Assessment Committee Notes - November 6, 2006

Assessment Committee Meeting 

November 6, 2006

Crawford 119

Present:  Beth Avery, Kathleen Kinkema, Caroline Mitchell, Anne Ryter, Heather Thiessen-Reily, Karin Waidley, Terri Wenzlaff (Kim Brown, recorder)

Absent:  Suzanne Larsh

The meeting began with discussion regarding the “value and merits” of the various assessment surveys.  Caroline Mitchell, who had volunteered to evaluate them from a statistician’s viewpoint, recently sent related questions to Terri Wenzlaff and Anne Ryter.  All agreed that results should be used constructively to improve programs.  Terri mentioned that because the Assessment Committee’s charge was to focus on student learning, she questioned having the group oversee the administration of surveys.  President Helman and his Cabinet will now review the current assessment surveys and offer their input.                  

It was determined by John Sowell to go ahead and launch the senior exit survey on

Nov. 1, but Terri mentioned that it could easily be retooled for spring semester, if necessary.  Problems with the instrument itself, in addition to ones with reporting results, need to be resolved, Caroline suggested.  Although the senior exit survey results seem useful, Heather asked how the questions might “get to learning objectives.” Again, the committee’s involvement with the senior exit survey was questioned, and Terri noted that “we’ve become a clearinghouse, it seems.”  It was asked if sections of the survey could be made more meaningful to assessment, and Terri replied that both the senior exit and alumni surveys could be revised for spring.  Caroline offered to “put something together” and present it to Terri and Anne by the first of the year.  Some modifications/suggestions will likely be sent to the group electronically during that process.

The rest of the meeting time was spent revising the draft response memos related to the recently submitted #3’s of discipline assessment plans which Terri had prepared and sent to committee members electronically.  Input from committee members was incorporated, and Terri will send the finalized versions of the memos to faculty and chairs in their respective disciplines

The meeting was adjourned at approximately 4:45, after it was determined that the group will reconvene on December 4 (same time and location).