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StudentLearningAssessmentHandbook

20162017

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Overview

Assessmentistheongoingprocessinwhichstudentlearningoutcomesaredefined,studentsuccessinachievingthoseoutcomesismeasured,andtheresultsareusedtoimplementimprovementsincurriculum.Thus,theoverarchingpurposeistogaugewhatstudentshavelearnedinthecontextofprogram/courseexpectationsandthendocumenttheresultingenhancementstoprogram/coursedelivery.Mostfacultymembersdothisonanongoingbasis,thoughperhapsnotdocumentingasformallyasneededordoneinconcertwithotherfacultymembers.Akeyconsiderationisthatthelearningoutcomesdatathatarecollectedaremeaningfultothosefacultymembersinvolvedintheinstruction,andtheassessmentprocessismanageableforallwhoparticipate.Elaborateplansthatarenotimplementedand/orresultinfeedbackthatdoesntbenefitafacultymemberseffortsareofnovalueinthiscontext.

Therearethreestagestoaneffectiveoutcomesassessmentprogram;1.Definetheimportantskillsforstudentstoachievewhenparticipatinginanacademicexperience(outcome);2.evaluatehowwellstudentsareachievingthoseskills(assessment);and,3.discussandusetheresultsforprogramimprovement(closingtheloop).Oftenthefirsttwostagesareaccomplishedanddataisgatheredwithoutusingitforprogramimprovement,or,theinformationisnotrecordedandthereisnohistorytodeterminewhychangesweremade.AgoodassessmentprogramcandemonstratehighqualitystudentlearningandprogrameffectivenessforalltheUniversitysconstituents.Thestagesofassessmentstartwithareviewoftheinstitutionsmissionstatement.

ColoradoMesaUniversityLegislativeMissionStatement

ColoradoMesaUniversityservesthecitizensofColorado,ingeneral,withaspecificemphasisonincreasingthelevelofeducationalattainmentofresidentsinits14countyregioninWesternColorado.ColoradoMesaUniversitysmission,establishedbytheColoradoLegislature,iscontainedinColoradoRevisedStatutes(C.R.S.)2353101:

ThereisherebyestablishedaCollegeatGrandJunction,Colorado,tobeknownasColoradoMesaUniversity,whichshallbeageneralbaccalaureateandgraduateinstitutionwithmoderatelyselectiveadmissionstandards.ColoradoMesaUniversityshallofferliberalartsandsciences,professionalandtechnicaldegreeprograms,andalimitednumberofgraduateprograms.ColoradoMesaUniversityshallalsomaintainacommunitycollegeroleandmission,includingcareerandtechnicaleducationprograms.ColoradoMesaUniversityshallreceiveresidentcreditfortwoyearcourseofferingsinitscommissionapprovedservicearea.ColoradoMesaUniversityshallalsoserveasaregionaleducationprovider.

Inaccomplishingitsmission,thecommissionapproved(CDHE)serviceareasare:

ForitsroleasabaccalaureateandgraduateinstitutiontheentireStateofColorado. ForitsroleasacommunitycollegeMesa,Delta,Montrose,SanMiguel,andOuray

Counties.(TheCollegecooperateswithAdamsStateCollegeinprovidingtwoyearprogramsforGunnisonandHinsdaleCounties.)

ForitsroleprovidingvocationalprogramsMesaCounty.

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BoardofTrusteesCampuswideMissionStatement

Committedtoapersonalapproach,ColoradoMesaUniversityisadynamiclearningenvironmentthatoffersabundantopportunitiesforstudentsandthelargercommunitytogrowintellectually,professionally,andpersonally.Bycelebratingexceptionalteaching,academicexcellence,scholarlyandcreativeactivities,andbyencouragingdiversity,criticalthinking,andsocialresponsibility,CMUadvancesthecommongoodofColoradoandbeyond.

AssessmentCommitteeMissionStatement

TheColoradoMesaUniversityAssessmentCommitteeoverseestheimplementationandadvancementofEssentialLearningandProgramAssessmentofstudentlearningandachievement.

AssessmentOversight

TheVicePresidentforAcademicAffairshastheoverallresponsibilityforacademicassessment. TheAssessmentCommitteeastandingFacultySenatecommitteeisresponsiblefor

monitoringassessmentofstudentlearningoutcomes.Thecommitteereviewsassessmentplansandreports;andgivesfeedbacktothedepartmentsforimprovementsofassessmentmethods.

TheFacultyAssessmentCoordinatorservesasaliaisonbetweendepartmentsandtheAssessmentCommittee.

TheDirectorofAssessmentofStudentLearningisresponsibleforassistingfacultyanddepartmentswiththedevelopment,implementationandoverallmaintenanceofprogramassessment.

DepartmentHeadsareresponsibleforthesuccessfuloperationofassessmentwithinthedepartment.

ProgramFacultyhavethemostsayinwhatistobeassessedinthemajor.Aligningwiththeinstitutionalstudentlearningoutcomes,instructorsdeterminewherethespecializedknowledge,appliedlearningandintellectualskillsaretaughtinthecurriculumandalsodeterminewhentoassessifthestudentsknowandareabletodemonstratewhattheyhavebeentaught.

WhoBenefitsfromAssessment?

First,andforemost,studentsbenefitbecauselearningoutcomesprovideclearexpectationsaboutwhatisimportantintheprogramorcourse.Programimprovementsbasedonassessmentcanhelpstudentsintheirlearningexperiences.

Second,facultybenefitbecauseassessmenthelpsdeterminewhatisandisnotworkingintheprogram.Assessmentlendsitselftowritingthestoryoftheprogramandcandemonstratetointerestedconstituenciesoftheinstitutionthequalityoftheprogram.Allfacultycanhaveasayinwhatisassessed,thusstrengtheningthecohesivenatureofteachingandlearning.

Third,administrationbenefitswhentheassessmentprocessdemonstratesinstitutionalcommitmenttocontinuousimprovementofacademicandstudentsupportservices.Valuableinformationisalsosharedwithstateandlocalgovernments,orprivatesupporterswhenrequestingfunding.ResultsofassessmentcanbeeasilysharedwiththeUniversitysstakeholdersanddemonstratetheimpactthateducationhasonourstudentsandcommunity.

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CycleofAssessmentProgramReview

AtColoradoMesaUniversity,studentlearningassessmenttakesplaceattheessentiallearninglevelandtheacademicprogramlevel.Theassessmentofessentiallearningtimeframeiscurrentlybeingdetermined.

AssessmentLevels TimelineEssentialLearning YearlyAcademicProgramReviewandAssessment

Sixyearrotationforeachprogram:Year1=PlanYear3=ProgressReportYear6=ProgramReview

ProgramSpecificAccreditation VariesbyprogramInstitutionalAssessment NSSE,FSSE,CCSSE=2008,2011,2013,

2016LASSI=YearlyETSProficiencyProfile=2013,2014,2015,2016

Theresponsibilityforassessmentofstudentlearningisanintegralpartofeachfacultymembersteachingresponsibilities.Properassessmentisdesignedtoimprovestudentlearningwhichshouldbethegoalofanyinstructorandshouldnotbeviewedmerelyasameansofcomplyingwithaccreditationrequirements.Usedcorrectly,facultyshouldseethattheyareinstinctivelyassessingwithintheircoursesandprogramsonaregularbasis.

ProgramReview

Programreviewisonasixyearrotationforassessment.Inyearone,aprogramassessmentplanissubmittedinthefallsemestertoindicatetheoutcomesandcriteriathatwillbeevaluatedoverthenextsixyears.Evidenceisgatheredbytheprogramoverthesixyearperiod.Atthebeginningofthethirdyear,aprogramassessmentprogressreportissubmittedtotheAssessmentCommitteetodocumentwhathasbeendonesofar.Atthecompletionofthesixyearperiod,aformalprogramassessmentreportiscompleted.Thisfinalreportdocumentstheassessmentworkoverthereviewperiodandisaselfstudyformattolookatstrengthsandweaknessesintheprogramandidentifyareasforimprovement.Thefinalreportshouldincludeacurriculummapthatalignscoursesintheprogramwiththeexpectedstudentlearningoutcomesoftheprogram.Anindependentexternalrevieweralsomakesasitevisittoevaluatetheprogramandprovidefeedback.

LinkingAssessmenttoProgramReview

Onepurposeforconductingprogramreviewistohelpprograms/departmentidentifythestrengthsandweaknessesofthecurriculum.Assessmentofstudentlearningcanhelpprogramsdeterminenecessaryimprovementstocoursesordeterminewhatworkswell.Awelldesignedassessmentplancanaidtheprograminformulatingtimeframesforassessmentaswellasdecidewhatcourseslineupwiththelearningoutcomestobeassessed.TheAssessmentCommitteesroleinthisprocessistoreviewprogramassessmentplansandoffersuggestionsforoutcomewording,findgapsinyearlyassessmentofoutcomes,andassurethattheprogramhasreviewedthedataandcametodecisionsaboutrevisionsintheprogramtoassurestudentlearning.

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ThetimeframefortheCommitteereviewoftheassessmentportionoftheprogramreviewisasfollows: DepartmentHeadsubmitstheprogramreviewtotheAssistantVPofAcademicAffairsin

November. TheassessmentportionofthereviewisforwardedtotheFacultyCoordinatorof

AssessmentandDirectorofAssessmentofStudentLearninginNovember. TheAssessmentCommitteesubgroupsreviewtheassessmentplan/reportusingarubric

(AppendixA),makingcommentsandobservations.ThesubgroupreportissubmittedtotheFacultyCoordinatorandthereviewissenttotheDepartmentHeadandAssistantVPAA.

ThefinalreportfromtheAssessmentCommitteeissubmittedtoFacultySenatebyMay15.

OverviewofAssessmentofLearning

ThefollowingareassumptionsforstudentlearningassessmentatCMUbasedonthe9PrinciplesofGoodPracticeforAssessingStudentLearning(AppendixB):

1. Assessmentshouldbedesignedtoimprovestudentlearning.2. Allfacultymembersshouldbeactivelyinvolved.3. Assessmentshouldbeembeddedinregularcourseandprogramactivitieswherepossible.

AssessmentofstudentlearningshouldbeviewedasacontinuouscycleofimprovementasillustratedinFigure1.

Figure1

1.Establishclearandmeasurablestudentlearning

outcomes.

2.Providelearning

opportunities.

3.Gatherevidencetodeterminehowwellstudentsare

learning.

4.Interprettheevidence.

5.Usetheresultstomake

improvementstocourseand/orprogram.

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EstablishInstitutionalStudentLearningOutcomes

AtColoradoMesa,learningoutcomesareestablishedontheinstitutionallevelwithprogramandcourseoutcomesaligningtothoseoutcomes.Theinstitutionaloutcomesforabaccalaureatedegreeprogramare:Institutionaloutcomesforgraduateprogramsare:TheCMUdoctoraldegreegraduatewillbeableto: Advancescience,education,leadership,practice,orpolicywithinachosendisciplinebycompleting

anoriginalresearchprojectapprovedbyafacultypanel.(SpecializedKnowledge/AppliedLearning) Employdisciplinespecificlogical,mathematical,orstatisticalmethods,orotheranalytical

processest