Services

Classroom Assessment Working Groups. For faculty interested in assessment, our office can lead a working group over multiple meetings. Theses groups become familiar with the techniques in Tom Angelo and Patricia Cross' book, Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Teachers. Participants design techniques for their classes and share information about how the techniques are working. Back to Top

Conducting Assessment Workshops. If a department or group of faculty is interested in particular assessment related topics, our office can develop a workshop to share information about those topics. We also conduct workshops that provide an overview of assessment techniques. Back to Top

Conducting Focus Groups. Getting information from a small number of individuals can often be very helpful. Our staff has experience designing and conducting focus groups. We can also work with you to design a set of questions, conduct the focus group, and summarize the results. Back to Top

Conducting Interviews. Our office can help you design a set of interview questions. We can also conduct, record, and transcribe the interviews, as well as summarize the results. Back to Top

Creating and Administering Standardized Tests. We can assist you in creating, administering, and analyzing results from standardized tests. We can also help with the selection and use of commercially available standardized tests. Back to Top

Creating and Managing Portfolios. Many departments have expressed interest in developing portfolios as a vehicle to collect information. We can help you create a plan for collecting portfolios, and we can help you develop a rating scheme to evaluate the information you collect. Back to Top

Creating Department Assessment Plans. Our office can help you develop or revise an assessment plan for your department. Creating an individualized plan will help the department sort out goals and select appropriate assessment techniques. It will also help you develop an appropriate time frame for your activities and a review process for using results. Back to Top

Designing Survey Instruments. Our office can help you design and administer assessment surveys. We can even assist with scannable forms and on-line surveys. Back to Top

Managing and Analyzing Data. Many departments have asked us to help them with data analyses related to assessment or institutional projects. In addition to designing surveys and other instruments, our office can help with coding data, entering data, and generating statistical reports. We can also assist with analyzing qualitative data. Back to Top

Providing Extracts from University Surveys. The university regularly surveys freshmen, sophomores, graduating seniors, and alumni. Typical response rates are around 50% to 60%. For most programs, there are sufficient numbers of respondents to generate separate reports by program. We can also combine student responses from multiple years to create department specific reports. Back to Top

Providing Institutional Data. Accrediting reviews, internal program reviews, grant applications, and questionnaires often ask for institutional data. Our office maintains historical records on many aspects of departments. These records include counts of majors, average class size, and faculty information. We can provide this data to you. We can also extract data that describes your students such as class level distribution, GPA, retention rates, and graduation rates. Back to Top

Additional Support Back to Top

Support for Assessment Related Travel. Many faculty are interested in learning more about assessment and would like to attend national or regional conferences that focus exclusively on assessment related issues. In addition, faculty are often invited to present papers about their assessment projects at conferences for their disciplines. The office has a small amount of funds that can be used for assessment related purposes.

Summer Grant Program. For several summers, the office has carried out a summer grant program - providing support to full-time, academic year faculty so they can carry out assessment projects in the summer. The office consults with the deans and departments chairs to identify appropriate projects.

SERVICES FOR ADMINISTRATIVE UNITS

Conducting Assessment Workshops. If an administrative group is interested in particular assessment related topics, our office can develop a workshop to share information about those topics. We also conduct workshops that provide an overview of assessment techniques. Back to Top

Conducting Interviews. Our office can help you design a set of interview questions to be used with your clients or staff. We can also conduct, record, and transcribe the interviews, as well as summarize the results. Back to Top

Creating and Administering Standardized Tests. We can assist you in creating, administering, and analyzing results from standardized instruments. We can also help with the selection and use of commercially available standardized tests. Back to Top

Creating Unit Assessment Plans. Our office can help you develop or revise an assessment plan for you unit. Creating an individualized plan will help your unit sort out goals and select appropriate assessment techniques. It will also help you develop an appropriate time frame for your activities and a review process for using results. Back to Top

Designing Survey Instruments. Assessment surveys can be useful tools for gathering information from your clients, staff, and students. Our office can help you design and administer assessment surveys. We can even assist with scannable forms and on-line surveys. Back to Top

Managing and Analyzing Data. Many units have asked us to help them with data analyses related to assessment or institutional projects. In addition to designing surveys and other instruments, our office can help with coding data, entering data, and generating statistical reports. We can also assist with analyzing qualitative data, such as interview data. Back to Top

Providing Extracts from University Surveys. The university regularly surveys freshmen, sophomores, graduating seniors, and alumni. Typical response rates are around 50% to 60%. These surveys usually included information about satisfaction and use of services. We can extract information, often going back several years, that is useful to you and your unit. Back to Top