Workshops are held Wednesday, September 9, 2015, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Engaging Students and Faculty in Assessment

Presented by Jodi Levine Laufgraben, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, Assessment and Institutional Research Temple University

If the phrases “Oh no not another survey!” or “Are we still doing this assessment stuff?” are uttered on your campus you will want to join colleagues for this interactive discussion and workshop on the importance of engaging students and faculty in assessment.  We will focus on ways to engage faculty in the planning and uses of assessment for continuous improvement and ways to help students understand their role in the assessment of student learning process.  Topics will include improving survey response rates, sharing of assessment results and maintaining continuous improvement.

In this pre-conference workshop, participants will:

• Discuss the importance of engaging faculty and students in assessment
• Develop strategies for engaging faculty in all phases of the assessment process
• Generate ideas for sharing the goals of assessment with students

Closing the Loop Between Strategic Planning and Assessment

Presented by Michael F. Middaugh, Higher Education Consultant

This workshop will be a comprehensive overview of strategies for assessing institutional effectiveness and student learning outcomes, with an emphasis on tying assessment results to institutional strategic planning. Workshop attendees will be provided with real world examples of closing the loop between assessment and planning.

In this pre-conference workshop, participants will be engaged in the fundamental components of good planning:

• Assessment of Student Learning
• Assessment of Institutional Effectiveness
• Appropriate Use of Assessment Information in Shaping Decisions With Respect to Allocation of Human and Fiscal Resources

Libraries and their Value to the Student Learning Experience

Presented by Danuta A. Nitecki, Dean of Libraries, and Professor, College of Computing & Informatics, Drexel University

What is the value of the campus library to improve the student learning experience?  For decades librarians have been collaboratively developing and utilizing assessment approaches to address this question in terms of information literacy instruction, providing access to publications, and library spaces.  This workshop is intended for learning assessment professionals, faculty and librarians.  As a result of joining this engaging workshop, participants will be able to:

• Identify what librarians are typically doing to assess programs and services affecting teaching and learning
• Apply at least one method at their institution to gather data about the library value for students
• Build stronger campus collaborations and assessment strategies

The New MSCHE Standards and the Impact on Assessment of Learning and Institutional Effectiveness

Presented by Sean McKitrick, Vice President, Middle States Commission on Higher Education

In accordance with CFR 34 602.21 Review of Standards, the Commission conducts a regular review of its accreditation standards. During Spring 2013 the Commission began its latest comprehensive review of the standards. These efforts were led by a Steering Committee representing MSCHE member institutions, the MSCHE staff, and the general public. The Steering Committee followed a set of Guiding Principles. These four Guiding Principles were developed by the Commission to reflect the areas that were identified as the most important to the membership of the Commission: Mission-Centric Quality Assurance, the Student Learning Experience, Continuous Improvement, and Supporting Innovation.

The Commission approved a plan to implement the revised standards through a unique Collaborative Implementation Project. The project involves a cohort of 15 institutions that are scheduled to submit their self-studies and host evaluation teams during the 2016-2017 academic year. Throughout the next two years these 15 institutions will undergo a “high touch” experience in which they will speak frequently with members of the Commission staff and with each other, as they engage in self-study. They will also play an active role in preparing other institutions to use the revised standards. All institutions hosting an evaluation team visit in the 2017-2018 academic year and beyond will engage in self-studies guided by the revised standards.

Building for Student Success: A Common Sense Approach to Assessment Planning in Student Life

Presented by Mark Green, Manager of Assessment, Department of Nursing Operations, Drexel University and Katie Zamulinsky, Assistant Dean, Campus Engagement, Drexel University

In this workshop, participants will work with professionals to build their student life assessment plans with current goals and priorities. Professionals working in offices with no assessment plan will have the opportunity to develop an assessment plan from scratch; while professionals working in student life offices with assessment plans are invited to bring their plans to work on refining and improving assessment activities. Starting with identifying learning goals and following the assessment cycle through to using data, participants will learn a process of developing and integrating assessment plans into the daily activities.

• Participants will learn the steps of the outcomes assessment process
• Participants will learn the components of an assessment plan
• Participants will learn a process to accomplish outcomes assessment planning and integration of assessment processes in their daily activities in an office of student life.