Assessment

1. Does the assessment process in place provide data that is useful for the department or program by answering questions they need to have answered?
   1. Does the data address questions about students regarding program objectives?
   2. Does the data help faculty identify strengths and needs for further development?
   3. Can the reporting process be more simplified, yet document how assessment information is being used as explicitly as possible?

• Meet with individual colleges and departments to discuss whether current assessment plans, processes/instruments provide data they need.
• Assist departments with identifying how assessment will help achieve goals such as program improvement, seeking additional funding, meeting the requirements of the APR process, and accreditation process
• Assist departments with aligning assessment schedule to calendar for APR and
• accreditation (if applicable) processes
• Eliminate duplication of effort or conflicting effort

1. 1. Is a process in place that makes data collection, analysis and reporting efficient and replicable across the university?
   1. Are standardized tests used where possible or logical to do so?
   2. Is the assessment planning and reporting process flexible enough to incorporate needed changes?
   3. Is the assessment and reporting process that has been established efficient and user friendly?
   4. Is a schedule for assessment developed that is realistic and practical to complete across a period of time that meets APR and/or accreditation requirements?
   5. Is a strategy for efficient and effective assessment of General Studies program objectives in place and aligned with departmental assessment schedules and plans?
   6. Does the assessment process accommodate programs that have very few students graduating at a specific point in time?

• Streamline or simplify the collection, analysis and reporting process where necessary
• Align assessment schedules with APR and accreditation schedules
• Ask individuals and departments for ideas on making the process easier
• Identify standardized instruments or set up a uniform set of instruments where possible
• Assist the General Studies Assessment Committee with the development of a strategic plan for assessment that is aligned with departmental assessment schedules or plans
• Develop modified assessment schedules for programs with limited enrollment to facilitate data collection (i.e., embed assessment so that juniors and seniors take it together every other year when enrolled in a course for majors)

1. 1. Do departments and individuals recognize the value of assessment and rely on assessment data to help them make decisions to reach their goals?
   1. Do faculty members participate in CTE events on assessment?
   2. Do departments designate an individual or committee devoted to assessment?
   3. Do departments identify innovative ways of assessing student outcomes and implementing changes based on that data?
   4. Are faculty members aware of assessment data collected on campus?
   5. Are faculty members using assessment results to initiate changes in instruction or program?
   6. Are departments using assessment results to justify requests for resource allocations?
   7. Are departments reporting (documenting) changes that enhance program objectives based on assessment data?

• Develop and administer a survey on the current assessment climate to collect baseline data
• Administer survey on assessment climate in 2 and 4 years to demonstrate improvement in the climate and buy-in for assessment
• CTE provide training on assessment topics identified by faculty
• Provide stipends from the Assessment Program for departments or individuals who want to work on assessment projects
• Provide faculty stipends to attend assessment conferences and then share knowledge with the rest of the faculty through CTE seminars/workshops
• Encourage faculty and students to pursue research on assessment
• Develop a website (or integrate into existing site) to highlight assessment issues, recognize faculty and departments who are successfully using assessment for program improvement, provide information on topics, conferences, training on assessment, and document progress in use of assessment at UNK
• Initiate a newsletter focusing on the topic of assessment
• Assist departments with incorporating assessment results within the APR process
• Redesign the existing Assessment web site to provide more information about assessment at UNK
• Provide stipends for faculty to work on needs identified through assessment

1. Do students understand the purpose for assessment as an institutional process for improving instruction?
2. How can we, as an institution, involve students in the examination and analysis of assessment data that describes them (NSSE)?

• Complete the development of a brochure for students that was initially undertaken by Liz Peck and Jeanne Cutler
• Include students in the examination and analysis of data from the NSSE
• Encourage faculty members to conduct research in the area of assessment and include students as researchers with the goal of presenting at NCUR and Student Research Day
• Involve Graduate Assistants in the process of data collection and analysis at the college or department levels

1. Is a budget established to support on-going faculty development activities?
2. Is a budget established to support the development of Assessment Committee members, the Director, Coordinator, and Web Site Manager?
3. Is computer hardware and software available to facilitate data collection, analysis, and storage?
4. Are assessment initiatives that utilize commercially produced norm reference assessment tools coordinated in order to most efficiently use existing funds and obtain useful information?
5. Does the department mission statement reflect the assessment mission statements?

• Establish a budget that provides for stipends to support faculty work on assessment that improves the department's assessment procedures or the instruction of specific faculty members
• Establish a budget that supports sending selected faculty members, Deans, or Department Chairs to conferences on the topic of assessment with the purpose of sharing information obtained within the respective college
• Establish a budget for sending members of the Assessment Committee, the Director, Coordinator, and Web Site Manager to conferences on assessment that assists with meeting North Central Association accreditation requirements
• Establish a budget for purchasing, or developing, software and hardware that facilitiates efficient data collection and analysis
• Establish a centralized budget for purchasing commercially produced assessment instruments for departments, General Studies, and campus-wide assessment (i.e., NSSE) efforts
• Coordinate assessment efforts (if possible) being undertaken by separate units (Colleges or programs) in order to promote efficiency
• Establish a rotating schedule of assessments like the NSSE and other campus-wide assessments
• Include the effective use of assessment results to enhance programs as one of the criteria for identification of a priority program
• Revise the APR guidelines for the departmental mission statement to also include the assessment mission statement
• Develop an operating budget for basic equipment and supplies for the program

Stipends

Conferences

$8,000 to pay for attending conferences on assessment as well as conferences focusing on North Central Association accreditation

Operating

Funds are needed for basic expenses such as paper, shared copying expenses, phones, computer and software upgrades for web site and data collection. Currently, the person who is the Assessment Web Site Manager is also the Director of Academic Publications. A new computer is required every two years in order to keep up with the workload for the academic publications area as well as the current assessment web site.

Graduate Assistants

$6,250 for a Graduate Assistant to assist the General Studies Director with assessment and data analysis

$2,000 annually to employ Graduate Assistants to administer and/or score departmental or General Studies assessments (for large numbers of students) so that faculty do not have to do the work

Assessments

An annual budget for administering commercially produced norm reference assessments with a potential calendar like that proposed below

• 04-05 General Studies for departments that have access to specific subject assessments ($5,500)
• 05-06 program specific norm reference assessments ($5,500)
• 06-07 NSSE ($5,200+)
• 07-08 General Studies

The NSSE does not need to be administered every year. A schedule of every three years could be used. Thus, a potential budget could be established that provides for norm reference assessment that avoids duplication of effort in any single year. The First Year Program administers the CESQ at an annual cost of $4,800 to the program. Management of its administration could be integrated into the budget that is proposed by altering the schedule or by budget reallocation.

The commercially produced assessments utilized in the Student Life division could be budgeted and scheduled the same way as the proposal described above.