February 25, 2002

TO: Members of the University Committee on Assessment

FROM: John O. Schwenn, Vice President for Academic Affairs 

SUBJECT: Charge to the Committee

Thanks for agreeing to serve on the University Committee of Assessment. This Committee is responsible for coordinating the assessment of student learning at all levels of the university. 

The Committee will continue with its current membership for the remainder of the 2001-2002 academic year. At present, the committee includes the following members.
 

• Chair of the Academic Affairs Committee of the Faculty Senate: Amy Sage Webb 

• Representative from the Associated Student Government: Tara Patterson 

• Representative from each of the schools and colleges: 

• Business: John Rich

• Liberal Arts & Sciences: Marie Miller 

• Library and Information Management: Herbert Achleitner

• Teachers College: Gerry Coffman 

• Representative from University Libraries and Archives: Terri Summey

• Representative from academic administration: Rod Sobieski

• Representative from Self-Study team: Harry Stephens

• Director of Institutional Studies: L. F. "Pat" Robinson

• Director of Assessment and Teaching Enhancement Center: Edward McGlone

I have asked Dr. McGlone to chair the Committee this year. One matter that you may consider is the ongoing composition of this Committee in subsequent years. I ask that you treat seriously your role as a representative of a constituent group. You should seek input from your colleagues and you will need to update them on the activities of the Committee. 

The specific charge to the Committee is:

• To foster good practice in assessment campus wide.

• To develop and disseminate a regularly distributed newsletter on academic assessment to the university community.

• To sponsor and co-sponsor workshops and other programs to enhance the quality of our assessment activities.

• To collect and evaluate annual reports on the assessment of student learning outcomes from the academic and other units.

• To compile an annual University report that reflects the activities of the various units and makes recommendations and suggestions for improving our efforts in assessment. 

• To recommend policy and policy changes to appropriate university offices, officers, and organizations, 

• To maintain a close working relationship with the Office of the VPAA 

I stand ready to support your efforts in carrying out this charge. We will submit our Self-Study Report for North Central Association accreditation in 2004 and host the visiting team during the fall of that year. The quality of our assessment activities is critically important to this accreditation. In 1994, the visiting team commended ESU for our approach to assessing student-learning outcomes at the undergraduate level. We want to receive a similar commendation in 2004 for all our assessment programs. 

Enclosed with this letter is a copy of the March 2001 Update of "Assessment of Student Academic Achievement: Levels of Implementation," the most recent guidelines on assessment published by the North Central Association Higher Learning Commission. We need to be sure that our assessment programs and activities comply with these guidelines 

Thanks again for your good service to ESU.
 

Last Updated March 19, 2007