Action Project Worksheet
Describe one proposed or possible “vital few” Action Project
Institution: Augsburg College
A. Give a short identifying title (under 10 words) to this Action Project.
Assessment of Student Learning
B. Describe the goal(s) of this Action Project (in 100 words or fewer).
Establish mechanisms to strengthen the assessment of student learning so that we further build a quality culture on campus.
C. Please identify the single AQIP Criterion which this Action Project will primarily affect (check one box in the Primary column), and no more than four other Criteria to which it is strongly related (check boxes in the Related column):
|AQIP Quality Criteria||Primary||Related|
|1 – Helping Students Learn||X|
|2 – Accomplishing Other Distinctive Objectives||X|
|3 – Understanding Students’ and Other Stakeholders’ Needs||X|
|4 – Valuing People|
|5 – Leading and Communicating|
|6 – Supporting Institutional Operations||X|
|7 – Measuring Effectiveness||X|
|8 – Planning Continuous Improvement|
|9 – Building Collaborative Relationships|
D. Please describe your institution’s rationale for addressing this Primary criterion at this time. Why is this project and its goal(s) one of your “vital few”?
This project is vital for incorporating both the College’s vision and continuous quality improvement into our educational processes so that we provide the best learning environment for our students. Academic quality and student learning need to be examined for alignment with the College’s strategic initiatives derived from Augsburg 2004, and the mission statement.
E. List the organizational areas (or institutional departments and divisions) most affected.
• Academic and Learning Services Division (particularly the academic and student affairs departments)
• Academic Affairs Committee
• General Education Steering Committee
• Faculty Senate
• Assessment Committee
• Academic and Student Affairs Committee of the Board.
F. List and briefly describe the critical processes most affected.
• Assessment planning and implementation processes
• Determining department/program student learning objectives;
• Identifying assessment methods;
• Gathering and evaluating assessment results:
• Evaluating the meaning of the results.
• Curricular review processes in the Department, Academic Affairs committee, and College.
• Assessment Committee’s oversight and coordination of Academic and Learning Services assessment plans, especially reviewing data for feedback into planning processes.
• General Education Steering Committee oversight of revisions to general education.
G. List some process measures that you might track as you work on this Action Project.
• General Education Steering Committee reports.
• Assessment Committee meeting minutes and reports.
• Academic Affairs Committee meeting minutes and reports.
• Faculty meeting minutes.
• Department and Program meeting minutes and/or reports.
• Department annual reports.
H. List some outcomes measures you might track to see if you achieve your goal(s) in this Project.
• Percentage of departments/programs submitting assessment plans.
• Percentage of departments/programs implementing assessment plans.
• Benchmark data from the Assessment Committee on current levels of implementation of assessment.
• Comparison data on College’s subsequent evaluation of levels of implementation of assessment.
• Select 2-5 departments and track over time.
I. If you were to establish measurable “stretch” targets for this Project, what might they look like?
|Year||Possible Stretch Target(s) for this project|
|One||A. At least half of the departments/programs in the Academic and Learning Services Division are engaged in the assessment process.• Departments and programs submit assessment plans.• Departments and programs are collecting data.• Departments and programs are evaluating the data.
B. Benchmarks are established by the Assessment Committee for the College’s level of assessment implementation, using the Higher Learning Commission’s criteria.
C. Departments/programs engaged in assessment submit an annual report to the Dean’s Office and the Assessment Committee. Annual reports include data, evaluation of data, and action plans, if any, in response to the data.
|Two||A. At least half of the departments/programs in the Academic and Learning Services Division are using assessment data to make curricular and co-curricular decisions.B. The College’s evaluation of its level of assessment implementation shows movement to a level beyond the benchmark level in the areas of institutional culture and shared responsibility. C. Assessment related activities include
• Assessment-related workshops offered for faculty and staff.
• Public recognition and/or awards for assessment efforts within the college.
• Faculty serve as resources for other faculty engaged in assessment.
• Student involvement in assessment, either as representatives on the Assessment committee or active participants within the departments or program in assessment plan development.
• Public forums on assessment, e.g., faculty meetings.
• Collaboration in data collection.
• Community access to assessment work via web or public folder.
D. College commitment to assessment reflected in resource allocation.
E. Assessment Committee continues to provide feedback to departments and programs engaged in assessment.
F. Departments/programs engaged in assessment submit an annual report to the Dean’s Office and the Assessment Committee. Annual reports include data, evaluation of data, and action plans, if any, in response to the data.
|Three||A. Seventy-five percent of the departments/programs in the Academic and Learning Services Division are using assessment data to make curricular and co-curricular decisions.B. The College’s evaluation of its level of assessment implementation shows movement to a level beyond the benchmark level in the areas of institutional support and efficacy of assessment.C. Activities listed for Year 2 continue.D. College commitment to assessment reflected in resource allocation.|
J. Briefly describe some approaches you might use to keep your institution’s attention and energies focused on this Project and its goal(s).
• Regular communication from the Assessment Committee about assessment activities (e.g., Faculty meetings, e-mail, department/division chairs meetings).
• Posting assessment plans in a Public Folder on Augnet.
• Assessment Committee organizes workshops and community discussions.
• Departments/programs share information about best practices.
• Required annual reports to the Dean of the College and the Assessment Committee.
• Regular discussion within the Academic and Learning Services Division.
• Assessment Committee provides regular and direct feedback to departments and programs.
K. What do you see as the pros and cons of giving publicity (and therefore high visibility, inside and outside your institution) to this Project and its goal(s)?
|Pros (reasons why high visibility could be positive)||Cons (reasons why high visibility could be negative)|
|Assessment is a high profile activity within the Division and there will be high expectations for participation.Departments/Programs are in conversation with other departments/programs, sharing resources and expertise, collaborating in collecting data, and sharing learning objectives.Student learning objectives are known and publicized.Student learning is confirmed through assessment.
Affirmation of activities that support student learning
Opportunities to collaborate in the collection of similar data.
Opportunity to make progress in the College’s strategic initiatives, including offering a distinctive education.
|College grows weary of hearing about assessment and doing the work of assessment.Assessment may appear to be tied solely to AQIP and reaccredidation, so there is less commitment from departments/programs to participate.Departments/programs find limited data to support link of activities to student learning.College finds limited data to support claim of student learning.|