2014 Assessment Awards

Awards presented by Brian Niehoff, Associate Provost for Institutional Effectiveness

Outstanding Achievement in Analyzing Student Learning Data

Department of Park Management and Conservation: This program has an outstanding assessment process that is thorough in analysis. The program identifies problems, makes changes, and reassesses for confirmation of validity and reliability, as well as pursuit of enhanced learning.

Outstanding Achievement in Revising Programmatic Assessment Processes

Department of Chemistry: This program has revised their entire assessment process resulting in clearly defined assessments and thoroughly report student achievement. Their current Annual Progress Report is one of the best on campus.

Outstanding Achievements in Faculty Involvement

Department of History: Their Annual Progress Report demonstrates a very thorough and effective revision of their assessment process which involves outstanding faculty involvement.

Outstanding Achievement in ‘Closing the Loop’

Department of Anthropology: This year’s Annual Progress Report is an excellent example of closing the loop, using assessment findings to make programmatic improvement, then retesting to confirm the impact on student learning. The program thoroughly disaggregated data to identify specific elements associated with the learning of outcomes.

Outstanding Achievements in College Wide Assessment Efforts

College of Business Administration: For effective College-wide efforts to enhance student learning assessment through restructuring the process in each program and creating a reporting framework created to challenge and report achievements in programs across the college.

Outstanding Achievements in Improving Critical Thinking and Written Communication

Department of Family Studies and Human Services: Has demonstrated effective use of student learning assessment data. As a result of assessment findings, a new research methods course is being developed to assist with achieving better outcomes for SLO #2 (Critical Thinking) and SLO #3 (Written Communication). Although there continues to be questions about the validity and reliability of the measurement instruments, discussion are on-going as to rigor, format, and reconfigure the assessment process to gain a more accurate understanding of what students actually know from program entrance to credentialing. The program demonstrates a well-presented and balanced assessment process.

Outstanding Achievements in Assessment Reporting

Personal and Financial Planning Program: This program exemplifies Best Practice in Assessment Reporting. Their report clearly describes for reviewers their assessment process, which include pre and post testing; statistics of central tendency; and number/percentage of student achievement as compared to levels of program expectation. Their report is clearly an example to be followed by others on campus.