FACULTY SENATE MINUTES #13

SUNY CORTLAND GENERAL EDUCATION TRIENNIAL ASSESSMENT PLAN

2008/09 � 2010/11

�INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Starting in 2002/03, Cortland began a three-year assessment cycle of the SUNY GE knowledge, skill, and competency areas (SUNY College at Cortland 2004�2005 General Education Assessment Report).� We are now completing the second three-year assessment cycle (2005/06 � 2007/08), modifying some of the assessment tasks which were identified as �TBD � To Be Determined� in the 2005/06 � 2007/2008 Plan.

In Fall 2007, SUNY Cortland proposed to the chair of the SUNY GE Committee to modify the Spring 2008 General Education assessment in 5 areas:

�� GE 4 � United States History and Society

�� GE 8 � The Arts

�� GE 9 � Foreign Language

GE 10b. Basic Writing: Presentation Skills

GE Competency: Information Management

The changes to the assessment instruments and rubrics aimed to accomplish two goals:� 1) increase the validity of results, using the knowledge gained from the previous assessments in the GE categories; and 2) coordinate with the new GE Program introduced at SUNY Cortland in Fall 2007, which combines the SUNY and Cortland General Education programs.

l CHANGES TO ORIGINAL CAMPUS-BASED GENERAL EDUCATION

l ��ASSESSMENT PLAN 2008/09 - 2010/11

To increase the validity of General Education Assessment during the 2007-08 academic year (and the third year of our current 3-year cycle of GE Assessment), SUNY Cortland is modifying some of the assessment instruments and rubrics.� Our 2005-2008 General Education Assessment Plan, approved by SUNY System, identified �essays or TBD � To Be Determined� for the Assessment Instrument, and �Cortland rubric or TBD,� for the rubric in all five of the categories to be assessed this year (mentioned above).� The Assessment Plan noted that instruments and rubrics labeled as To Be Determined (TBD) �may be modified from the materials presented in the following pages based on ongoing development of these areas by ad hoc faculty groups.�� The learning outcomes and rubrics remain the same but the instruments for assessing the outcomes have been revised.� For GE 4, GE 8 and GE 10 faculty members were given the choice of using the previously approved essay exam or proposing an in-class exam or rating of a paper, presentation, project, portfolio, etc.� These assessment procedures require approval by the various subcommittees of GE faculty.� Any subjective assessment is checked for reliability by a second rater. In the instances when there is a discrepancy a third rater will be utilized.� The GE 9 subcommittee developed a set of assessment procedures for foreign language.� The GE categories that were not assessed this year will use the same procedures in the future.

The 2008/09 � 2010/2011 cycle of GE assessment at SUNY Cortland is built on the strengths of past GE assessment processes, as identified through the results of the ongoing assessment in GE categories and through self-assessment of our methodology for GE assessment.� The modified assessment process for the new three-year cycle is described below.�

The GE Committee and the office of Institutional Research and Assessment (IRA) developed this assessment plan, with input and support from ad hoc faculty groups, the Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, the Associate Provost for Academic Affairs, and the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.� Primary responsibility for implementation of the plan lies with the GE Committee and IRA, with support from the aforementioned administrative offices.� The Cortland Faculty Senate endorsed this plan on�� , 2008.�

A. Timetable

The order in which categories will be assessed in the proposed three-year cycle (Table 1) has been changed slightly from the previous cycle to encourage ongoing refinement of assessment instruments, particularly in some categories.� This procedure will also again be assessed in three years.� For example, GE 1 has not been assessed for more than five years due to the search for a satisfactory standardized instrument across SUNY schools.� It is now planned that mathematics, or �Quantitative Skills� here at SUNY Cortland, will be assessed in 2008/09.� Specifically, ad hoc faculty groups, the GE Committee and IRA are considering alternative measurement options and curricular issues.

Table 1.� Proposed GE Assessment Schedule

Proposed Assessment Date	General Education Category	Last Assessment Date

2008/09� (Spring (Administration)	GE 1 Quantitative Skills	2002/03
	GE 2� Natural Sciences	2005/06
	GE 3� Social Sciences	2005/06
	GE 5� Western Civilization	2005/06
	GE 6� Contrasting Cultures	2005/06

2009/10� (Spring)	GE 4� U.S. History and Society	2007/08
	GE 7�� Humanities	2005/06
	GE 10 Basic Communication: �� Writing	2006/07
	GE Competency Area: Critical �� Thinking	2006/07

2010/11� (Spring)	GE� 8� The Arts	2007/08
	GE� 9�� Foreign Language	2007/08
	GE 10 Basic Communication: �� Presentation Skills	2007/08
	GE Competency Area: �� Information Management	2007/08

B. Course Samples

IRA will continue to take responsibility for selecting the sample of courses to be included in the assessment.� The categories that are course-embedded will use a stratified random sampling procedure to ensure that the samples are representative of the population of students enrolled in GE courses in any semester.� Specifically, this will be a two-level process: (1) a course-level cluster sampling procedure will be used to identify 25% of courses per knowledge, skill, or competency area; (2) a stratified random sampling approach (stratified according to course level, class size, time of class, and course content) will be used to identify and assess at least 20% of all students taking courses in a GE category in the assessment semester.

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C. Implementation Procedures

The implementation has not changed and remains as follows.� During the semester prior to the assessment, IRA will notify all faculty scheduled to teach courses in a category that their course may be selected for assessment in the following semester.� The final sample of course sections to be assessed will be identified and notification sent to participating instructors, as well as chairs of departments, before the end of the fall semester prior to spring semester assessment.� This will provide faculty with lead time for inclusion of the assessment activity in course planning and syllabi, and will provide an opportunity to remind all faculty who teach courses in a GE category of that category�s learning outcomes.

Faculty will be required to participate in the assessment if selected, using one of the assessment methods identified by the ad hoc faculty group for that GE category.� Since most of the assessment tasks will be chosen by individual instructors and course-embedded, they will be integral to course requirements.� A major advantage is that students will give their best effort because the activity is part of course assessment and their final grade.� Faculty who choose the option to use an existing essay question as the assessment instrument will be strongly encouraged to give course credit or extra credit to their students for completing the activity.� IRA will be responsible for producing and distributing assessment materials, recruitment and training of groups of faculty to grade essay assessments, and coordinating the work of ad hoc faculty groups who will interpret the instructors� marks for application of the rubrics.

D. Validity and Reliability Indices

Validity and reliability information has been collected since the start of Cortland�s GE Assessment Program.� Expert opinion by faculty teaching in specific GE categories and ad hoc faculty groups will be used to assess face validity.� We expect that face validity will increase during this new three-year cycle, as faculty members are more directly involved in the process, as individual instructors can determine the assessment tasks and be part of faculty groups for each GE category, reviewing proposed assessment tasks and assessment results in their fields of specialization.�

E.� Assessment Instruments

Although standardized essay questions and rubrics have been a staple in the Cortland GE Assessment Program to date, the results of previous GE assessment tasks indicated that faculty groups for each GE category are likely to be able to improve upon the instruments and rubrics.� The changes this year are likely to include the use of multiple assessment tasks (non-standardized) that are course-embedded and already in use by instructors.� Essays in some GE categories will be replaced by more performance measures that are more valid and appropriate for the area, e.g., portfolios for assessment in GE 8 � The Arts and oral presentations for assessment in GE 10b. � Basic Communication: Presentation Skills.

The office of Institutional Research and Assessment (IRA) will assist in organizing the development of new assessment tools.� IRA will continue to provide support for the collection, collation, and analysis of the results and be responsible for submitting the GE Summary Reports to SUNY by September 1, 2008.� The final reports will include information about the program improvements made as the result of the previous assessment for the specific GE category as well as a description of the deviations made from the GE Assessment Plan that has been reviewed and approved by the General Education Assessment and Review (GEAR) group.

F.� Assessment of the Campus Academic Environment

The primary mechanism for assessing the campus academic environment will be the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE).� As part of Strengthened Campus-Based Assessment (SCBA), NSSE was administered by SUNY System during the Spring Semester 2008 for the first time at SUNY Cortland.� NSSE will be given on a regular bi-annual basis.�

G.� Dissemination, Reporting, and Evaluation of Process

At SUNY Cortland, the General Education Committee is comprised of faculty representation for each sub-division of the College and serves as a standing committee of the Faculty Senate. The GE Committee reviews, endorses and approves the GE assessment procedures for the College to assure best practices exist. The Committee meets bi-weekly and relies on the administrative structure and responsibilities of the office of IRA in carrying out all tasks of the Committee. Such tasks include, but are not restricted to sampling procedures, implementation of assessment procedures, analysis of results, and assessment reporting. The office of Institutional Research and Assessment conducts all General Education assessment tasks with the approval and support of the GE Committee. The success and viability of the GE Assessment Plan at SUNY Cortland is dependent on the cooperation and coordination between the entire College faculty, GE Committee, and office of Institutional Research and Assessment.

The office of Institutional Research and Assessment (IRA) will be responsible for analyzing the results of the assessment and for reporting the results to SUNY System in the Annual Summary Reports.� At all stages of dissemination, data will be treated in aggregate form and anonymity of students, faculty members, and courses will be maintained.

Appendix I:� Cortland Rubric Used for all General Education Categories

CORTLAND RUBRIC ALIGNED WITH SUNY REPORTING CATEGORIES
Reporting Category	Not Meeting Standard	Approaching Standard		Meeting Standard	Exceeding Standard
Cortland Rubric	1	2	3	4	5	6
Standard	Provides minimal or no evidence of understanding; makes no connections between Goals, Assumptions, & Objectives of the GE Category; and makes unclear or unwarranted connections to the assigned task.	Conveys a confused or inaccurate understanding of the course material; alludes to the Goals, Assumptions, & Objectives of the GE Category but makes unclear or unwarranted connections to the assigned task.	Conveys a basic understanding of the course material; makes few or superficial connections between the Goals, Assumptions, & Objectives of the GE Category and the assigned task.	Conveys a basic understanding of the course material; makes implicit connections between the Goals, Assumptions, & Objectives of the GE Category and the assigned task.	Conveys a thorough understanding of the course material; makes clear and explicit connections between the Goals, Assumptions, & Objectives of the GE Category and the assigned task.	Reveals an in-depth analysis of the course material; makes insightful connections between the Goals, Assumptions, & Objectives of the GE Category and the assigned task.

Appendix 2:� Student Learning Outcomes for Each General Education

Category

GE 2 (and GE 12).� Natural Sciences

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students will demonstrate: 1.) an understanding of the methods scientists use to explore natural phenomena, including observation, hypothesis development, measurement and data collection, experimentation, evaluation of evidence, and employment of mathematical analysis; 2.) knowledge of the principles of one or more of the natural sciences; and 3.) the application of scientific data, concepts and models in one or more of the natural sciences and relate the relevant technology and principles they have studies to modern life.

GE 3.� Social Sciences

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students will demonstrate: 1.) an understanding of the methods social scientists use to explore social phenomena, including observation, hypothesis development, measurement and data collection, experimentation, evaluation of evidence, and employment of mathematical and interpretive analysis; 2.) knowledge of major concepts, models and issues of at least one discipline in the social sciences.

GE 4.� United States History and Society

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students will demonstrate: 1.) knowledge of a basic narrative of American history such as: political, economic, social, and cultural, including knowledge of unity and diversity in American society; 2.) an understanding of common institutions in American society and how they have affected different groups (including ethnic minorities and women); 3.) an understanding of America�s evolving relationship with the rest of the world; and 4.) an understanding of the American Republic by examining relationships among the state, intermediary institutions, and civil society.

GE 5.� Western Civilization

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students will be able to: 1.) describe within an historical context major Western political, geopolitical, economic, social, and/or intellectual developments; 2.) analyze the relationship between the development of ideas and historical change in Western and other regions of the world; and 3.) discuss distinctive features of contemporary Western civilization in terms of such areas as history, institutions, economy, society and culture.

GE 6.� Contrasting Cultures

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students will be able to: 1.) demonstrate an understanding of the distinctive features of the history, institutions, economy, society, culture, etc., of one non-Western civilization; 2.) compare and/or contrast another contemporary culture or other contemporary cultures with the dominant themes of U.S. culture; and 3.) demonstrate an understanding of cultural differences in world views, traditions, cultural institutions, values, social systems, languages and means of communication.

GE 7.� Humanities

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students will: 1.) be able to critically respond to works in the humanities; 2.) be able to discuss major human concerns as they are treated in the humanities; and 3.) demonstrate an understanding of the conventions and methods of at least one area in the humanities.

GE 8.� The Arts

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students will demonstrate an understanding of: 1.) at least one principal form of artistic expression and the creative process inherent therein; and 2.) the significance of artistic expression in past and/or present civilizations.

GE 9.� Foreign Language

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students will demonstrate: 1.) basic proficiency in the understanding and use of a foreign language; and 2.) an understanding of the distinctive features of culture(s) associated with the language they are studying.

10b. Basic Communication: Presentation Skills

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students will: 1.) develop proficiency in oral discourse; and 2.) demonstrate the ability to evaluate an oral presentation according to established criteria.

GE Competency 2:� Information Management

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students will: (a) perform the basic operations of personal computer use; (b) understand and use basic research techniques; and (c) locate, evaluate, and synthesize information from a variety of sources.

http://www.cortland.edu/senate/minutes/0708min15.html

l APPENDIX 1

l GENERAL EDUCATION ASSESSMENT PLAN

l 2008/09 � 2010/11

l April 2008

� TABLE OF CONTENTS