EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY

Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs

MEMO TO: Ed McGlone, Director of Assessment

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

RE: Assessment of Graduate Programs/Annual Report on Assessment

DATE: June 14, 2000

I agree that assessment of our graduate programs should be a high priority at Emporia State University for FY 01. This will bring us in compliance with North Central regulations on assessment of graduate programs and ensure assessment of our graduate programs is equal to that of our undergraduate programs.

In response to your proposals, I recommend the following:

1. ESU should conduct an assessment of Graduate Programs similar to the model used on the Regents Student Perception Survey for undergraduates. I agree this should be conducted on a biennial basis, alternating with the undergraduate survey. Please conduct this survey of graduate students during FY 01.

2. ESU should conduct an assessment of graduate advising patterned on the undergraduate advising survey. Please conduct the advising survey of graduate students during FY 01.

3. All graduate departments should have a formal Assessment Plan as required by North Central. Please work with each department through the respective dean and chair so that appropriate plans are developed in accordance with North Central guidelines.

4. There is a need for a Committee on the Assessment of Graduate Programs. Please work with Tim Downs, Dean of Graduate Studies and Off-Site and Distance Education to develop the framework and duties for this committee. The members of the committee should be appointed by the President of the University. Consideration needs to be given on reporting lines for this committee.

In response to your recommendations in the "Annual Report on Assessment at ESU," I recommend the following:

1. Assessment in all our online instruction is important. As Director of Assessment, please work with Off-Site and Distance Education and departments offering online courses to continue developing and utilizing assessment methodologies for our online courses.

2. Please develop and offer a Forum early this fall for the purpose of discussing campus wide assessment issues. The planning needs to begin now so the Forum becomes a reality. It is appropriate that assessment become part of New Faculty Orientation. Please contact Pam Biggs about participating.

3. Since the North Central Association has revised its requirements to establish an assessment culture on campus, it would be appropriate to send each dean and department the new assessment guidelines with an explanatory note prior to the beginning of the fall semester.

4. Please follow through to make sure we are following the correct committee structure for assessment throughout the university (including the departmental level).

5. Please meet with Deans Council to apprize the group of these recommendations. You will need to work with each dean and chair of each department to ensure compliance.

Last Updated November 20, 2008