Assessment FAQs - Truman State University

Frequently Asked Questions

(page under development)

QUESTIONS:
Question #1: I give grades to my students every semester. Why isn't that considered part of the assessment program? Don't grades measure achievement and outcomes?
Question #2: What do we do with all the data we collect?
Question #3: How are assessment data disseminated on campus?
Question #4: How are major programs assessed?
Question #5: How is the general education program (Truman's Liberal Studies Program or LSP) assessed?
Question #6: Who is in charge of the Assessment Program at Truman?
Question #7: When did Truman's Assessment Program begin?
Question #8: What assessment instruments are all Truman students required to take?
Question #9: I'm a student. Where do I go to register for my senior test?

ANSWERS:
Answer #1: MORE...
Answer #2: There are many ways that assessment data are used at Truman, but the primary use is to inform decisions. The Analysis and Reporting Group (ARG) of the Vice President's Advisory Committee on Assessment is currently using data from the CSEQ, GSQ, and CIRP to answer questions of University importance on student engagement, retention, and the University mission. Some recipients of the Scholarship of Assessment Grants use existing assessment data in their research. [Click here to read the results of the Assessment Grants.] The Undergraduate Council is heading a review project of Truman's Liberal Studies Program, which includes extensive use of University assessment data to assess learning outcomes in the Essential Skills, Modes of Inquiry, and Interconnecting Perspectives. [Click here to read some LSP reports.] Data from the assessment instruments are published annually in the three-volume Assessment Almanac. [Click here to read the Almanac.]
Answer #3: Every summer during the Master Plan and Assessment Workshop, representatives from each discipline and the division heads receive data concerning their discipline. The data include indicators from the University Master Plan. The discipline representative are then asked to share the data with their colleagues. The Assessment Almanac is also a primary method of disseminating data. The Almanac is posted online and hard copies are distributed to division offices, to the Library, and to Assessment Committee members. The Almanac is three volumes. Volume I contains an overview and philosophy of the Assessment Program. Volume II contains a summary of the results of each assessment instrument. Volume III (only available online) contains the full data sets for several of the Assessment Program's surveys. Furthermore, there are presentations by faculty, staff, and administrators during the Master Plan and Assessment Workshop, the University Conference (held once a year in the spring), and the Assessment Colloquium that use assessment data.
Answer #4: Major programs at Truman are assessed primarily during the five-year review, which is required by Truman and by the State. During any given year, 20% of Truman's programs are undergoing their five-year reviews. Many elements of the Assessment Program are incorporated into the review, including senior test results and questions from the Graduating Student Questionnaire. Demographic information, course syllabi, the curriculum, student satisfaction rates, graduate school placement rates and employment rates, and much more are all combined to create a holistic picture of the major program. External reviewers from outside the University and from separate programs within the University thoroughly examine the program.
Additionally, the University requires yearly Discipline Action Plans (DAP)/Continuous Improvement Plans from each of the disciplines on campus. The DAPs are for internal use only, but they help faculty prepare for the five-year review. Each year, the contents of the DAP are modified for a specific goal. For instance, the 2004-2005 DAPs required faculty to submit updates to their program outcomes, matrix (which matches their courses to the learning outcomes), future directions, and teaching methods. In the past, the DAP was used to update the University Master Plan through the Strategic Planning Advisory Committee. Some results from the 04-05 DAP were posted on Truman's discipline assessment website, http://disciplineassessment.truman.edu/, which is accessible by Truman faculty, staff, and students only.
Answer #5: The LSP assessment is led by the Undergraduate Council. Committees of faculty work together to examine assessment data, course syllabi, and student work produced in the LSP courses. MORE...
Answer #6: The Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA). Individual programs are overseen by various faculty and staff (see contact information). The Vice President's Advisory Committee on Assessment serves as an advisory body to the VPAA on assessment issues.
Answer #7: In the mid-1970s. Former President Charles McClain was instrumental in the Program's inception and philosophy. MORE...
Answer #8: Freshmen are required to take the Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) survey. Juniors are required to take either the Collegiate Assessment of Academic Proficiency (CAAP) or the Academic Profile. Students enrolled in the Junior Interdisciplinary Seminar course must also complete the College Student Experience Questionnaire (CSEQ). Seniors must take the Graduating Student Questionnaire (GSQ) and their respective senior test.
Answer #9: The Assessment and Testing Office in Violette Hall 1130, or you can call 785-4140 or e-mail tests4u@truman.edu.