2017 Assessment Planning Guidefor Academic and Student Support Service Units

Contents:

1. Assessment Planning Overview……………………………………………………………….Page 2

2. Comprehensive Assessment Plan Template with Component Descriptions.…………Page 3

3. Comprehensive Assessment Plan Template with Examples……………………………..Page 5

4. Comprehensive Assessment Plan Template (Blank, Short-Form)……………………….Page 10

Instructions:

1. Refer to the Assessment Planning Overview document on Page 2 to review the planning expectations outlined by the Office of Accreditation and Assessment (OAA).

2. Use the Comprehensive Assessment Plan Template with Component Descriptions document on Page 3 to review the expectations for each section of the reporting template. This document will not be submitted to the OAA. It is designed to guide assessment planning and includes the information needed to submit an assessment plan in Tk20.

3. Refer to the Comprehensive Assessment Plan Template with Examples document on Page 5 to visualize what a completed assessment plan template looks like. This provides additional support for units working on developing the various components of the reporting template. The examples include reports for an academic unit (Dept. of Gender and Women’s Studies) on Page 5 and a student support service unit (Academic Advising Center) on Page 10.

4. Use the Comprehensive Assessment Plan Template (Blank, Short-Form) document on Page 10 as a worksheet to complete the various components of your unit’s Comprehensive Assessment Plan for 2017-2021. Note: Comprehensive Assessment Plans should be submitted to your Assessment Liaison in MS Word or PDF by September 1, 2017. Unless specific instructions are provided by the Assessment Liaison, expect to submit your plan via email. The Office of Accreditation and Assessment (OAA) will use the information provided in the template to build assessment plans in Tk20, UTRGV’s new Assessment Management System.

5. Assessment Liaisons are encouraged to review the components of the assessment plans with the Assessment Coordinators and other staff or faculty assessment efforts.

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Document Revised 7/31/17

Assessment Planning Overview

For Academic and Student Support Service Units

The Comprehensive Assessment Plan serves as an assessment roadmap covering the four-year data collection period (2017-2021) under the New Assessment Framework. It catalogues all expected outcomes, measures, methods, and expectations for evaluating the extent to which outcomes are achieved.

The Comprehensive Assessment Plan is developed once at the beginning of the four-year data collection period and updated as needed.

Planning Expectations:

The assessment plan for Academic and Student Support Service Units must adhere to the following requirements:

1. Include 3 to 5 expected outcomes that are aligned to the unit’s mission and/or essential functions.

2. Align expected outcomes to the university mission and/or strategic plan.

3. Expected outcomes must address both student learning or student achievement outcomes and administrative outcomes.

4. Collect data on all expected outcomes annually during the four-year data collection period (2017-2021).

Assessment Expectations:

UTRGV’s Assessment Cycle outlined below expects units to complete Steps #4, #5, and #6 at least once during the four-year data collection period.

Comprehensive Assessment Plan Template with Component Descriptionsfor Academic and Student Support Service Units

I. Identify your unit’s mission and/or essential functions

Section I. Overview: For this section of the reporting template, identify your unit and its mission statement and/or essential functions.

a) Unit:

[Identify the unit, office, or department that pertains to this assessment plan.]

b) Mission Statement:

[Provide a brief statement of your unit’s core purpose, values, and/or essential functions within the context of the division and/or university. In lieu of a mission statement, write a brief statement of the unit’s essential functions.]

II. List all expected outcome statements and measure titles for 2017-2021 planning period

Section II. Overview: For this section of the reporting template, provide a summary list of the following items covering the 2017-2021 planning period: (1) expected outcome statements and (2) measure title for each measure used to evaluate the expected outcomes.

a) Expected Outcome Statements: Provide 3-5 expected outcome statements about the desired quality/performance of your unit’s operations (e.g., functions, services, resources, processes, productivity, and/or efficiencies). Outcomes should be written as measurable statements of the expected quality/performance of your unit’s operations.

Expected Outcome (1):

[Provide a complete and measureable statement of the expected outcome.]

Expected Outcome (2):

[Provide a complete and measureable statement of the expected outcome.]

Expected Outcome (3):

[Provide a complete and measureable statement of the expected outcome.]

b) Measure Titles: Create a short (3 to 4 words) title for the measure(s) or indicator(s) used to evaluate achievement of the expected outcomes identified above. Although units are encouraged to use multiple measures for each expected outcome, the expectation is for each objective to have at least one measure associated with it. Note: Use the numbering convention below (1.1, 1.2, 1.3…etc.) to associate the multiple measures with the appropriate expected outcome.

Measure Title (1.1):

[Identify a two to three-word title for the measure.]

Measure Title (1.2):

[Identify a two to three-word title for the measure.]

Measure Title (1.3):

[Identify a two to three-word title for the measure.]

III. Describe the assessment methodology for measures used to evaluate expected outcomes

Section III. Overview: For this section of the reporting template, provide details of the methodology used for each measure or indicator aligned to the expected outcomes identified in Section II above.

Methodology for Measure 1.1 [Include measure title here.]

a) Expected Outcome Title:

[Create a short, descriptive title (3 to 4 words) that captures/summarizes the meaning of the expected outcome identified in Section II(a) above. This is needed for easy identification in the Tk20 Assessment Management System.]

b) Expected Outcome Statement:

[Identify the expected outcome statement that will be associated with the measure described in this section. This is from Section II(a) above.]

c) Expected Outcome Type:

[Identity whether the outcome is a student learning, student achievement or administrative outcome]

d) Expected Outcome-Mission Alignment:

[Provide brief explanation for why or how expected outcome is relevant to the unit’s mission and essential functions]

e) Expected Outcome- Organizational Alignment:

[Identify the alignment of the expected outcome to the: UTRGV strategic plan and mission. As applicable, identify alignment to professional organization/accreditation standards, state or federal regulatory bodies, or any other relevant organization.]

f) Measure Title:

[Identify the two to three-word title for one measure or indicator used to evaluate achievement of the expected outcomes identified in Sections III(a) and III(b) above. This is needed for easy identification in the Tk20 Assessment Management System.]

g) Measure Description:

[Describe the measure or indicator used to evaluate achievement of expected outcome identified in Sections III(a) and III(b) above.]

h) Measure Type:

[Identify whether the measure is direct or indirect. Note: indirect measures evaluate attitudes and opinions using surveys, focus groups, and self-reflections about the expected outcome.]

i) Assessment Data and Collection Process:

[Briefly describe assessment data sources and the process for how the data will be collected.]

j) Data Collection Frequency and Timeline:

[Briefly describe when and how often the data will be collected. Also, include a timeline for when the unit plans to complete assessment expectations: (1) assess, (2), intervene or use results, and (3) re-assess or close the loop.]

k) Benchmark for Success:

[State the minimum expected criteria for success.]

l) Measure-Expected Outcome Alignment:

[Briefly explain how the selected measure or indicator is appropriate for evaluating the expected outcome identified above.]

m) Approach for Evaluation and Analysis

[Describe the process the unit will use to evaluate or review the assessment data, including how it be reviewed and by whom. Also, describe how results will be analyzed beyond the benchmark to identify strengths/weaknesses of achievement.] *When applicable, attach scoring criteria, rubric or similar documents.

**Note: Complete the items in Section III above for subsequent expected outcomes and/or for additional measures utilized for the same expected outcome.

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Comprehensive Assessment Plan Template with Examples (Part 1)

for Academic and Student Support Service Units

Directions. Use this short-form template to complete your Comprehensive Assessment Plan. For detailed instructions for each element of the template see Pages 3-4 in the 2017 Assessment Planning Guide.

I. Identify your unit’s mission and/or essential functions

a) Unit:

Department of Gender and Women’s Studies

b) Mission Statement:

The mission of the Department of Gender and Women’s Studies is to promote and support teaching, research and outreach that works to contest the historical, ongoing and pervasive gender-based oppressions within society.

II. List all expected outcome statements and measure titles for 2017-2021 planning period

a) Expected Outcome Statements:

Expected Outcome (1):

The department faculty will conduct high quality research.

Expected Outcome (2):

Students in all department programs will engage in community service opportunities that allow them to respond to immediate community needs.

Expected Outcome (3):

The department faculty will be recognized for excellence in teaching.

b) Measure Titles:

Measure Title (1.1):

Conference Attendance

Measure Title (1.2):

Research Publications

Measure Title (2.1):

Community Service Hours

Measure Title (3.1):

Faculty Teaching Awards

III. Describe the assessment methodology for measures used to evaluate expected outcomes

Methodology for Measure 1.1 (Conference Attendance)

a) Expected Outcome Title:

Faculty Research Productivity

b) Expected Outcome Statement:

The department faculty will conduct high quality research.

c) Expected Outcome Type:

Administrative Outcome

d) Expected Outcome-Mission Alignment:

Faculty research is inextricably linked to the mission of the department. Research helps discover and evaluate new knowledge, ideas, technologies; it is especially important for delivering outstanding education and training.

e) Expected Outcome- Organizational Alignment:

“Research impacting the RGV and Beyond: Increase the number and productivity of faculty and students engaged in research and creative work that improves the lives of people in the RGV and beyond.”

f) Measure Title:

Conference Attendance

g) Measure Description:

The measure used to evaluate the expected outcome is the total number of conferences attended by lecturers, tenure track, and tenured department faculty members during the past academic year.

h) Measure Type:

Direct

i) Assessment Data and Collection Process:

Data is from self-reported curriculum vitas submitted by department faculty in Digital Measures. It will be collected by the department chair.

j) Data Collection Frequency and Timeline:

Data will be collected annually at the beginning of each fall semester.

k) Benchmark for Success:

80% of the faculty will report attending at least one professional conference during the previous academic year.

l) Measure-Expected Outcome Alignment:

Conference attendance is expected to increase faculty’s exposure to cutting edge research. It also enables networking that can lead to collaborative research projects and research productivity. Therefore, the measure of conference attendance is aligned with the expected outcome.

m) Approach for Evaluation and Analysis

The department chair will evaluate the curriculum vita data provided by all lecturers, tenure track, and tenured faculty members. Data will be disaggregated by faculty classification (lecturer, tenure track, tenured) and rank

Methodology for Measure 1.2 (Research Productivity)

a) Expected Outcome Title:

Faculty Research Productivity

b) Expected Outcome Statement:

The department faculty will conduct high quality research.

c) Expected Outcome Type:

Administrative Outcome

d) Expected Outcome-Mission Alignment:

Faculty research is inextricably linked to the mission of the department. Research helps discover and evaluate new knowledge, ideas, technologies; it is especially important for delivering outstanding education and training.

e) Expected Outcome- Organizational Alignment:

“Research impacting the RGV and Beyond: Increase the number and productivity of faculty and students engaged in research and creative work that improves the lives of people in the RGV and beyond.”

f) Measure Title:

Research Productivity

g) Measure Description:

The measure used to evaluate the expected outcome is the total number of self-reported publications produced by lecturers, tenure track, and tenured department faculty members during the past academic year.

h) Measure Type:

Direct

i) Assessment Data and Collection Process:

Data is from self-reported curriculum vitas submitted by department faculty in Digital Measures. It will be collected by the department chair.

j) Data Collection Frequency and Timeline:

Data will be collected annually at the beginning of each fall semester.

k) Benchmark for Success:

50% of the faculty will report publishing at least one peer-reviewed work during the previous academic year.

l) Measure-Expected Outcome Alignment:

By definition, peer-reviewed publications demonstrate that research is of an acceptable quality for advancing the field in some way.

m) Approach for Evaluation and Analysis

The department chair will evaluate the self-reported curriculum vita data provided by all lecturers, tenure track, and tenured faculty members. Data will be disaggregated by faculty status (lecturer, tenure track, tenured), rank and by the type of publication (book, journal article, book chapter, etc.).

Methodology for Measure 2.1 (Community Service Hours)

a) Expected Outcome Title:

Civic Engagement

b) Expected Outcome Statement:

Students in all department programs will engage in community service opportunities that allow them to respond to immediate community needs.

c) Expected Outcome Type:

Student Achievement

d) Expected Outcome-Mission Alignment:

Civic engagement is integral to the mission of the department. It is intended to help students take what they learn in the classroom to create solutions to real-world issues. Students should be prepared to use the knowledge and skills of their degrees for the public good.

e) Expected Outcome- Organizational Alignment:

“Community Engagement: Foster sustainable community-university relationships to enrich scholarship, research, teaching, learning, and creative activities while addressing critical societal issues and contributing to the public good.”

f) Measure Title:

Community Service Hours

g) Measure Description:

The measure used to evaluate the expected outcome is the average number of community service hours completed each week during the past academic year by full-time students enrolled in any of the programs in the department.

h) Measure Type:

Direct

i) Assessment Data and Collection Process:

Data is from the Center for Civic Engagement. The program coordinators will collect this data and rout it to the department chair.

j) Data Collection Frequency and Timeline:

Data will be collected annually at the end of each spring semester. The expected outcome will be assessed during the spring of 2018. The results obtained in spring 2018 will be used to develop interventions that will be implemented by summer 2018. To evaluate the impact of interventions, the expected outcome will be re-assessed spring 2019. This cycle will be repeated until 2021.

k) Benchmark for Success:

Students will have logged an average of 10 community service hours per week.

l) Measure-Expected Outcome Alignment:

Community service hours provide a metric of the extent to which students are engaged civically over the course of an academic year. Thus, there is a clear alignment between the measure and the expected outcome.

m) Approach for Evaluation and Analysis

The department chair will evaluate community service data provided by the program coordinators. Data will be disaggregated in the following ways: 1) by program, 2) by student classification, 3) by student race/ethnicity, and 4) by civic organization where students participated.

Methodology for Measure 3.1 (Faculty Teaching Awards)

a) Expected Outcome Title:

Excellence in Teaching

b) Expected Outcome Statement:

The department faculty will be recognized for excellence in teaching.

c) Expected Outcome Type:

Administrative Outcome

d) Expected Outcome-Mission Alignment:

Teaching is central to the department’s mission as it is intended to facilitate learning of issues and concepts in the area of gender and women’s studies. It establishes a learning environment that provides opportunities for students to think, express their thoughts, and resolve issues.

e) Expected Outcome-Mission Alignment:

“Student Success: Support our students in achieving their academic goals in a timely manner and reaching their professional aspirations through excellent integrated learning experiences both in and out of the classroom.”

f) Measure Title:

Faculty Teaching Awards

g) Measure Description:

The measure used to evaluate the expected outcome is total number of teaching-related awards or recognition given to any department faculty member. This includes awards given by the University as well as external organizations.

h) Measure Type:

Direct

i) Assessment Data Collection Process:

The department chair will collect this data from self-reported curriculum vitas submitted annually in Digital Measures.

j) Data Collection Frequency and Timeline:

The expected outcome will be assessed during the spring of 2018. The results obtained in spring 2018 will be used to develop interventions that will be implemented by summer 2018. To evaluate the impact of interventions, the expected outcome will be re-assessed spring 2019. This cycle will be repeated until 2021.

k) Benchmark for Success:

The department faculty will receive an average of 3 teaching awards per year.

l) Measure-Expected Outcome Alignment:

Teaching awards and recognitions provide a metric of the extent to which faculty are being recognized for excellence in teaching. Thus, there is a clear alignment between the measure and the expected outcome.

m) Approach for Evaluation and Analysis

The department chair will evaluate self-reported teaching awards data provided by the program faculty. Data will be disaggregated by years of experience, subject expertise, and gender.

Comprehensive Assessment Plan Template with Examples (Part 2)

for Academic and Student Support Service Units

Directions. Use this short-form template to complete your Comprehensive Assessment Plan. For detailed instructions for each element of the template see Pages 3-4 in the 2017 Assessment Planning Guide.

I. Identify your unit’s mission and/or essential functions

a) Unit:

Academic Advising Center

b) Mission Statement:

The mission of the Academic Advising Center (ACC) is to empower and encourage students to take charge of their educational plans through collaborative efforts with university advisors and faculty. Academic advisors are committed to developing students’ educational, career, and life goals.

II. List all expected outcome statements and measure titles for 2017-2021 planning period

c) Expected Outcome Statements:

Expected Outcome (1):

The AAC will provide undergraduate students with ample academic advising services.

Expected Outcome (2):

The AAC will provide undergraduate students with a satisfactory academic advising experience.

Expected Outcome (3):

Incoming students will be able to identify the following academic policies: Academic Standing, Course Drop, Course Repeat, Excess Credit Hours.

d) Measure Titles:

Measure Title (1.1):

Advising Sessions

Measure Title (2.1):

Satisfaction Survey

Measure Title (3.1):

Blackboard Quiz

III. Describe the assessment methodology for measures used to evaluate expected outcomes

Methodology for Measure 1.1 (Advising Sessions)

a) Expected Outcome Title:

Advising Services

b) Expected Outcome Statement:

The AAC will provide undergraduate students with ample academic advising services.

c) Expected Outcome Type:

Administrative Outcome

d) Expected Outcome-Mission Alignment:

Providing advising services to the undergraduate student body is part of the unit’s essential functions and mission.

e) Expected Outcome- Organizational Alignment:

“Student Success: Support our students in achieving their academic goals in a timely manner and reaching their professional aspirations through excellent integrated learning experiences both in and out of the classroom.”

f) Measure Title:

Advising Sessions

g) Measure Description:

The measure used to evaluate the expected outcome is the total number of scheduled advising sessions during the past academic year.

h) Measure Type:

Direct

i) Assessment Data and Collection Process:

Data is from daily records of scheduled advising sessions compiled by academic advising staff. The director will aggregate monthly reports submitted by staff members into one annual report of total advising sessions.

j) Data Collection Frequency and Timeline:

Although advising session data will be collected daily, the information used to evaluate the expected outcome will be aggregated annually at the end of each spring semester. The expected outcome will be assessed during the spring of 2018. The results obtained in spring 2018 will be used to develop interventions that will be implemented by summer 2018. To evaluate the impact of interventions, the expected outcome will be re-assessed spring 2019. This cycle will be repeated until 2021.

k) Benchmark for Success:

The ACC expects to have 10,000 unique advising sessions during an academic year.

l) Measure-Expected Outcome Alignment:

Measuring the frequency of advising sessions provided by the ACC is an appropriate measure of the expected outcome because it a service provided to university students by the unit’s staff.

m) Approach for Evaluation and Analysis

The unit director will evaluate advising session records provided by all relevant staff. Data will be disaggregated by advisor, student status, semester timing (beginning, middle, end) and physical campus location (Edinburg vs. Brownsville) to identify when and where services are more frequent.

Methodology for Measure 2.1 (Satisfaction Survey)

a) Expected Outcome Title:

Satisfaction with Services

b) Expected Outcome Statement:

The AAC will provide undergraduate students with a satisfactory academic advising experience.

c) Expected Outcome Type:

Administrative Outcome

d) Expected Outcome-Mission Alignment:

The Academic Advising Center’s support services are intended to facilitate students’ timely progress toward their degrees. Positive advising experiences should be indicative that the unit is making progress toward its own mission.

e) Expected Outcome- Organizational Alignment:

“Student Success: Support our students in achieving their academic goals in a timely manner and reaching their professional aspirations through excellent integrated learning experiences both in and out of the classroom.”

f) Measure Title:

Satisfaction Survey

g) Measure Description:

Students who participate in an advising session will be asked to respond to the following statement: "My overall satisfaction with the academic advising session was 1) Very Dissatisfied, 2) Dissatisfied, 3) Neutral, 4) Satisfied, 5) Very Satisfied.”

h) Measure Type:

Indirect

i) Assessment Data and Collection Process:

Data is from students’ self-reported satisfaction with the advising sessions they attend. Responses will be centralized via Qualtrics, an online survey tool managed by the university. Surveys will be disseminated to students’ official email accounts no later than 24 hours following the scheduled advising session.

j) Data Collection Frequency and Timeline:

Daily survey responses will be pooled together at the end of each spring semester of the academic year. The outcome will be assessed during the spring of 2018. The results obtained in spring 2018 will be used to develop interventions that will be implemented by summer 2018. The expected outcome will be re-assessed spring 2019. This cycle will be repeated until 2021.

k) Benchmark for Success:

70 percent of students will report being “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with the advising sessions they attended.

l) Measure-Expected Outcome Alignment:

A satisfaction survey will be used to evaluate the expected outcome focused on students’ satisfaction with advising sessions.

m) Approach for Evaluation and Analysis

The unit director will evaluate the survey data provided by respondents. Data will be disaggregated by semester timing, status, major, race, and gender.

Methodology for Measure 3.1 (Blackboard Quiz)

a) Expected Outcome Title:

Academic Policy Knowledge

b) Expected Outcome Statement:

Incoming students will be able to identify the following academic policies: Academic Standing, Course Drop, Course Repeat, Excess Credit Hours.

c) Expected Outcome Type:

Student Learning Outcome

d) Expected Outcome-Mission Alignment:

To support students during key transition points of their undergraduate careers, it is imperative that the Academic Advising Center educate students about key academic policies.

e) Expected Outcome- Organizational Alignment:

“Student Success: Support our students in achieving their academic goals in a timely manner and reaching their professional aspirations through excellent integrated learning experiences both in and out of the classroom.”

f) Measure Title:

Blackboard Quiz

g) Measure Description:

A 10-question quiz will be used to evaluate the extent to which students can correctly identify five academic policies.

h) Measure Type:

Direct

i) Assessment Data and Collection Process:

The data collected will be responses to a 10-question quiz on academic policies that incoming students will be required to complete prior to registration. The data will be collected via Blackboard that will be automatically disseminated to each incoming student.

j) Data Collection Frequency and Timeline:

The data will be collected no later the last official registration day each academic semester. The outcome will be assessed during the spring of 2018. The results obtained in spring 2018 will be used to develop interventions that will be implemented by summer 2018. The expected outcome will be re-assessed spring 2019. This cycle will be repeated until 2021.

k) Benchmark for Success:

Average score of 70% of questions answered correctly.

l) Measure-Expected Outcome Alignment:

Quiz responses provide a metric of the extent to which students are can identify key academic policies established by the university. Thus, there is a clear alignment between the measure and the expected outcome.

m) Approach for Evaluation and Analysis

The online Blackboard quiz will be designed to automatically evaluate student responses using an answer key. Scores will be tallied as soon as students complete the assignment. The unit director will evaluate the pooled quiz scores each academic semester to determine the extent to which the benchmark was met. Data will be disaggregated in the following ways: by student classification, race/ethnicity, gender, and home campus.

Comprehensive Assessment Plan Template (Short-Form)

for Academic and Student Support Service Units

Directions. Use this short-form template to complete your Comprehensive Assessment Plan. For detailed instructions for each element of the template see Pages 3-4 of the 2017 Assessment Planning Guide.

I. Identify your unit’s mission and/or essential functions

a) Unit:

b) Mission Statement:

II. List all expected outcome statements and measure titles for 2017-2021 planning period

a) Expected Outcome Statements:

Expected Outcome (1):

Expected Outcome (2):

Expected Outcome (3):

Expected Outcome (4):

Expected Outcome (5):

Expected Outcome ( ):

[Include additional expected outcomes as needed]

b) Measure Titles:

Measure Title (1.1):

Measure Title (1.2):

Measure Title (1.3):

Measure Title (2.1):

[Include additional measure titles as needed]

III. Describe the assessment methodology for measures used to evaluate expected outcomes

Methodology for Measure 1.1

a) Expected Outcome Title:

b) Expected Outcome Statement:

c) Expected Outcome Type:

d) Expected Outcome-Mission Alignment:

e) Expected Outcome-Mission Alignment:

f) Measure Title:

g) Measure Description:

h) Measure Type:

i) Assessment Data Collection Process:

j) Data Collection Frequency and Timeline:

k) Benchmark for Success:

l) Measure-Expected Outcome Alignment:

m) Approach for Evaluation and Analysis

**Note: Complete the items in Section III above for subsequent expected outcomes and/or for additional measures utilized for the same expected outcome.

Step #1) Identify Expected Outcomes

Step #2) Select measures and benchmarks to evaluate the extent to which outcomes are achieved.

Step #4) Evaluate the extent to which outcomes are achieved.

Step #6) Close the Loop: Re-administer assessments and determine whether and how actions/decisions led to actual improvements.

Step #5) Use results to take actions/decisions intended to bring about continuous improvement.

Step #3) Identify systematic approach for collecting and evaluating assessment data.