Assessment Timeline, Program Review & Accreditation

April 15, 2003

TO: Academic Department Chairs and Program Directors

FROM: Mary Kay Tetreault, Provost

CC: Deans and Associate Deans

RE: Assessment Timeline, Program Review and Accreditation

Assessment of Student Learning continues to be a Presidential Initiative. Our upcoming (Fall 2005) Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges accreditation self-study includes assessment of student learning as a key component. Because the President and I recognize the importance of assessing student learning, aligning it with PSU’s Program Review process, and also reporting these data in the accreditation report, we thought it best to offer you an update and timeline for implementing departmental assessment activities.

Below is an overview of the Assessment Initiative, department responsibilities, resources available to assist your departments in meeting assessment responsibilities, and a timeline for implementing your departmental student learning assessment activities.

I. The PSU Presidential Assessment Initiative

The Assessment Initiative seeks to assist faculty from academic departments and programs as they design and implement sustainable student learning practices. Through this process, all academic departments should strive to achieve the following outcomes for PSU students and their programs:

clear, intentional, and measurable student learning outcomes;

a student learning assessment plan that regularly assesses achievement of learning outcomes that are important to student success in the program;

a process for using the results of the student learning assessments in program planning and management; and

a process for communicating the results of student learning assessment to the PSU administration through Program Review.

II. Departmental/Program Responsibilities

Each academic unit is expected to create a sustainable process that achieves the outcomes for student learning assessment stated above. In order to provide systematic support for this effort, departments and programs are asked to participate in the following activities in keeping with the attached timeline:

identify a departmental faculty member to collaborate with your School/College Assessment Implementation Team (the Assessment Implementation Team is composed of your Associate Deans, an appointed School/College Lead Faculty member, and an Assessment Graduate Assistant);

create a departmental-wide deliberative process that generates a student learning assessment plan to engage faculty in regular reviews that link student work to achievement of learning outcomes; and

carry out student learning assessment activities in a manner that generates data useful for program management, Program Review, and accreditation.

All departmental/program assessment plans and evidence for reporting purposes will be in electronic format.

For the purposes of accreditation, the electronic Institutional Portfolio will be used to conduct PSU’s self-study. This self-study must contain a report on student learning assessment from each department or program. In order to meet this obligation, departments and programs will need to submit, through Program Review, the materials generated during the student learning assessment process.

The following resources are available to support you.

III. Assessment Resources Available to Departments/Programs

Planning and Implementation Support for Student Learning Assessment

Assessment Associate, The Center for Academic Excellence (CAE), Cheryl Ramette, 5-5923

The Faculty-in-Residence for Assessment, CAE, Bill Becker, 5-4266

The Vice Provost and Special Assistant to the President, Devorah Lieberman, CAE, (Facilitating the Assessment Initiative) 5-5642

Assessment Graduate Assistants, 5-5923

The Vice Provost for Curriculum and Undergraduate Studies, Terry Rhodes, (Facilitating Program Review and the Accreditation Process) 5-9010

The Vice Provost for Research and Graduate Studies, Bill Feyerherm, (Co-facilitating Program Review) 5-8410

Director, Institutional Research and Planning, OIRP, Kathi Ketcheson, (Managing the Institutional Portfolio and Co-Facilitating Program Review) 5-3425

Institutional Research Analyst, David Burgess, OIRP, (Technical assistance for Program Review) 5-3425

Administrative Support from the Schools and Colleges

All Associate Deans and appointed School/College Lead Faculty comprise the Assessment Resource Network (ARN). The ARN meets twice per month to address assessment progress and needs of each department/program.

Please Note: For assistance in integrating Dean Approved Assessment Materials into the electronic Program Review website, contact Cheryl Ramette, Assessment Associate, 5-5923.

IV. Assessment Initiative Timeline

To meet the expectations for departmental/program student learning assessment for the purposes of NASC accreditation process, each department will need to meet the following deadlines for data to be input into the Program Review website:

DATE DUE	ACTIVITY	WITH / TO WHOM
May 1, 2003	Program/Department Description and Assessment Plan	Associate Dean and Dean
May 15, 2003	Approved Department/Program Description and Assessment Plan	Program Review website; contact Assessment Initiative/CAE for support in uploading
June 5, 2003	Departments/Programs display assessment materials at the 3^rd Annual PSU Assessment Symposium	For details contact: Cheryl Ramette, Bill Becker, or Shelly Bird
Fall 2003 Winter 2004 Spring 2004	Conduct mid- and end-program assessment; carry out data analysis; use results for program management Upload process and results to Program Review website (These materials can be collected and uploaded throughout)	Collaborate, where appropriate, with the Assessment Initiative/CAE, your Assessment Implementation Team and OIRP Assessment Initiative/CAE facilitates uploading of materials
June 2004	Departments/Programs display assessment materials at the 4^th Annual PSU Assessment Symposium On-going mid- and end-program assessment materials uploaded to the assessment website	Dean and Associate Dean, for approval; contact Assessment Initiative/CAE for details OIRP and Assessment Initiative/CAE, facilitates the uploading of materials
September 15, 2004	Continue analysis of student learning assessment data and related departmental/program modifications Begin next iteration of assessment process based results of previous year utilizing mid- and end-program assessment processes	Associate Dean and Dean, for review and approval; Assessment Initiative/CAE for support in implementation of plan and guidance in uploading to website
December 15, 2004	Continue this year’s iteration of assessment plan and continue submissions regarding mid- and end- program materials Continue internal program management	Associate Dean and Dean, for approval; Assessment Initiative/CAE for support in implementation/ analysis and guidance in uploading to website
June 2005	Select Departments/Programs to display assessment materials at the 5^th Annual PSU Assessment Symposium On-going mid- and end-program assessment materials uploaded to the assessment website	Associate Dean and Dean, for approval; contact CAE for details Assessment Initiative/CAE for support in analysis and guidance in uploading to website
September 2005	Meet, where appropriate, with the visiting accreditation team	Contact OIRP and CAE for details