2008 Woodie Awards
Assessments prove lengthy, useful
Kathleen Meyer
Issue date: 4/17/08 Section: News
Christen Gates is ready to graduate.
But before the senior can receive her diploma, she will have to complete a list of requirements of the University's Assessment Program.
Glenn Wehner, chair of the Vice President's Advisory Committee on Assessment, explained the assessment program's goal.
"It's a revolving and evolving process of looking at trying to measure academic advancement both in the LSP [Liberal Studies Program] and in the major," Wehner said.
Wehner said the purpose of the program is to gather data and use it to improve University in-classroom experiences.
"The important aspect about assessment is we hope to be able to take this back to the classroom," Wehner said. "Any of this assessment, whether it is with the faculty or with the students, the question is, 'How can we make this a better place?'"
The University has issued an assessment program every semester for more than 30 years. The program includes components such as tests, surveys, interviews and performance assessments. Students, faculty, staff and alumni are all assessed in different ways to benefit the University and the students and faculty. Seniors in particular participate in the portfolio project, tests in the major, surveys, the student interview project and capstone experiences.
Assessment tools are links to progress and are used to show how close the University is to its goals, according to the University's Assessment Almanac, which provides a collection of results from each year's assessment devices.
When it comes to getting feedback from the students, Wehner said he wants the process to be as painless as possible. He said he recognizes that seniors' opinions can be especially helpful.
"We try to put the bare minimum in terms of requirements on them, but they are one of the best groups to actually measure gain because they've been here four years," Wehner said. "They've come all the way through it, they've persisted on campus and they're obviously a good group to ask."
But before the senior can receive her diploma, she will have to complete a list of requirements of the University's Assessment Program.
Glenn Wehner, chair of the Vice President's Advisory Committee on Assessment, explained the assessment program's goal.
"It's a revolving and evolving process of looking at trying to measure academic advancement both in the LSP [Liberal Studies Program] and in the major," Wehner said.
Wehner said the purpose of the program is to gather data and use it to improve University in-classroom experiences.
"The important aspect about assessment is we hope to be able to take this back to the classroom," Wehner said. "Any of this assessment, whether it is with the faculty or with the students, the question is, 'How can we make this a better place?'"
The University has issued an assessment program every semester for more than 30 years. The program includes components such as tests, surveys, interviews and performance assessments. Students, faculty, staff and alumni are all assessed in different ways to benefit the University and the students and faculty. Seniors in particular participate in the portfolio project, tests in the major, surveys, the student interview project and capstone experiences.
Assessment tools are links to progress and are used to show how close the University is to its goals, according to the University's Assessment Almanac, which provides a collection of results from each year's assessment devices.
When it comes to getting feedback from the students, Wehner said he wants the process to be as painless as possible. He said he recognizes that seniors' opinions can be especially helpful.
"We try to put the bare minimum in terms of requirements on them, but they are one of the best groups to actually measure gain because they've been here four years," Wehner said. "They've come all the way through it, they've persisted on campus and they're obviously a good group to ask."
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