles
IE Committee
– Broad Membership
– Don’t Overwhelm
– Facilitate/Guide
– Bring Examples
– Listen
– Solicit Suggestions
SHIFTING FROM:
SHIFTING TO:
“What are “What did we
my
learn to
results?” improve next
time?”
SHIFTING FROM:
SHIFTING TO:
Assessing
Assessing
Private Collaborative
Practice
Practice
SHIFTING FROM:
SHIFTING TO:
Inconsistent
Continuous
Improvement
Systematic/
Regular
Continuous
Improvement
SHIFTING FROM:
SHIFTING TO:
Accountability Responsibility
Extrinsic
Motivation
Internal
Motivation
June 2010
Standard 7
Institutional Effectiveness
Standard 2
Assessment of
the SP
Standard 14
Assessment of
Student Learning
Standard 14
MSA Requirement:
The College must put procedures and practices in place to use
direct assessment measures to assess student learning and to
close the assessment loop by using the results to make
improvements.
Document and track:
– recommendations from the assessment of all courses and
programs;
– activities that result from addressing these
recommendations, and;
– activities that result by documenting curricular
improvements resulting from these activities.
• Organize to establish mission
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
and goals
Move resistant faculty to action
Discover available tools
Establish budget
Gather data & documentation
methods
Create a plan
Schedule and create
implementation process
Communicate effectively
Modeled SLO Assessment Practices in
building the Assessment program
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
The Work Flow
PLAN
PILOT
REPORT
TEST
ASSESS
IMPLEMENT
ASSESS
CLOSE THE LOOP
Assessment Plan for all levels of
Student Learning: SLOs
Institutional - ILO
Program - PLO
Course - CLO
Curriculum Mapping – success gained
through use of graphic organizers
• Create crosswalks and map outcomes
with goals and objectives and timelines
for completion
• Professional Development sessions and
Division Meetings devoted to
completing and using maps
• Faculty discipline groups, liaisons and
leaders
• Documentation with common access Assessment e-Handbook/Intranet
BUILD TRUST
•
•
•
•
Faculty leaders with faculty
Administrators with faculty
Faculty with administrators
BOT with administrators
and faculty
• County Legislature with
BOT and administrators
USE WHAT YOU HAVE
Technology – ANGEL
– Shortens the learning curve
– Experts are in place to help
develop
– Reduces costs
– Less intimidating for faculty and
staff
– Available to all faculty
USE WHAT YOU HAVE
Funding
 Faculty Assessment Co-Chair – course load
reduction during heavy work period of process
development and training; paid for hours
worked during summer writing of Monitoring
Report
 In-house training sessions
 MSCHE Conferences
 Books and online resources for committee
members/faculty
USE WHAT YOU HAVE
People
 Use their expertise – they like it.
 Identify hidden or underused skills and call upon
them.
 Show appreciation – “Please” and “Thank You”
goes a long way!
 Ask specific people to engage, identify in writing
and define the expectation.
 Keep the tasks reasonable in outcomes and time
invested.
 Communicate!
 LAUGH! Assessment Bytes e-Newsletter
“Kiss My Assessment” Awards
BE CONSISTENT
Follow through with the plan!
Repeat…repeat…repeat…
Assess and model the progress:
- Committee and faculty evaluation &
discussion
Use feedback and give feedback!
Reasons we made it…
• Self-motivated, skilled committee
members (diverse skills &
knowledge – good balance between
HU, SS, SC, BU and administrators)
• Administration – support of time,
funding and facilities and us!
• BOT
• Teachers teaching teachers! 
• Teamwork - The right people for the
right job!
More reasons…
• On-going training for faculty
and committee members
• Timeline continual updating
• Philosophy – rotate faculty
involvement and responsibility
to get more buy-in
• Naysayers would not stop us.

http://www.herkimer.edu/plan
http://www.herkimer.edu/assessment-handbook
Daniel Sargent: strategicplanning@herkimer.edu
Jackie Snyder: institutionalassessment@herkimer.edu
MaryAnn Carroll: studentlearning@herkimer.edu
Thank you!