AASCU Academic Affairs Winter Meeting San Antonio, TX 2012

1. From Despair to Too Much Fun:Creating a CampusAccreditation/Assessment CultureDr. Vernon G. MilesProvost and Vice President for Academic AffairsHenderson State University AASCU Academic Affairs Winter Meeting San Antonio, TX 2012

2. This presentation will address HSU’s transformation from a university with no assessment plan to one with a multi-faceted, comprehensive plan (including Assessment Team initiatives, program plans, an Assessment Team Assessment Plan, a new Strategic Plan, and a University Assessment Plan). The Assessment Team’s low-cost initiatives have created an institutional culture of accreditation and assessment that can be replicated at almost any institution.

3. Metamorphosis of Assessment at Henderson State University • From State of Relative Assessment Emptiness, Vacuum (2001) • To Stage of Some Fulfillment (2007) • To Current Stage of Quite Complete Fullness, Recent Successes (2012)

4. Higher Learning Commission and HSU • 2001 Higher Learning Commission Peer Review Team visited Henderson State U • Examined Assessment Campus Wide • Found Little to No Evidence of Assessment • Found No Accessible Assessment Plan • Conclusion: NO Comprehensive Assessment of Student or Other Outcomes • Recommended Focused Visit (2007)

5. 2001 HLC Peer Review Team Statement “It is unclear why, when faced with increasing pressure from the Higher Learning Commission, the State of Arkansas, and professional accreditation bodies, Henderson State has not devoted the necessary time, energy, and resources to address the assessment issue and demonstrate progress in the assessment of student learning.”

6. 2001 HLC Peer Review Team Statement “Equally puzzling is the fact that Henderson’s Assessment Plan, apparently approved by the NCA, could not be located during the site team visit.” “The failure to consider assessment as an initiative in the Bold Strokes planning process adds to the mystery.” “Little to no progress has been made on the development of a campus wide assessment plan. A systematic plan of data collection and analysis addressing the core values of the institution is required for ongoing accreditation.”

7. 2001 HLC Team’s Recommendation: Focused Visit in the Spring of 2007!

8. HSU Actions Prior to the Focused Visit • December 2001: President presented findings to Board of Trustees, including comments on importance of outcomes assessment • December 2001: President asked for funds to hire full-time coordinator of assessment • Director of Assessment position included in 2002-03 budget • March 2003: Director of Assessment Hired • Spring 2003: Office of Assessment and Institutional Research created

9. Actions Prior to 2007 Focused Visit • August 2003: University Assessment Team Established • Student Outcomes Assessment is topic of Fall 2003 Back-to-School faculty/staff meeting • October 2003-May 2005: Director of Assessment conducts numerousworkshops, training sessions, and presentations to various HSU faculty and staff groups • Fall 2003: HSU University Assessment Plan created; revised periodically through Spring 2005 • June 2005: University Assessment Team attends AAHE/HLC Chicago Assessment Workshop

10. Actions Prior to 2007 Focused Visit • Summer 2005: HSU purchased TracDat software for assessment management • Early Fall 2005: Assessment Team panel discussion during Back-to-School session • Fall 2005: Assessment Director & Team conduct 12 TracDat training sessions for 22 faculty members & 39 staff members • Spring 2006: 12 two-hour training sessions of three different types (developing a plan; collecting & analyzing data for change; refresher course)

11. Actions Prior to 2007 Focused Visit 2004-2006 • Assessment/IR Budget allocations increased • Faculty & Staff development on assessment & related topics financed • A number of consultants brought to campus • On-campus workshops increased: 34 workshops attended by 569 faculty & staff members • “Closing the Loop” documents created Result: Assessment Plans Developed in a Number of Areas of the University

12. February 2007 Focused Visit Results “Evidence sufficiently demonstrated. No Commission follow-up recommended.” “Henderson State University made a financial and moral commitment to do whatever was necessary to build assessment activities and protocols that would enable it to address effectively the concerns of the Higher Learning Commission…. It was apparent that faculty, staff, and students are talking about assessment methods, problems, and opportunities and that the start of a culture committed to assessment is present.”

13. February 2007 Focused Visit Results:Items Needing Further Attention • More understanding of how to write a student learning outcome by all (one department listed the creation of a new major as a student learning outcome) • Too many areas attempting to rely on “grades earned or course(s) passed” for their assessment of student learning • More student learning objectives based on competencies and/or skill-development needed

14. Too many departments still just identifying outcomes and measurement methods • Need for more objective measures of student learning across departments campus wide • More baseline data needed by too many departments, especially ones not collecting it for outside professional accreditation bodies • Lack of evidence of “closing the loop” for the following reasons: lack of sufficient data to analyze; lack of time to analyze data that does exist; lack of attention to analysis of data

15. Since the 2007 Focused Visit: Creating an Accreditation/Assessment Culture • Change in Administration: VP for Academic Affairs retires in January 2008 (interim serves until October); President retires in July 2008 • New Presidential Search at HSU; new VP search • Dr. Charles Welch takes office July 2008 • Dr. Vernon Miles arrives October 2008 as HSU’s first Provost • January 2009 administrative re-structuring: Assessment and IR placed under Provost’s Office

16. Accreditation/Assessment Culture • Provost charged with “supporting the faculty” • Provost joins Assessment Team as permanent Ex-Officio member • All assessment plans reviewed and ranked (1-4, with 1 being “inadequate”) • All departments with plans ranking of “1” were asked to complete assessment training session with members of Assessment Team over Spring 2009 • Provost helps conduct these training sessions

17. Accreditation/Assessment Culture • Assessment Team volunteers to meet bi-weekly through the HLC Peer Review visit • Current September 2009 members agree to stay on Assessment Team through February 2012 HLC visit • Enhanced Assessment Newsletter created; Provost and Team members write feature articles • Assessment Quick Reference Guide created: assessment cycle, plan components, 6 steps

18. Assessment Quick Reference Guide • Step 1: Mission Statement • Step 2: Goals (Extended Statement of Purpose) • Step 3: Learning Outcomes/Objectives • Step 4: Measures or Methods • Step 5: Collect and Summarize Data/Results • Step 6: Use Results (“Closing the Loop”)

19. Accreditation/Assessment Culture • Pre-HLC visit Campus Climate Survey conducted—over 1,000 responses • Arts & Sciences representation on Team expanded by two members—all schools now significantly represented on Team • Student representation on Team expanded • All Non-Academic Unit mission statements reviewed • Continued meetings with academic units in early Spring 2010—Team members conduct these with Director of Assessment and Provost

20. Accreditation/Assessment Culture • April 2010: Funding granted for recognition of academic and non-academic unit successes in assessment (luncheon and plaque presentation) • August 2010: Additional review of all unit plans complete; units still receiving “inadequate” ratings meet with Assessment Team members • Rubric for selection of Assessment Excellence Award recipients developed • November 2010: Athletics receives non-academic unit Award; Computer Science receives academic department Award

21. Accreditation/Assessment Culture October 2010-November 2011 • Assessment Team meeting minutes distributed campus wide • University Assessment Plan reviewed and revised significantly • Assessment Team Handbook revised • Assessment Team Assessment Plan created • Sample Rubrics for common learning goals created • Team unanimously endorsed HLC self-study • Faculty Senate votes in support of University Assessment Plan

22. Accreditation/Assessment Culture Recent Success: Assessment Web Site Created • Assessment Plan for Assessment Team posted • Assessment Team Minutes posted • Assessment Procedures • History of Assessment at HSU with Timeline • Bios of all Team Members on web site • Assessment Planning Guide on web • All Assessment Plans posted

23. Accreditation/Assessment Culture Recent Success: Assessment Web Site Created • Assessment Evaluation Instruments: Evaluation Rubric; Annual Award Recipients posted • Assessment at a Glance Handout posted 3-5 Goals 1 Outcome/objective for each goal 2 Measures for each outcome/goal • TracDat information • Training Presentations • University Assessment Plan

24. Conclusion • Empower your Assessment Team through your presence, periodically if not continually • Support the Team’s efforts visibly and convincingly, no matter how fruitless the support may appear at the time • Lend them your “teeth” in getting the cooperation of others • Finance their efforts • Praise them widely and often

25. HSU Assessment Mission The Office of Assessment provides support for continuous program and unit improvement for all areas by offering various activities including training and education workshops on assessment and what is expected in the preparation for instructional and program accreditation. The assessment program will insure that the university is fostering the maximum growth and development needed by students. The program will allow for the Office of Assessment to gather data on students’ ability to think logically and critically, speak and write effectively, level of mastery of a field of study and other attributes needed to gauge the success of the university and its programs and/or departments.

26. HSU Assessment Vision The Office of Assessment will work closely with administrators, faculty, staff, and students to provide assessment and process improvement support to academic and administrative units. The assessment program will allow improvement in all academic and department units to position HSU as a top university for student learning, not only in Arkansas, but also in the country.

27. Assessment Goals *To oversee institutional reporting in response to questionnaires and other non-routine requests for information from state, federal, and other external agencies *To facilitate continuous quality improvement in the academic and administrative educational support units of the university *To provide data and interpretation to external constituencies on issues related to the University *To provide decision-support research and analysis to facilitate the University's planning process and associated program review, accreditation, benchmarking, and outcomes assessment activities*To plan, implement, analyze, summarize results, and disseminate reports for institution-wide surveys*To work with other units to increase cooperation and coordination of assessment on campus *To maintain a level of expertise in higher education assessment through staff development activities *To engage in outreach activities

28. Questions? Comments? Dr. Vernon G. Miles, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Henderson State University Arkadelphia, AR vmiles@hsu.edu Please email me for copy of PowerPoint Google: http://www.hsu.edu/assessment Click on University Assessment Team