Assessment Committee Notes - September 15, 2003
Assessment Committee Meeting Notes
09/15/03
Present: Kay Bailey, Nancy Gauss, Curt Gravis, Anne Ryter, Terry Schliesman, Rich Wilkens, Terri Wenzlaff (Kim Brown, recorder)
Absent: Don Seastrum and Heather Thiessen-Reily
Meeting notes from 08/21/03 were approved (Gravis moved to accept, and the motion carried).
Chair Anne Ryter began the meeting by remarking that she hoped the group would stay on task and “not run out of steam.” The need for the committee to keep up its momentum was stressed.
An advising assessment survey for freshmen was discussed. Terry Schliesman shared an example of how students might be polled for responses, and all seemed to like his model. Terri Wenzlaff asked that other comments and ideas be sent to her by Wednesday (Sept. 17) at 5 p.m. The survey will be made available online to students this fall.
Wenzlaff asked the group to look at the Academic Assessment Plan, specifically the skills area on page 13, and then at the rotation for GE courses. She suggested that the committee make a decision to meet during the 11th or 12th week of the semester. The 12th week of the semester was determined to be the meeting time re: faculty completion of Area I, II, and III Goals Assessment forms and students’ completion of GE Essential Skills Assessment forms. Schliesman and Kay Bailey volunteered to meet with faculty beforehand, along with Wenzlaff, who'll work on strategy.
Ryter suggested that two workshops be planned: one to describe the culture of assessment and one to assist with discipline assessment. She further mentioned the need to identify discipline coordinators, so that they could participate along with the department chairs.
Curt Gravis suggested that assessment is already being done—that the committee “just needs [faculty] to formalize what they're already doing.” Ryter recommended finding examples of those who are successfully doing assessment now, and recreation was mentioned as a good example.
Schliesman suggested a three-part assessment workshop which would: 1) discuss definitions, 2) examine current examples, and 3) link definitions to examples. Wenzlaff asked for a timeframe, and Schliesman recommended 45 minutes, max. Ryter and Wenzlaff agreed that this is a good format, but a one-hour timeframe might be an issue. Gravis said that the committee should try to allay fears and reinforce that there won’t be a huge time commitment involved. Agreement was reached to do one workshop per Schliesman’s example, and the date was set for Sept. 25.
Ryter suggested sending email to faculty doing well with assessment, and some examples were Terry Mullen, Darla DeRuiter, and Kathleen Kinkema, with the mention of Art and Music as the most demonstrable. Schliesman offered to facilitate the definition part, using the Assessment Plan model, and Bailey will assist. It was determined that Ryter will send email to those doing assessment successfully, and Wenzlaff will mention the workshops at the Department Chairs' meeting on Wednesday and ask them to be involved. October 9 was set for a second workshop to address discipline assessment.
The next committee meeting date is scheduled for September 29th, following the first workshop. Plans for the second workshop will be made during 29th meeting. Schliesman suggested briefing via email “to see if we're on same page.” Wenzlaff recommended that she, Ryter, Kathleen Kinkema, and Nancy Gauss meet Monday, September 22, at 3:30. Bailey and Schliesman will also meet at 3:30 for planning purposes. Room 101 of Savage Library was chosen as location for the upcoming workshops, and Ryter agreed to buy coffee out of CTE funds.
The meeting was adjourned just before 5 p.m, with a recommendation for the group to keep in touch via email.
