Attachment B
Faculty Senate Agenda
April 10, 2002

GENERAL EDUCATION ASSESSMENT:

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Background:

In the past, in keeping with General Education policy, GE courses were to be evaluated for evidence of meeting the criteria for the appropriate GE area. The process involved a five-year cycle. One GE area was to be assessed each year over a period of 5 years.

Area B was reviewed in 2000-2001. The review was a two-part process. The first part occurred in the fall. Course syllabi were collected. The General Education Course Review Subcommittee compared the syllabi content to the original course proposal and to the GE criteria for the specific area. Courses that were deemed noncompliant were recommended to the General Education Policies/Graduation Requirements C for removal from GE.

The second part of the process was completed in the spring. The GEP/GRC developed a course outcome assessment questionnaire and faculty administered it to all GE classes in area B. The results were returned to the department with comments. The GEP/GRC committee then examined the questionnaire results.

In 2000-2001 the Faculty Senate approved the creation of a task force to develop expected outcomes for each GE area. A General Education Area Coordinator Task force was convened by the Faculty Coordinator of Assessment. This group of coordinators developed outcomes for each of the GE Area criteria then worked with Area faculty to gain consensus with the outcome statements. This academic year the coordinators are helping faculty identify strategies to assess the area outcomes.

In order to bring GE assessment into line with CSU and CSUS expectations for assessment, we need to make the transition from evaluating if area criteria are met to assessing that desired learning outcomes are occurring. Area C courses were reviewed in fall 2001. Departments submitted course syllabi in the fall. As usual, these were evaluated for meeting Area criteria. This spring, for the second part of the process, departments with General Education courses in Area C are required to describe how they are assessing outcomes in their GE courses. Departments were also asked to develop an assessment tool and inform the GE Coordinator of their intention to supply the results of their assessment to the GEP/GRC and a to provide a description of the strategy. The GE Course Review committee will review the strategies and results.

Beginning in the academic year 2002-2003 the following process will be used to assess the GE Areas. All graduation and general education requirements will be assessed on the basis of University level student learning outcomes that are currently being developed.

General Education Assessment Policy and Procedures

In a five-year cycle, each area in turn, starting with Area D in 2002-2003 will follow the process described below:

Fall Semester

• For all courses offered in the selected GE Area , departments must submit a course syllabus and an assessment plan to the General Education Faculty Coordinator describing strategies used to assess each outcome or group of outcomes for the Area. The expected GE outcomes and assessment strategies also need to be identified in the course syllabus. (Note: for multiple section courses a coordinator must be appointed.). The course syllabus and assessment plan will be reviewed by the General Education Course Review Subcommittee
  
• Outcome strategies will need to meet the approval of both the G E Faculty Coordinator and the GE Course Review Subcommittee.

Spring Semester

• After approval, departments/course faculty (coordinator if multiple sections) will submit course assessment summary forms to the GE Coordinator. These forms will include the following information (see attached sample summary form):

1. Course and section information, and coordinator if more than one.
   

2. For each area outcome the report will include:

• A brief description of the method(s) of assessment used.
• A report of the percentage of students achieving the outcome at various levels.
• A description of any changes planned or made on the basis of assessment findings.
• Plans for collecting data over the next five-year period.

• Assessment summary reports will be reviewed by the General Education Course Review Committee. The committee will aggregate information about the outcomes reported across areas and make recommendations for change or modifications to courses/programs and to the GE Coordinator. Any concerns about assessment results will be referred to the GEP/GRC.
  
• General Education Coordinator Role:

• Planning and implementing General Education Assessment in collaboration with the Senate GEP/GRC and the General Education Course Review Subcommittee
• Summarizing outcome assessment and making recommendations to the Senate through the GEP/GRC.
• Collaborate with Faculty Assessment Coordinator to provide assistance to departments in selecting and using assessment strategies.