VII. UW–Madison Campus-Based Assessment Resources VIII. Conclusion Appendix A Appendix B VII. UW–MADISON CAMPUS-BASED ASSESSMENT RESOURCESA number of campus-based organizations and offices have been instrumental in assisting departments in developing appropriate assessment programs and methodologies for assessing student learning in the major. They include:Testing and Evaluation (T&E)
Testing and Evaluation (T&E) has worked with numerous departments including Educational Psychology, French and Italian, German, Spanish and Portuguese, Mathematics, and Electrical Engineering to devise tests and methods for collecting essential data used for analyzing the effectiveness of courses and student progression. Contact Allan Cohen for more information at (608) 262-5863. The University of Wisconsin Survey Center (UWSC) has been very active in assisting departments in developing student surveys to measure student achievement and satisfaction. Since 1993 UWSC has worked with faculty and administrators to conduct a campus-wide survey of undergraduate student satisfaction. During the forthcoming year, UWSC in planning on conducting a pilot alumni survey that will provide valuable information for preliminary discussions about developing a larger, more comprehensive alumni survey. Contact James Sweet, Director, for more information at (608) 262-2182. The Office of Quality Improvement (OQI) assists departments with designing assessment processes and particularly to help faculty identify desired student learning outcomes. OBI stresses using assessment processes as a tool to link student learning to future strategic and curricular planning. Contact Kathleen Paris for more information at (608) 263-6856. The Office of the Provost works collaboratively with the University Assessment Council to provide assistance to departments developing assessment strategies. In the Office of the Provost, discipline-specific assessment data are kept as a resource for faculty inquiring about assessment techniques, costs, and benefits from other comparable departments and institutions. Also, based on proposals submitted by representatives of the University Assessment Council, the Office of the Provost has made available financial assistance to those departments in the developmental stages of assessment. To apply for these resources, departments submit assessment proposals to their School or College representative on the University Assessment Council. For questions, or additional information, contact Mo Noonan Bischof in the Provost's Office at (608) 262-5246 or at mabischof@wisc.edu. VIII. CONCLUSIONSOutcomes assessment is a valuable and integral part of programmatic improvement and review. It has the potential to impact students and faculty members in academic units throughout campus. As programs devise and incorporate assessment practices into on-going curricular structures, faculty will acquire useful information about student learning that may support existing educational practices or demonstrate that necessary changes need to occur.In order for assessment plans to be effective, faculty must work collaboratively to develop strategies that fit with the educational missions, goals, and objectives of the department. There are no simple approaches to developing effective and efficient assessment plans. Reliable assessment programs often take years to perfect and to begin producing the type of results anticipated by committed faculty. It is hoped that the techniques outlined in this manual will be of assistance as staff of this institution implement a successful assessment program. Appendix AUNIVERSITY ASSESSMENT COUNCILAppendix BDeveloping an Assessment Plan in the Major*
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