University of Nebraska Assessment
2004 Annual Assessment Report

General Studies Assessment:

The Director of the General Studies Program and the assessment subcommittee of the General Studies Council had developed a strategy for the initial assessment of the General Studies Program. Essentially, they identified the areas of writing and mathematics as initial areas of assessment because specific coursework is required for all students. In addition to these areas of focus, they worked with the Psychology and Chemistry Departments. Their intent was to gather some initial data and then develop a longer term plan for assessing the entire General Studies curriculum.

The data collection was primarily conducted during the spring semester. Writing samples were collected from several sections of the English composition courses and scored by a team of graduate assistants. The Department of Mathematics developed assessment tools for several of their courses and administered and scored the protocols. The Chemistry and Psychology Departments administered standardized tests. The data was being collected and initially interpreted at the time of the North Central Association's site team visit.

During the month of June, the Director of Assessment and Director of General Studies reviewed the assessment strategy previously adopted by the General Studies Council to determine changes that might be made. In August, when UNK was notified that the area of General Studies assessment would be a focal point of a follow-up visit in four years, The Director of Assessment met with the Coordinator of Assessment and the General Studies Director to determine ways to accelerate the assessment process. As a response to that meeting, the Director of Assessment developed a set of ideas for accelerating the process. These were shared with the General Studies assessment subcommittee. A more detailed listing of ideas is presented in the appended document "Analyses of Assessment Topics" document that was mentioned previously. Highlights include: the Director of the General Studies Program and the Coordinator of Assessment co-chairing the assessment subcommittee, a specific assessment plan to be developed and provided to the Council by the October meeting, dissemination of the plan, initiation of the plan during the remainder of 2004 and continuing into 2005 with a goal of having the basic elements developed by May of 2005, and the first assessment cycle to be completed prior to the next General Studies APR in 1 ½-2 years. The co-chairs of the subcommittee and the committee members developed a 10 point assessment plan (see Revised Plan for General Studies Assessment) and presented it to the General Studies Council at its October meeting. The General Studies Director presented it in the Assessment Newsletter and disseminated it to the Council of Chairs and the Faculty Senate. The Director of Assessment shared the plan with each of the Deans.

A budget request was submitted by the Director of Assessment to assist the General Studies Council's assessment plan. Three elements of budgetary support are being provided with the budget. Approximately $18,000 was allocated for stipend support for individual department level development of assessments for General Studies courses, $3,000 for travel to a conference on General Education assessment, $5,000 toward coverage of costs for a standardized test of general education objectives and specific departmental requests.

The Director of the General Studies Program and the Coordinator of Assessment have worked with the subcommittee to move the assessment process forward. By the end of December, they had piloted a survey for individual course analysis, begun to meet with department chairs on an individual basis to explain the required assessment process for departments and the stipend awards, identified a standardized test for piloting in the spring, identified a group of faculty to attend the General Education Assessment conference. It is expected that each participating department will have developed their respective assessments by May of 2005 and that the other elements of the assessment plan will be finalized and in place by that date as well.

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