In the 2019-2020 academic year, Assessment Council is excited to welcome four student representatives to our ranks. Along with our student reps, the council consists of two representatives from each college, along with members from the Career Center, Computer Services, Diversity and Inclusion, General Education, the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning, Institutional Research, Magers Health and Wellness, Student Development and Public Affairs, and Student Engagement.
The best thing about Missouri State’s Assessment Council is the breaking of silos. Across campus, groups are working hard to better the university for our students. If you’re curious about what’s happening, review some of the departmental updates from our September 17 meeting below.
At the beginning of the year, the Division of Student Affairs identified and introduced the learning domain that all departments will review in the 2018-2019 academic year—communication. At their most recent planning and assessment meeting, they reviewed the NSSE report, specifically the questions directly pertaining to Student Engagement and will be sending follow-up questions to Dr. Franklin.
Student Government Association (SGA) is working on a Multi-Cultural Resource Group: location, fee, and content. They are also trying to collect views from campus community members through town halls and other similar initiatives.
The College of Education is preparing for review at the end of October, or early November and has developed a centralized committee of volunteers. Greenwood’s accreditation review (conducted last year) was approved. Having noted some weaknesses, they are developing plans for improvement.
Institutional Research is focusing on courses and programs: enrollment and empty seats, completion rates (pass/non-pass), and State and Federal accountability for funding.
The library is working on student success plans, collaborating with various colleges, gathering syllabi, and looking for gaps to fill with information literacy or research courses. They have also been awarded an Assessment Grant to incentivize two student leaders who will conduct focus groups to enable the library to best support MSU students specifically informing the Library’s textbook reserve and OER initiatives.
Chemistry is evaluating the program assessment plan and enacting changes to the degree plan. The Chemistry department is working to include qualitative data as well as quantitative to have a data-driven holistic approach.
Computer Services/Management Information Services is considering a new online web forms generator with more advanced capabilities than Microsoft Forms (included data analysis and various data download formats). Currently, MS forms and Mach forms are options available to the university community.