Introduction

Minutes

Members

Attendance: Brent Jameson, Chairperson; Judy Boschult, Kristin Anderson, Maria Enciso, Betsy Frank, Georgia Gudykunst, Kory Merkel.

Ideas From the Oral Presentations Committee.
Brent Jameson reported that Liz O'Brien's committee has been discussing the sending out of a survey to faculty about the courses in which they have students provide oral presentations. Brent and Georgia Gudykunst suggested that this be done for all outcome areas at the same time, the first week after Spring Break. (Recall the famous "stickie" exercise at the Bear's Den nearly 2 years ago). Additionally, the Oral Presentations committee is planning to send out a 1-page training document (telling what kind of assignments are being requested). It may be helpful to provide a similar format training document for all outcome areas.

The Team agreed it is important to get feedback from faculty in order to update the course matrix of outcome areas from nearly 2 years ago at the Bear's Den. We know more about assessment today and we now have rubrics today that we did not have 2 years ago.

Team Retreat.
Brent Jameson, after discussing with Marian Tadano, has suggested that the Steering Team hold a retreat to over some basic issues facing us now and in the coming year. It is important to focus on where we need to move forward with college-wide assessment. The retreat is tentatively scheduled for Friday, March 2, from 12:30 PM. It will end at 2:30 PM.

Issues for discussion include:
1) getting samples from a variety of disciplines and courses. (Note: this is not course evaluation; this is not program evaluation.)
2) inviting/encouraging faculty to provide student work samples, not requiring them to do so.
3) Clarifying that samples from every faculty/discipline for every outcome are NOT being requested.
4) developing logistics for April assessment day and beyond
5) moving from the pilot to actual implementation of the measures
6) getting started the semester before the actual obtaining of samples.
7) taking more of a team approach, across outcome areas.
8) Simplifying/clarifying the process for faculty, not making it more complex.
9) Etcetera.

Communications.
It would be helpful to develop a list of frequently asked questions to clarify what it is we are trying to do with college-wide assessment, and help dispel myths or confusion about it. The Team suggested putting this information in the Assessment Matters newsletter. (When is the next edition?)

The Team also suggested that Brent ask Marian Tadano to encourage faculty, before midterm approaches, to determine if there are assignments they are using in their courses that could be submitted to the Writing and Numeracy Committees for Assessment Day. The note should go
out very soon.

General Education Assessment at Johnson Community College.
Maria Enciso and Georgia Gudykunst attended at workshop sponsored by CGCC on Feb. 16th.
Handouts were brought back to PC's Team. Maria also provided some key highlight pages from
JCCC as well as summarized some key points on college wide assessment. The Team found this
information very helpful. Georgia Gudykunst suggested that we create a PC version of this material and make this available to faculty and staff. Also, Georgia set up a bulletin board across from the mailboxes, which has ½ the board devoted to research information and the other ½ dedicated to assessment information (e.g., Assessment Matters newsletters, NCA matrix, report). The R/D Department maintains and updates the bulletin board with the most recent assessment materials.

Next Steering Team Meeting:
A retreat is proposed in lieu of the next meeting. The tentative date is:
Friday; March 2nd, 12:30 - 2:30 PM.

Respectfully submitted,
Georgia Gudykunst