Assessment Committee Notes - February 5, 2007

Assessment Committee Meeting

February 5, 2007, 3 p.m.

Crawford Hall 119

Present:  Kathleen Kinkema, Anne Ryter, Karin Waidley, and Terri Wenzlaff (Kim Brown, recorder)

Absent:  Beth Avery, Suzanne Larsh, Caroline Mitchell, and Heather Thiessen-Reily

The first item of business on today’s agenda was the follow-up of “missing information” from the fall 2006 GE goals assessment responses.  To date, the committee is still waiting for additional information from art, biology, and math (X2).  Terri Wenzlaff sent another “gentle reminder” and is hoping to hear from the respective faculty very soon.

Next, Anne Ryter shared that Caroline Mitchell is still “tweaking” the “culture of advising” survey questions for faculty, which is scheduled to run from February 12-16.  Faculty members are encouraged to participate, and Faculty Senate Chair Suzy Coykendall has been asked to mention that request at today’s Faculty Senate meeting.

The topic of discussion was the Beginning College Survey of Student Engagement.  The committee members had been charged with determining which of the questions from this sample survey would be pertinent for incoming Western students.  It was decided today that the following numbered questions should be used:  2, 3, 4 (a, b—reworded to say, “Discuss your class performance with a teacher outside of class,” c, d, e, and g), 6, 7, 9, 12, 13, 14 (e, g, h, i, j, k, o, p, s, t, u and v combined, and w—reworded to say “how important is it for you to have your own views?” x, and y), 15, 17 (add “planning to transfer”), 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24.  Consensus was that Caroline should make any additional changes she thinks are necessary about format, etc., and that the results must be available by the first day of class next fall.

The upcoming workshops will be discussed at the next meeting, February 26 (this date has since been cancelled; the committee will meet again March 5 instead).

Today’s meeting was adjourned at approximately 3:55 p.m.