2007-ญ‐2008 Faculty Manual - Wittenberg University

Assessment:
INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT FOR ASSESSMENT
The President, the Provost, the Vice Presidents and the Board of Directors led in the development of an
institutional plan for Continuous Quality Improvement in 1991-­‐92. Subsequently, the Strategic Quality
Planning Committee composed of the executive staff, members of the faculty's executive board and the
executive committee of the board of directors, identified assessment of student academic achievement
as the chief academic component of the University's Continuous Quality Improvement Initiative. In a
January, 1994 strategic planning report to faculty, staff and board, President Kinnison stated:
Wittenberg's students' performance should be assessed with reference to the learning goals for
general education and for each major and with reference to the mission statement of the
University. Wittenberg student performance should be compared with that of students of
schools in our referent group. We should use such assessment information to improve
instructions and programs
Provost Greer's goals for the academic years 1994-­‐95 and 1995-­‐96, reviewed and approved by the
President, include statements about her responsibility for implementing an assessment plan. The
Provost is an ex officio member of the Faculty Committee on the Assessment of Student Academic
Achievement, and the Assistant Provost for Academic Programs provides staff assistance for the
committee.
In January, 1994 the Board of Directors approved the President's recommendation to allocate
approximately $225,000 over the next three years to support the course development and faculty
development necessary to realize the potential of the new general education program. In addition to
course development activities, these funds are being used to cover the costs of on-­‐campus workshops in
assessment and support faculty attendance at assessment conferences elsewhere. In June, 1995 the
Board of Directors Committee on Academic Affairs endorsed in principle this assessment plan.
The faculty Committee on Assessment, working especially with departments and inter-­‐departmental
programs and the Director of General Education, supported by the Provost and her staff, will lead the
implementation of the plan. To ensure the implementation, evaluation and improvement of
Wittenberg's assessment plan, the faculty Committee on Assessment has recommended: 1) that the
five-­‐year budget planning process incorporate annual allocations for assessment activities, as specified
in the assessment plan, and for continuing faculty development in assessment; and 2) that the
University appoint a qualified person to be responsible for institutional research as a significant portion
of the position assignment and that the appointment be accompanied by allocations of appropriate
equipment and reasonable office budget. It is understood that much of this person's energy would be
devoted to assisting in the collection of data and conducting analyses in support of assessment.
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