The
assessment of student learning has been and continues to be a major
institutional focus of Syracuse University. From its beginnings, a major
part of the mission of SU has been to promote high quality student
learning. The Assessment Coordination Committee (ACC), the
All-University Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Committee (AUSLOAC),
the University Assessment Committee (UAC), and the Center for the
Support of Teaching and Learning (CSTL) have all worked at different
times and in different capacities to assess the effectiveness of
teaching and learning at the University. Most recently the Office of
Institutional Research and Assessment (OIRA) was formed, in part, to
provide a central location for the continued coordination of
university-wide assessment.
Beginning in
1991 SU adopted mission and vision statements that prioritized teaching,
research, and student learning. In 1992 Chancellor Shaw called for the
establishment of an assessment effort to identify programs that were
superior in quality and those that needed improvement. During 1992 and
1993 expert consultants, seminars, newsletters, and workshops were
sponsored by the Assessment Coordinating Committee to provide
information and guidance to faculty. From 1993-1995 assessment proposals
were granted to individual faculty members for the purpose of assessing
student learning in their courses.
Involvement in assessment had been voluntary, and by spring of 1995
volunteers were fewer in number and a new strategy was necessary to
continue and to expand the assessment efforts. From 1995-1997 assessment
of student learning was broadened to be the responsibility of groups of
faculty and entire programs and “block grants” were provided to assist
these efforts. Also, during 1996 and 1997 “pilot” programs identified
expected student learning outcomes. This focus allowed schools and
colleges to broaden their assessment horizons and experiment with the
use of various assessment measures.
Assessment of student learning broadened further in 1997 when Vice
Chancellor Vincow revised the guidelines for the assessment initiative.
He proposed sixteen learning outcomes and four levels of assessment
including individual courses, majors, programs, and all-university
baccalaureate outcomes. Vincow also concluded that assessment should not
be conducted for the sole purpose of accountability reporting, but for
determining if Syracuse University is meeting the specifications of the
formative student learning outcomes.
One of
the most critical assessment endeavors at SU was the creation of AUSLOAC
in 1997 under Chancellor Shaw, which served to systematically consider
learning goals and student achievement. Recognizing that the adoption of
institutional outcomes would be difficult given our diverse programs,
this faculty-led group shifted the focus to the development of outcomes
within individual schools and colleges. This effort also recognized the
need to integrate faculty assessment of student learning with the
requirements of the various accrediting agencies. AUSLOAC assumed
responsibility for facilitating a campus discussion concerning
appropriate learning outcomes based on courses, majors, and minors
within schools and colleges. This was the initial step for Syracuse
University to evaluate professional and personal development of students
inside and outside the classroom on a large scale.
AUSLOAC’s
mission was modified slightly in 2001 under the newly formed University
Assessment Council (UAC), providing further coordination of campus
efforts to enhance learning outcomes. The Council expanded its operation
beyond undergraduate assessment to include graduate student learning and
research. The UAC worked to develop strategies for schools and colleges
to meet accreditation requirements, as well as to develop and revise
mission statements and assessment plans for individual units.
Furthermore, the UAC served as a forum in which units could share best
practices and discuss critical implementation issues. As AUSLOAC had
done previously, the UAC made recommendations for program and
institutional improvement based on assessment findings. Each dean
appointed an assessment coordinator to serve on the UAC. The assessment
coordinators assist the faculty within their school or college to
develop and to implement the assessment of student learning. Since
2006, the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment (OIRA) has
become the primary operating agency for coordination of university-wide
assessment. The OIRA staff have developed assessment templates and
guidelines and meet at least annually with the assessment coordinators
to provide feedback on the program’s assessment plans and the
implementation of those plans.
References
All-University Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Committee. (2001,
February). Syracuse University Student Learning Outcomes Assessment
White Paper.
Center for the Support of Teaching and Learning. (2006, February 24).
Assessment of Student Learning. Retrieved November 3, 2006 from
http://cstl.syr.edu/cstl2/Home/Assessment%20of%20Student%20Learning/200000.htm
Center for the Support of Teaching and Learning. (2000) What’s
AUSLOAC: Assessment at Syracuse University. Retrieved November 3,
2006 from
http://cstl.syr.edu/ausloac/What.html
Syracuse University. (1998, January 15). A Report to the Commission
on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and
Schools. Retrieved September 20, 2007 from
http://middlestates.syr.edu/MS_Reports/MiddleStatesReport1998.pdf
