General EducationGeneral EducationCUE May 28 2009CUE May 28 2009

Where we are in General Where we are in General Education and how we got here.Education and how we got here.

Accreditation Expectations.Accreditation Expectations. The road ahead.The road ahead.

Outcomes:Outcomes: We leave with a shared sense of where We leave with a shared sense of where

we are in General Education assessment we are in General Education assessment and reform and how we got here. and reform and how we got here.

We leave with a clear sense of what we We leave with a clear sense of what we need to do--now through 2011—to need to do--now through 2011—to prepare for the accreditation revisit. prepare for the accreditation revisit.

CUE members specify any support or CUE members specify any support or information they need to carry out this information they need to carry out this work. work.

We leave with a plan for our next steps.We leave with a plan for our next steps.

Gen Ed @ WWU Gen Ed @ WWU Where We Are and Where We Are and How We Got HereHow We Got Here(An incomplete (An incomplete

history)history)

Once upon a time,Once upon a time,Colleges typically used Colleges typically used

end-of program end-of program assessments, often with assessments, often with external examiners, to external examiners, to

assess student assess student achievement and achievement and

program effectiveness.program effectiveness.

Assessment was Assessment was normative. normative.

The expanding enrollments, programs The expanding enrollments, programs and majors of the twentieth century and majors of the twentieth century made large-scale assessment of learning made large-scale assessment of learning in academic programs less common and in academic programs less common and practical. In many areas, such as the practical. In many areas, such as the humanities, humanities, assessment was no assessment was no longer normative. longer normative.

Between 1960 and 1980, several Between 1960 and 1980, several tributaries of influence emerged:tributaries of influence emerged:

Educational theory shifted to focus on Educational theory shifted to focus on the learner and the “processes” of the learner and the “processes” of education. education.

Advances in computing and statistics led Advances in computing and statistics led to new tracking and measuring tools.to new tracking and measuring tools.

Civil rights advocates demanded Civil rights advocates demanded measurable changes in schools and measurable changes in schools and colleges. colleges.

Business assessment practices and Business assessment practices and theories, such a “TQM,” became applied theories, such a “TQM,” became applied to education.to education.

By the 1980s, demands for By the 1980s, demands for governmental accountability, governmental accountability, educational equity, and learner-educational equity, and learner-based pedagogical practices based pedagogical practices converged in new higher-education converged in new higher-education assessment requirements by the assessment requirements by the federal government, states, federal government, states, accrediting organizations and accrediting organizations and universities themselves. universities themselves.

The central standards of The central standards of these requirements: these requirements:

Published and measurable student-Published and measurable student-learning outcomes.learning outcomes.

The assessment of these outcomes. The assessment of these outcomes. The use of the assessment in The use of the assessment in

program improvement.program improvement.

Acceptance and Acceptance and ResistanceResistance

Faculty in programs where Faculty in programs where assessment is normative tended to assessment is normative tended to accept the new standards. accept the new standards.

Faculty in programs where Faculty in programs where assessment was not normative often assessment was not normative often resisted them. resisted them.

Accreditation at WesternAccreditation at Western In its accreditation reviews of In its accreditation reviews of

Western, the Northwest Western, the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) has Universities (NWCCU) has continually pushed WWU continually pushed WWU towards outcome-based towards outcome-based assessment standards.assessment standards.

1998 Recommendations1998 Recommendations

The commission stresses outcomes The commission stresses outcomes assessment as essential to assessment as essential to institutional planning and evaluation institutional planning and evaluation of institutional effectiveness. . .of institutional effectiveness. . .

Commission Policy 2B2 requires Commission Policy 2B2 requires institutions to identify and publish institutions to identify and publish expected learning outcomes for each expected learning outcomes for each of its degree and certificate of its degree and certificate programs. programs.

The NWCCU also The NWCCU also criticized our criticized our

decentralized structure.decentralized structure.

. . .while there are . . .while there are numerous assessment numerous assessment

activities that have activities that have been conducted and been conducted and planned, there is no planned, there is no

overall formal overall formal institution assessment institution assessment

plan.plan.

However, Colleges and However, Colleges and programs used the programs used the

decentralized structure to decentralized structure to their advantage, rapidly their advantage, rapidly

building and revising building and revising successful plans. successful plans.

While criticized by NWCCU, While criticized by NWCCU, our decentralized structure our decentralized structure

is widely supported by is widely supported by faculty. faculty.

Decentralization serves and Decentralization serves and supports our strong-supports our strong-

department structure. department structure.

The same structure works The same structure works against university-wide against university-wide programs, like General programs, like General

Education. Hence, Gen Ed Education. Hence, Gen Ed has come under particular has come under particular

criticism from our criticism from our accreditors. accreditors.

The April 1998 review, and all The April 1998 review, and all subsequent reviews, drew subsequent reviews, drew attention to the GURs:attention to the GURs: The General University The General University

Requirements should be reviewed Requirements should be reviewed and learning objectives develop for and learning objectives develop for each area. The extent of student each area. The extent of student learning should be regularly learning should be regularly assessed and the information used assessed and the information used to improve student attainment of to improve student attainment of the objective of a liberal education. the objective of a liberal education.

Internally, reviews of the GUR program resulted in similar recommendations:

April 15, 2003: General April 15, 2003: General Education Task Force, Final Education Task Force, Final Recommendations Recommendations Assessment of Student Learning Assessment of Student Learning

The Washington State Legislature The Washington State Legislature and institutional accreditation and institutional accreditation standards mandate that student standards mandate that student learning objectives be articulated learning objectives be articulated and assessed. and assessed.

Curriculum mapping:Curriculum mapping:Any GER course should clearly Any GER course should clearly specify the competencies developed. specify the competencies developed. This “curriculum mapping” should This “curriculum mapping” should articulate where competencies articulate where competencies occur in specific courses. occur in specific courses.

The GETF did generate essential The GETF did generate essential “qualities” that Western students “qualities” that Western students should demonstrate. These should demonstrate. These qualities were further defined as qualities were further defined as 11 “competencies.” 11 “competencies.”

The mapping never occurred. The mapping never occurred. Periodically, this causes some Periodically, this causes some consternation.consternation.

WWESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITYACADEMIC ESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITYACADEMIC

COORDINATING COMMISSION MINUTES Regular COORDINATING COMMISSION MINUTES Regular Meeting  --  November 7, 2006Meeting  --  November 7, 2006

§    One commissioner echoed the idea that faculty are teaching general education without a clue as to what these competencies should be, and asked what is the responsibility of ACC to direct this. 

§    This is a really important step in curriculum design, and why not spell out what standards we are trying to reach.

Current Assessment PlanCurrent Assessment Plan

A university-wide assessment A university-wide assessment plan was created. plan was created.

Western’s current assessment Western’s current assessment plan defines a set of plan defines a set of developmental steps leading to developmental steps leading to 2-phase institutional system for 2-phase institutional system for assessing student performance. assessing student performance.

These steps include:These steps include:

1) Setting a vision for assessment derived from the Strategic Action Plan;

2) Identifying program-level student learning outcomes;

3) Providing opportunities to learn (curriculum) aligned with the student learning outcomes;

4) Designing and implementing assessments to sample student performance relative to outcomes;

5) Collecting, analyzing, and reporting data within and across programs;

6) Systematically using data to improve programs and operations.

The Plan was never fulfilled in a systematic, university-wide manner for General Education.

NWCCU required an interim report and revisit. The Accreditation Chair recommended that WWU focus its reforms on Gen Ed.

HoweverHowever

SpecificallySpecifically

The Evaluation Committee notes that there The Evaluation Committee notes that there has been inadequate progress on the has been inadequate progress on the implementation of key aspects of an institution-implementation of key aspects of an institution-wide plan of program assessment. Despite wide plan of program assessment. Despite admirable growth in ongoing data admirable growth in ongoing data collection, campus support, a plethora of collection, campus support, a plethora of reports, the number of robust college-level reports, the number of robust college-level plans and efforts, plans and efforts, investments in staff, and committees, there is a investments in staff, and committees, there is a need to close the feedback loop and use the need to close the feedback loop and use the information information generated to improve programs and inform generated to improve programs and inform resource decisions in a consistent and systemic resource decisions in a consistent and systemic manner manner (Standards 1 .B, 2.B, and Policy 2.6). (Standards 1 .B, 2.B, and Policy 2.6).

Program Assessment: Program Assessment: Two PartsTwo Parts

There has been inadequate progress There has been inadequate progress on the implementation of an on the implementation of an institution-wide plan of program institution-wide plan of program assessment. . . assessment. . .

There is a need to close the feedback There is a need to close the feedback loop and use the information loop and use the information generated to improve programs and generated to improve programs and inform resource decisions in a inform resource decisions in a consistent and systemic manner.consistent and systemic manner.

CUE CUE ResponsibilitiesResponsibilities

1)1) Create a campus-wide GUR Create a campus-wide GUR assessment plan.assessment plan.

2)2) Use existing data to improve GUR Use existing data to improve GUR program.program.

1)Createa campus-wide GUR 1)Createa campus-wide GUR assessment plan. assessment plan.

Options:Options: Sample E-PortfoliosSample E-Portfolios Use a Standardized ExamUse a Standardized Exam Common Capstone Course AssignmentsCommon Capstone Course Assignments Sample Senior seminar Papers/ProjectsSample Senior seminar Papers/Projects Aggregate course-level assessmentsAggregate course-level assessments

(Most programs use 2-3 of the above).(Most programs use 2-3 of the above).

2) Use existing data to “Close the Loop” 2) Use existing data to “Close the Loop” (CTL)(CTL)

Options (others are also possible). Options (others are also possible). WELS Data showsWELS Data shows

--Freshmen don’t understand value and --Freshmen don’t understand value and purpose of liberal education. purpose of liberal education.

CTL by communicating value of liberal ed.CTL by communicating value of liberal ed. Accreditors & ACC sayAccreditors & ACC say

--SLOs not specified in syllabi.--SLOs not specified in syllabi.

CTL by getting GUR competencies in syllabi.CTL by getting GUR competencies in syllabi. NSSEE data showsNSSEE data shows

--Freshman seek more student/faculty interaction.--Freshman seek more student/faculty interaction.

CTL by fostering more student/faculty CTL by fostering more student/faculty interaction.interaction.

QuestionsQuestionsWhat questions do What questions do these expectations these expectations raise for you?raise for you?

What resources, What resources, information and information and support do you support do you

need?need?

Dinner Dinner Conversation Conversation Topics Topics

When do you want additional When do you want additional training provided?training provided?

Summer Workshop orSummer Workshop or

Training at fall meetings?Training at fall meetings?

What kind of chair?What kind of chair?

A facilitative chair NOT expected to A facilitative chair NOT expected to be working extensively behind the be working extensively behind the scenes and between meetings.scenes and between meetings.

An “ACC style” chair expected to be An “ACC style” chair expected to be working extensively behind the working extensively behind the scenes and between meetings.scenes and between meetings.

What is our next What is our next step?step?