A campus of The California State University

Office of the Academic Senate • One Washington Square • San Jose, California 95192-0024 • 408-924-2440 • Fax: 408-924-2451

S01-4

At its meeting of February 26, 2001, the Academic Senate passed the following Policy Recommendation presented by Pamela Stacks for the Organization and Government Committee.

POLICY RECOMMENDATION

Establishment of an Academic Assessment Committee

Whereas: San José State University is committed to facilitating student learning and to academic excellence; and

Whereas: assessment of student learning is desirable for the improvement of student learning; and

Whereas: assessment of student learning is deemed by some to be an important and necessary process in San José State University’s overall campus academic plan; and

Whereas: faculty commitment, cooperation, and input are essential to the realization and the assessment of academic excellence; and

Whereas: a committee of faculty, program administrators, and students can help departments facilitate their own plans and activities for assessing student learning; and

Whereas: such a committee can work with departments, colleges, and the Office of

Curriculum and Assessment to develop assessment activities that respond productively to system and accrediting agency requirements for the study and use of information on institutional effectiveness; now therefore, be it

Resolved: that an Academic Assessment Committee be established as an operating committee reporting to the Curriculum and Research Committee of the Academic Senate; be it further

Resolved: that the membership of the committee shall be as follows:

the University Director of Assessment or designee,

the Director of Institutional Research or designee,

one faculty member from each of colleges and one member of the

faculty of the General Unit, and two students nominated in accordance with Associated Students procedures for one-year terms; be it further

Resolved: that of the members first appointed from the colleges, two shall serve for one-year terms and three for two-year terms; be it further

Resolved: that the representative from each college should have experience on department or college committees responsible for assessment, whenever possible; be it further

Resolved: that the Academic Assessment Committee will serve as a liaison between the Office of Curriculum and Assessment, the various departments and colleges, and the Academic Senate; be it further

Resolved: that the Academic Assessment Committee will seek input from departments and colleges regarding assessment goals and will recommend to the Curriculum and Research Committee for consideration by the Academic Senate plans for campus-wide assessment goals, giving full weight to the needs and experiences of the various departments and colleges; be it further

Resolved: that if satisfactory goals and procedures for assessment in individual colleges and departments have been established by external professional accrediting bodies, the Academic Assessment Committee shall recommend waiver of overlapping or duplicative campus requirements to the Program Planning Committee; be it further

Resolved: that the Academic Assessment Committee shall recommend policies and procedures for the ethical use of assessment instruments and data, for identification of the contexts in which assessment data will not be used (or used only under appropriate safeguards) and for establishment of criteria for effective reporting of changes resulting from assessment activities; be it further

Resolved: “…that the Program Planning Committee shall receive a report of changes that have resulted from assessment activities as a formal part of the 5 year program review process, and that the Assessment Committee will be apprised of these changes at the same time; be it further

Resolved: that on an on-going basis, the Academic Assessment Committee will facilitate the implementation and improvement of existing assessment procedures, identify specific student learning issues that need campus-wide study, assist departments and colleges in planning assessment components of program self-studies, work with the Board of General Studies in its GE assessment, and develop contacts with other universities regarding assessment policies and best practices; be it further

Resolved: that the Academic Assessment Committee in consultation with Program Planning will develop a plan to measure on a regular basis the overall effectiveness and utility of the assessment process with regard to student learning, cost effectiveness (including faculty and staff time), and overall university morale; be it further

Resolved: that the annual report of the Academic Assessment Committee be disseminated to departments, colleges and the Academic Senate.

Resolved: that the proposed Sense of the Senate Resolution SS-S01-4 ‘Regarding Recommended Safeguards around issues of Assessment’ be attached as an appendix to this policy.

ACTION BY UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT: