Steps to an Integrated Steps to an Integrated Assessment System: Assessment System: Merging Culture and Merging Culture and ProcessProcess

Cara GardnerAssessment Coordinator

Bay Path CollegeAmerican Association of Colleges and Universities

February 2013

Bay Path College

Located in Longmeadow,Burlington,Sturbridge MA

Founded in 1895

Women’s College

2,300 students

Undergraduate and Graduate programs

Step 1. Culture ChangeStep 1. Culture ChangeThis is the biggest challenge,

TracDat is the easy part!

Change is a journey.Change is a journey.

Ready for change?Ready for change?

Requirements for Successful Requirements for Successful Change ManagementChange Management

Executive Participation◦ Not sponsorship, not delegationRespected Driver/Owner ◦ Empowered Change Agent Institution-wide Recognition◦ Internal & External DriversKey Early Adopters◦ Faculty, Programs, Depts., Schools Know the Hurdles◦ Understand & Engage Them

Faculty EngagementFaculty Engagement

Ways to Make Assessment our Ways to Make Assessment our “Normal” work“Normal” work

Monthly Faculty Meeting◦ Assessment StoryStanding Educational Assessment

Committee◦ Collaborative review assessment plansAnnual Program Review◦ Review, analyze, evaluateYear-End Institute◦ Professional DevelopmentLeveraging Student Success Stories◦ Other measures of student success

Monthly Faculty MeetingAssessment Story

• Opportunity for Peer-to-Peer Learning and Sharing

• Opportunity to share best practices

Standing Educational Assessment Committee

• Collaborative Review Of Assessment Plans• Provides Improvement Feedback for Deans and

Chairs

Annual Academic Program Review

Includes: Student Learning Outcomes, Enrollment History Data, Program Data, Student Satisfaction Survey, and Summary of Improvements

Year-End InstituteProfessional Development

Two Days of Faculty Professional Development

Leveraging Student Success Stories

Stories demonstrate how students are applying their learning.

Step 2. Process for Step 2. Process for Developing Assessment Developing Assessment Plans.Plans.

Every program has a plan. Every program has a plan.

Identify program goalsComplete curriculum mappingDetermine a method of evaluationSet the criterion (minimum performance

standard)Review program goals and assessment data

annuallyDecide if improvement actions are neededIf yes, assign action and follow-up dateReview results

Triggers Improvement ActionsTriggers Improvement Actions

TracDat Uses for TracDat Uses for Continues ImprovementContinues Improvement

Organized Data Repository- Avoid Organized Data Repository- Avoid the Data Mazethe Data Maze

Many BenefitsMany Benefits

Allows big picture (system) perspectiveMakes visible strengths and weaknesses Centralizes data for evaluation Roll-up reporting capabilitiesKnowledge becomes institutionalized

Supports Strategic DirectionSupports Strategic Direction

Additional BenefitsAdditional Benefits

Future Uses:◦Grant Management◦Storing alumni employment data◦Tracking strategic plans

Questions?