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Assessment Plan

Plan for Assessment of Student Academic Achievement

IV. Plan for Assessment of Student Academic Outcomes

B. General Education/Baccalaureate Assessment

The goals of the baccalaureate degree are broad statements of expectations of student learning that are derived from the university's mission statement. The goals form the core of the students' baccalaureate experience. They emphasize the broad academic areas of communication, writing, science, and mathematics; as importantly, they detail the necessity of acquiring an appreciation of the arts, intercultural experiences and the interconnectiveness of knowledge. Although the goals do not encompass the entire educational experience at UW-Eau Claire, they do represent those that are of primary importance.

The broadly defined goals have been given greater specificity with the establishment of associated educational outcomes statements. Thus, faculty, administrators, and students know in fairly precise terms what the curriculum is expected to accomplish. Once outcomes were established, appropriate assessment procedures were determined. Multiple assessment procedures have been defined for, and linked to, the General Education academic outcomes.

Assessment of the baccalaureate experience occurs at four levels:

  1. Entry-Level Assessment
    • A successful university career depends upon the student's high school preparation. Therefore, entering freshmen must satisfy minimum entry requirements (see Appendix B* for policy and exceptions). Also, entering freshmen must submit scores received on the ACT or SAT and are required to take UW System-developed placement tests in the areas of English, math, and foreign language. These results provide a means to measure basic entry-level competencies and allow the advisor, in consultation with the student, to use these results for placement/ advisement purposes to ensure that students enroll in appropriate courses. The scores obtained from the SAT or ACT provide the baseline for subsequent mid-level comparisons.
    • Portfolio assessment, which was implemented in 1995, begins in the students' freshman year. Initially, a portfolio pilot project solicited the involvement of five faculty from the Department of English as well as freshman students enrolled in selected Freshmen Composition courses. The number involved in the project will increase every year with the hope that at the end of four years, most faculty teaching English 110 would include an introduction to the concept of portfolio assessment in the course. Students will receive portfolio binders and computer disks to allow for easy retention of student work; also, students will receive complete instructions about which documents should be present in the portfolio when they conclude their undergraduate careers at UW-Eau Claire. (See Appendix C* for a description of the UWEC Portfolio Project.)
  2. Mid-Level Assessment
    • As students move out of their freshmen composition courses and into their selected majors, departments participating in portfolio assessment (currently approximately 50% of the academic departments have indicated they will use portfolio assessment in the major) will identify early courses in the major in which to reintroduce portfolio collection. This process will reemphasize the need for students to retain work in the portfolio and explain the use of portfolios for assessing some of UW-Eau Claire's student learning outcomes. However, collecting and reflecting on the portfolio has benefits for the students as well. Reflective analysis by students will take place in capstone courses and will assist students with reviewing their growth and synthesis of knowledge. Also, portfolios may be utilized by students when job hunting or applying for graduate school by providing evidence of academic progress, accomplishments, and growth. (rev. 4/03/97)
    • Assessment of students' verbal and quantitative skills will occur at the end of the sophomore year and will provide assessment data related to Goals 4 and 5 as well as data for the University of Wisconsin System (UWS), which has mandated measurement of these skills. For the past three years, students at the end of their sophomore year have been randomly selected to participate in a measure of verbal and quantitative skills. The Academic Profile, a standardized instrument of the Educational Testing Service, has been used in the past. However, beginning in 1995 and yearly thereafter, the ACT-CAAP (Collegiate Assessment of Academic Proficiency) Writing and Mathematics sub-tests will be administered.
    • The CAAP standardized instrument has been chosen for a number of reasons.
    • The CAAP scores can be compared with and linked to the entering student's ACT scores.
    • The value-added component (student growth and progression over time as a result of experiencing the curriculum) can be assessed.
    • This standardized instrument provides normative data which will provide a national perspective on UW-Eau Claire student performance as it relates to students at peer institutions.
    • CAAP scores can be correlated to specific course completion.
    • Longitudinal data can be reviewed to determine trends that may develop over time.
    • Students who take the CAAP test will receive feedback on their performance and will be encouraged to discuss the results with their academic advisors. Individual academic performance may be improved as a result.
    • The University continues to place a great deal of emphasis on providing the most desirable learning environment for students. In the spring of 1984, administrative assumptions and perceptions of student opinion and satisfaction were examined through the use of a standardized ACT Student Opinion Survey. The purpose of that study was to determine student opinion of the university environment in general, and student-related services and programs in particular. The information obtained from that study was used to examine existing impressions and to make recommendations for changes in policy and practice. The 1984 survey also provides baseline data which will identify not only current conditions, but changes over time. The 1984 survey was replicated in 1987, 1990, 1993, and again in the spring of 1996. The resultant data have been reviewed by the Chancellor's staff and the directors and staff of support service units. This survey will continue to be administered every three years and is an integral part of assessment activities. Locally developed questions have been written and will be included in the next administration of the Student Opinion Survey. These questions are included as Appendix D*. This survey will provide assessment data related to goals 1, 7, and 9.
  3. Senior-Level Assessment
    • A comprehensive assessment of the baccalaureate goals will occur at the completion of a student's undergraduate career at UW-Eau Claire. All goals will be assessed within a four-year timeframe, with those goals identified as the "core of the general education" curriculum being assessed yearly. The goals, associated outcomes, assessment procedures linked to the out-comes, the timeline and use of assessment data are presented in matrix form as Appendix A*.
    • rev. 2/13/97, 4/03/97
    • Portfolio assessment, begun in freshman English classes, concludes during a student's senior year. Departments participating in portfolio assessment within the major will be asked to identify a capstone course in which portfolios can be collected from graduating seniors. The portfolios will be used by the departments for assessment of the major; however, the materials also will be copied and submitted to a Portfolio Scoring committee to assess baccalaureate goals 3 - 8, 10 and 11. Appendix C* provides a complete description of the UW-Eau Claire Portfolio Project.
    • Beginning in 1995/96 and every two years thereafter, exit interviews will be conducted with graduating seniors. Questions have been developed to furnish information about Goals 1, 2, 4, 7, 9 and 10. A pilot project was conducted during the initial implementation year during which the instrument was field tested with approximately 25 students participating in 30-minute interviews. Trained interviewers used pre-established criteria which can be subjected to quantitative analysis for assessing students' responses. The pilot project will be expanded after the initial year to include at least 5% of the graduating seniors. Appendix E* provides additional information about the Exit Interview Project.
  4. Post-Graduate Assessment
    • While alumni surveys have been conducted by many academic departments for a number of years, 1993 was the first year an alumni survey was undertaken as part of the ongoing process of review and improvement at the institutional level. Alumni from the Classes of 1952, 1962, 1972, 1982, 1987, and 1992 were surveyed using the ACT Alumni Outcomes Survey. Results were compiled and subsequently reviewed by many including all members of the Chancellor's Administrative Staff. The Alumni Survey will continue to be conducted every three years allowing alumni an opportunity to evaluate their baccalaureate experiences at UW-Eau Claire and provide perceptions of the university environment related to goals 1-4, 6, 7, and 9-11.

* Opens Adobe Acrobat Reader.

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