Helping students learn so that they may become productive, creative, ethical, engaged citizens and leaders.
Structure of University Program
Assessment
Department
Location:
The Office of Assessment is located in Thatcher Hall, room 106.
Staff:
The office is staffed with a Director and an Assessment Specialist.
Chelli Gentry
Director
Thatcher Hall, Room 106
(405) 974-2539
cgentry@uco.edu
Jeanette Brown
Assessment Specialist
Thatcher Hall, Room 106
(405) 974-2521
jbrown102@uco.edu
Duties/Responsibility
The department is
responsible for:
*assisting faculty and staff in the design of assessment practices,
*assisting with implementation and analysis of assessment projects,
*managing the assessment budget, and
*compiling internal and external assessment reports.
Services
The Office of Assessment provides a wide range of services to assist
departments in the design, implementation, and analysis of
assessment activities. Examples of services provided include, but
are not restricted
to:
*consultation on assessment methods
* provide faculty enhancement opportunities in the form of speakers and
travel
* designing of survey instruments
* assembly of survey and test packets
* optical scanning of survey instruments and standardized tests
* preparation of optical scan files in either text or MS Excel files
* compilation of student data files from the records maintained in the
university
computer system
* maintenance of official record of department assessment plans and
reports
Levels of Assessment (Entry, Mid, Outcomes, Satisfaction)
Entry-Level Assessment
The purpose of entry-level assessment is to determine if students making
application to the university have the skills to succeed in college-level
English, mathematics, and science courses, as well as courses with heavy
reading requirements. Students with either an ACT subject area score of
19 or college level course work with a grade of D or higher in English,
reading, mathematics, or science are eligible to take college-level courses
and are exempt from secondary placement testing. Students with lower
ACT scores or no college courses in the subjects are required to complete
a secondary placement testing in the subject in which they are deficient
based on their student records. The secondary placement test used at
UCO is the College Board placement instrument, Accuplacer
Computerized Placement Tests (CPT) and is administered in the
Academic Support Center, Thatcher Hall, room 106. Students determined
to be deficient in one or more subjects are required to either study on their
own and test into the
college-level course or take remedial course(s).
Mid-Level Assessment
Mid-Level Assessment focuses on course embedded methods in general
education courses. Student assessment includes pre-/post-testing, primary
trait analysis (criterion-based checklist), standardized testing with normed
data, portfolio review, and oral presentations. Although the faculty
teaching general education courses have a higher level of responsibility for
mid-level assessment, all faculty are expected to be involved with mid-
level assessment. The general education curriculum is typically viewed as
foundation knowledge for the major field. The effectiveness of the general
education curriculum
impacts the major field.
Outcomes Program Level Assessment
Outcomes Program Level Assessment focuses on the major field
curriculum. Assessment of the major field is the responsibility of the faculty
in the academic department. It is recommended that departments
implement at least three assessment activities to validate assessment results
for decision-making. Ideally assessment plans will include cognitive,
behavioral, and attitudinal assessment. Some examples of assessment
practices are: standardized testing, portfolio reviews, performance
reviews, analyzing student records, using external evaluators, surveying,
and primary trait analysis (criterion-based checklist). Assessment activities
should be designed to collect useful data for improvement in the program
design and student learning. Annual assessment reports on outcomes
assessment are submitted to the Office of Assessment for inclusion in the
UCO Annual Assessment
Report prepared for the OSRHE.
Satisfaction Assessment
University-wide surveys are coordinated through the Office of
Assessment. Attached is a survey schedule that defines when each
instrument is administered. The HERI-CIRP and Graduating Student
Survey is administered every year and the College Student Survey (HERI-
CSS) will be added in Spring 2006. The National Survey for Student
Engagement (NSSE), Student Satisfaction Survey, Faculty Survey, and
Staff Survey are administered on a three year rotation. In addition, many
departments choose to develop and distribute their own survey
instruments to students, alumni, employers, and/or faculty. Survey reports
are available for some
of the surveys.
December 10, 2008