If We Build it, Will They Learn?Assessing Academic Program

Efficacy in Times of Institutional Change

Linda D. Feeney, Ed.D.Director of Computer Services

Diane Holtzman, Ed.D.Assistant Professor, Business Studies

Carra Leah Hood, Ph.D.Associate Professor, Writing

Jennifer Barr, Ph.D.Professor, Business Studies

The Richard Stockton College of NJ 101 Vera King Farris Dr Galloway, NJ 08205

Presentation slides and web links available at:http://www.stockton.edu/ifwebuildit

Who are we?

• Richard Stockton College is a public, medium-sized liberal arts college located in southern New Jersey

• The college has experienced extensive growth in student enrollment, academic programs, and infrastructure during the past decade

The Middle States Process

• Mission driven• Strategic planning and the Four Themes:– Learning– Engagement– Global Perspectives– Sustainability

Recognizing Crucial Factors for Reaccreditation

• The infusion of a culture of assessment• The evaluation of institutional effectiveness

across divisions, schools, departments, and programs

• The role of strategic planning and the balanced scorecard approach

• The systematic alignment of planning, measurement, and resource allocation with decision-making

Getting Started: Reflections of a Co-Chair Novice

• Attend a Middle States self-study institute• Immerse yourself in the process from as many

vantage points as possible• Understand the pivotal role of the research

questions and the necessity for transparency• Establish timelines (but maintain a fluid

mindset)• Inform and motivate team members (bring food

to meetings!)

Research Question – Version 1

How does the college meet its goals for student learning in various academic programs and what evidence is available to demonstrate that the program offerings have the academic content, rigor, and coherence appropriate to the undergraduate and graduate levels?

Research Question – Version 2

What evidence is available to demonstrate how the College evaluates the effectiveness of assessment of student learning in various academic programs?

Research Question - Final

How effective is the assessment of student learning outcomes in academic programs?

Changes – More Students & Faculty

• More first year, transfer, and graduate students• More residential students• Changes in student demographics respond to

the economy, workplace needs, and the ethnic/national identities living in the region

Student demographic informationEnrollment report 2008-20102011 Annual report

• More new faculty, new/enhanced programs

Changes – More Money

• The cost of attending Stockton has increasedVoluntary System of Accountability 2011

• Fundraising and College assets have grownIn 2011, first $1 million gift for scholarships to support low-income students

• Stockton faculty have received more internal and external funding

Institutional Profile 2009 (contains comparative data about faculty grants) Grants/Contracts FY10

Changes – More Services

• Increased services for students• More smart classrooms and computer labs• More online courses• Expanding physical plant• Increased

community partnerships and off-campus learning centers

Instructional Program Assessment

• Big Task/Little Pieces– Rubrics– Spreadsheet– Interview Summary

• Task assignment - overlap

Rubric

• Began with a qualitative approach – Incomplete, Satisfactory, Exemplary

• Disparate methodologies prompted a more global perspective

• Extracted assessment reports from program self-studies

• Summarized assessment efforts at the program, school, and institution levels

Breaking Down the Task

Sub-Group Report

• Submitted to co-chairs• Report Sections– Procedure– Evidence– Summary of Findings– Suggestions

Task Management

• Blackboard CE8 Course Section– Document Repository– Progress Reports– Report Drafts

Blackboard Repository

Institute for Faculty Development

• Supports effective pedagogy and productive scholarship for all faculty members

• Director develops resources for teaching, research, service, and assessment of student learning

• Evidence newsletter – communicates the assessment of student learning by

faculty, programs, and schools (8 years’ worth)– Publishes and interprets the results of the CLA, VSA,

and NSEE data for use in faculty and program discussions on improvement

Evidence

Evidence

Annual Coordinator ReportsSample page from Annual Program Coordinators’ Reports draft template.

Similar to 5-year program review draft template:• collects consistent

information• follows a consistent

organization• uses predictable categories• includes relevant data from

Institutional Research

Academic Program Reviews

This draft template provides for consistent information, and format, facilitating internal and external reporting and institutional data mining.

Sedona

• A web database application – allows faculty to maintain their teaching, research, service,

experience, development, credentials, and assessment records

– used to support accreditation, build rubrics to assess learning objectives, customize reports , create database queries, ePortfolios, evaluations, and benchmark faculty productivity

– can be connected to the institutional database

Sedona

• Currently being used by the School of Business for AACSB accreditation—will be expanded for use throughout the college

• Provides consistency in reporting of data and use of terminology facilitating more reliable comparisons throughout the college

• Allows for graphical representation of data for ease of comparison of progress in assessment in faculty development

Sedona

Looking Ahead

• Encourage ongoing campus conversation• Further refinement of course, program, and

school goal alignment with institutional goals • Refinement of templates for course/program

assessment documentation • Development of an electronic document

repository as a single, institutional resource

Questions?Linda D. Feeney, Ed.D.

Director of Computer ServicesDiane Holtzman, Ed.D.

Assistant Professor, Business Studies

Carra Leah Hood, Ph.D.Associate Professor, Writing

Jennifer Barr, Ph.D.Professor, Business Studies

The Richard Stockton College of NJ 101 Vera King Farris Dr Galloway, NJ 08205

Presentation slides and web links available at:http://www.stockton.edu/ifwebuildit