Assessment Gathering September 12, 2006

Campus Assessment Network (CAN)

Notes from meeting of

January 9, 2008

The ninth meeting of the Campus Assessment Network (CA= N) was held Wednesday, January 9, 2008 at 3:00 p.m. in Campus Life 115.

Members present:

Michelle Bringas (Asian American Center), Carolinda Douglass, Karyn Higgs (Assessment Services), Paul Prabhaker, Sonja Herington (College of Business), Cassandra Maxwell-Simmons (College of Engineering), = Mary Pritchard (College of Health &= amp; Human Sciences), Sandi Carlis= le (Recreation Services), Michael Stang & Angela Branson (Residential Life, Housing & Dining), Amy Franklin (Student Affairs), Carrie Zack (Univers= ity Office of Teacher Certification), Rich Holly, Judy Chitwood (College of Vis= ual & Performing Arts), Guest: Donna Schoenfeld (Health Enhancement).

Announcements

NIU’s first Assessment Expo will be held March 7= ^th from 10:00 – 12:00 in the Holmes Student Center Heritage room. Ten ac= ademic programs with outstanding annual assessment updates will be recognized at t= he event. The Expo will feature speakers and a poster session highlighting successful assessment methods from these departments. Flyers will be sent o= ut and announcements posted in Northern Today.

Franklin announced that proposals are due on Feb15 for anyone interested in presenting at the&nbs= p; NASPA International Assessment at Retention conference in June. Information about the conference can be viewed at http://www.assessconf.net .

Update from the Higher Learning Commission Assessme= nt Workshop

A handout was distributed outlining some of the outcomes from the HLC Workshop in December. Goals from the 11/7 CAN meeting were integrated and strategies were generated for crea= ting a more positive culture of assessment, as well as a vision of what a positi= ve culture of assessment at NIU looks like.

Strategic Planning and Assessment at NIU=

Six assessment goals related to the strategic planning imperatives were generated at the 11/7 meeting.
Progress on some of the strategies for goal one were reviewed, and strategi= es for goals two and three were discussed. Comments, suggestions and action it= ems are listed for each strategy.

Goal 1- Increase visibility and transparency of assessment practices on the NIU

= campus.

Strategy 4- Create an Assessment Listserv or chat room

Douglass shared an example of an external assessment listserv called ASSESS. Archives

and instructions for subscri= bing are available at http://lsv.u= ky.edu/archives/assess.html .

· Determine if this should be available only i= nternally or externally as well.

· Investigate the requirements for creating a = listserv/chatroom.

Strategy 7- S= hare student assessment projects (e.g. CAHE course)

· Consider adding a student component to the A= ssessment Expo.

Strategy 8- H= ave a common message /recognizable nameplate/tagline/slogan -possibly a

marketing class project

· The College of Business has agr= eed to fund fifteen student led focus groups.

Strategy 9- Make faculty training available (some institutions have mandatory faculty

= training in assessment)

· Look at institutions which require or offer assessment training.

· Consider beginning a program of employee training in which we partner with other entities.

Goal 2- Increase access on the NIU campus to exemplary assessment practices and

= results both internal and external to the campus.<= /b>

Strategy 1- Listserv/= chatroom (see above)

<= o:p>

Strategy 2- Assessmen= t Expo

Strategy 3- Repository of exemplary assessment documents

·        Consider who determines what exemplary assessment is.

§   affairs who would determine = what is posted.

·        Website format or Blackboard? Stang will investigate technology possibilities.

·        Determine how access will be managed (availa= ble externally, to all NIU, or an intranet accessible to designated users).

·        Include external examples of exemplary asses= sment and links to other university’s assessment websites.

·        Provide guidelines describing the hallmarks = for exemplary assessment. Investigate to see if HLC or another organization has this sort of information already available.

·        How can we increase interest as well as incr= ease access?

§§§§§

Goal 3- Promote a positive culture of asse= ssment as an integral part of student

    success on the NIU cam= pus

·        Understand what the current culture is.

§§§

Discussion will continue= on goal three at the next meeting.

Further development of strategies for the six goals wi= ll continue at the next meeting which will be held for February 20, 2008 at 10= :00 am in Campus Life 115. The date for the following meeting has been set for Apr= il 23^rd at 10:00 am in Campus Life 115.

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