Reaching Through Linkages
1997-1998:
An Assessment Workbook

The first annual report of the College of DuPage
Student Outcomes Assessment Committee

Section 1:

Where we've been - A brief history
The initial timeline:

Oct. 1993 Assessment of Student Academic Achievement Committee is formed and charged to develop an integrated plan for student outcomes assessment for the institution.
Nov.-Mar. 1993 Selected members of the committee attend a variety of assessment conferences:
  • Assessment Conference in Indianapolis, IN
  • NCA Conferences in Chicago, 1993 and 1994
  • Midwest Conference on Student Assessment in Toledo, OH
Jan.-Apr. 1994 Committee begins meeting weekly and:
  • reads a variety of assessment reports
  • researches about assessment topics
  • gathers information about assessment at the college
  • develops assessment process grid
May-Sept. 1994 Committee shares draft plan with a variety of constituency groups, including:
  • Instruction Committee
  • Institutional Effectiveness Committee
  • Faculty Senate
  • Academic Divisions
  • Administrators
  • All full-time faculty (fall orientation)
Oct. 1994 Committee makes final revisions to plan
Nov. 1994 Committee presents final version to NCA Steering Committee and President
Dec. 1994 Final version of plan sent to N.C.A. for evaluation
Jan 1995 Original authoring committee adjourns, and new Assessment Committee is formed and given charge by President Murphy.
Jan.-Mar. 1995 New Assessment Committee begins education phase to get overview of assessment at the College and in general by reading, attending conferences, and discussing assessment with a variety of committees related to assessment including:
  • Institutional Effectiveness Committee
  • Academic Program Review Committee
  • Student Tracking System Committee
  • English and Math Pre-test Program
  • Testing Office Office of Research and Planning
  • Promoting Student Success Committee
March 1995 Programming for Student Tracking System completed
April 1995 COD Assessment Plan is approved by N.C.A.
May 1995 Student Tracking System Operational
June 1995 Members of Assessment Committee attend AAHE Assessment Conference in Boston, MA
Oct. 1995 Breakout session on Assessment is offered at Fall Faculty In-Service event
Jan. 1996 Additional members join Assessment Committee representative of college-wide divisions
Mar. 1996 Faculty Development class conducted on Classroom Assessment Techniques
May 1996 Assessment Committee given charge of Fall Faculty In-service Day, Nov., 1996
June 1996 Members of Assessment Committee attend AAHE Assessment Conference in Wash., DC
Sept.-Nov. 1996 Planning and implementation of Fall In-Service Program on Assessment
Nov.-Dec. 1996 Requested Assessment Planning Reports from each discipline area.
Jan. 1997 Began planning phase for implementation of Individual Assessment Report forms, and Discipline Report forms (contained in this document)
Mar.-Sept. 1997 Collected and recorded Individual and Discipline Assessment Report forms
June 1997 Members attended AAHE Assessment Conference in Orlando, FL
July-Oct. 1997 First Annual Assessment Report (this document) written and compiled 

 Where we are - A brief status report

 The College of Du Page Assessment initiative is fortunate to have a pro-active committee of professionals interested in the dialogue about learning and improving the learning process. The Assessment Committee is fortunate to have institutional support for the various projects, initiatives, and potential internal grants for classroom research. Where we are now is firmly on track with an approved assessment plan, and vitality in the committee as it looks toward the future.

This document is the primary evidence of where we are now. It is a compilation of individual reports on assessment activities, as well as discipline-level reports and documentation of assessment in multi-section courses. This information was gathered primarily during the spring quarter of 1997, and complied during summer quarter. Additional time was allowed during early fall quarter to gain additional reports from both individuals and disciplines. A variety of assessment techniques are represented in this document, and it is intended to be a workbook for each faculty member to obtain fresh ideas about using assessment techniques in the classroom, and sharing those techniques with their colleagues through continued reporting mechanisms.

The reports which follow in the next sections are a demonstration of our professional attempts to increase the quality of learning at the College of Du Page. This is the first time in COD's history that a document such as this has been written and assembled. This document is also a demonstration of our own learning curve as professionals. Some assessment designs are simple, others are complex, but they all have a common theme of making the learning experience at the college the very best that it can be. Therein is the purpose of our assessment-for-improvement endeavor.

If this is considered a "state-of-assessment" report, then the state of assessment at the College is very much alive, active, and focused on its direction. The state of assessment at the College is a collective effort engaging an increasing number of faculty and administration. The state of assessment is a positive force which will help enable us to meet the future of education as it arrives.

Where we need to go: Goals for the future

While we are well on the way toward success with the Assessment Plan, we still have some distance to cover for full implementation. These areas are capable of being covered through continued cooperation of the Assessment Committee and faculty teams. Three primary goals emerge as important ones to begin during the 1997-98 academic year.

While we have had a remarkable response from the faculty using the individual reports, we do not yet have 100% participation. It is important for this initiative to be 100% successful that we also have 100% participation from full-time faculty. Therefore on of the goals for 1997-98 is to expand participation to include 100% of the full-time faculty in this initiative.

College of Du Page relies on a large professional staff of part-time faculty to accomplish its full mission and purpose. Another primary goal for this academic year is to engage the part-time faculty in the assessment initiative. This may occur through individual report forms and through multi-section courses and discipline level reports. It will be necessary to offer some training and staff development options about the assessment initiative for our part-time faculty. These sessions should also be available for full-time faculty participation. This is a major part of the "Linkages" theme which needs to be developed during this academic year.

While the initial efforts in the assessment process have engaged the classroom level assessment strategies, we need also to expand into the area of general education assessment. This is one area where College of DuPage may lag behind some of its peer institutions as of the writing of this document. There are many options available in the area of General Education assessment. Some of these options include external evaluators, commercial assessment instruments, self-designed instruments, and other vehicles. The committee remains open to any or all of these designs, and there may be a variety of methods used across the college once this general education component is in place.

 

Copyright © 1998 College of DuPage
Student Outcomes Assessment Committee 
klassen@cdnet.cod.edu  · (630)-942-2081
Updated March 05, 1998
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