Assessment Plan 2008-2009

As a university we seek to use assessment effectively to enhance our students’ learning.

Goal 1  Programs can effectively enhance student learning when they have clear expectations of what students will learn in the program and appropriate ways of determining how well students have met those expectations. As a measure of this, all programs will meet HLC standard expectations for outcomes and assessment by May 2009.

  1. All programs will have placed clear, measurable outcomes into TracDat by December 2008.
  2. All programs will have appropriate assessment methods for each outcome in TracDat by May 2009.
  3. All programs will have criteria for success for each assessment method in TracDat by May 2009.

Goal 2  Appropriate information of student learning at the program level can give programs the information they need to further enhance the learning of students in the program. As a measure of this, all programs will effectively use assessment data to enhance student learning by May 2010.

  1. All programs will have results entered into TracDat for at least one of the assessment methods by May 2009.
  2. Programs will consistently enter results based on assessment schedule into TracDat for outcomes by May 2010
  3. All programs will have action steps in TracDat for each instance where assessment results do not meet criteria for success.
  4. Program review reports will clearly include recommended action based on assessment data by September 2009.

Goal 3  Faculty can best enhance the learning of their students when they know how well students are meeting the learning expectations of courses. As a measure of this, at least 90% of courses will meet assessment expectations for HLC by December 2009.

  1. 90% of Ferris courses will be in TracDat with clear, measurable outcomes by December 2009.
  2. 80% of Ferris courses will have effective assessment methods with criteria for success by December 2009.
  3. The courses in 75% of the programs will be integrated into a curriculum map to program outcomes by December 2009.
  4. All faculty will be engaged in active assessment at the course level to enhance student learning.

Item

Reference

Target Level

Month/Year

1

Course Outcomes

90%

2009

2

Course Assessments

80%

2009

3

Course to Curriculum Map

75%

2009

4

Active Assessment of Courses

Engagement

2009

Goal 4  There will be strong, educational programs in place to engage faculty in effective assessment practices.

  1. The Inquiries Project will be funded by the next three years and then re-evaluated.
  2. Mentors will be identified and working with faculty in at least five colleges by December 2008.
  3. At least four assessment enhancing projects will be funded a year by assessment grants by December 2009.
  4. 30% of faculty will have attended an assessment conference or training program by FCTL by September 2010.
  5. All colleges will share assessment best practices at least once a semester in College meetings by September 2009.
  6. All departments will make the discussion of assessment practices and results at Department meetings at least twice a semester by September 2009.
  7. All college assessment committees will have concrete plans for enhancing assessment in their College by March 2009.
  8. The assessment web page will be enhanced to be more usable by March 2009.

Goal 5  Assessment will be an integral part of regular institutional practices.

  1. Assessment news will be reported in each issue of the Academic Affairs news letter by September 2008.
  2. The Academic Affairs reward for assessment will continue for the next three years and then be re-evaluated.
  3. Assessment service will be counted positively as part of service in post-tenure and tenure review in all colleges.
  4. Effective assessment practices will be counted positively for promotion and/or merit in the promotion processes of at least five colleges by September 2010.
  5. On a trial basis, an assessment newsletter will be distributed at least once a semester starting Spring 2009.