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FSD 18-18 PNW General Education Assessment Process

May 3, 2019

PURDUE UNIVERSITY NORTHWEST FACULTY SENATE

FSD 18-18 PNW General Education Assessment Process

Revision of the Rubric used for Evaluating General Education Courses

Purdue University Northwest Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Document 19-??

For Discussion: 4-12-19

For Action: 5-3-19

Approved:

Faculty Senate Document 16-05 designated the Purdue Northwest Core Curriculum to consist of 30 credit hours selected from approved courses in the categories outlined in the table below.

 

Purdue Northwest Core Curriculum

Purdue Northwest Core Curriculum Core Categories Credits Courses
English Composition6Select from the English Composition Core list
Speech Communication3Select from the Speech Communication Core list
Quantitative Reasoning3Select from the Quantitative Reasoning Core list
Natural Sciences3Select from the Natural Sciences Core list
Technology3Select from the Technology Core list
Humanities3Select from the Humanities Core list
Social Sciences3Select from the Social Sciences Core list
Additional credits3Select a course from any Core list except FYE
First-Year Experience (FYE)1–3For courses with less than 3 credits, 1 or 2 credits must be earned from another Core list
Total(minimum)30

 

It also adopted the LEAP Essential Learning Outcomes as General Education Learning Outcomes for Purdue University Northwest.  The LEAP Essential Learning Outcomes were mapped to the Indiana State Transfer General Education Outcomes.

Faculty Senate Document 17-09 outlines the requirements for designation and assessment of General Education courses. This document proposed assessment procedures for the General Education Core Curriculum. These procedures provide for assessment reporting in fulfillment of FSD 16-24. The General Education and Assessment Steering (GEA) Committee has determined that more specific requirements for course assessment must be adopted to allow for assessment of these courses. 

The Liberal Education and America’s Promise (LEAP) Essential Learning Outcomes (ELOs) associated rubrics (the VALUE rubrics) do not clearly provide for course assessment and therefore are not appropriate for course evaluation.

In 2012 the Indiana legislature enacted Senate Enrolled Act 182, thereby establishing the requirements for a Statewide Transfer General Education Core of at least 30 credit hours. As required in Act 182, the Core is based upon the following set of competencies in areas which were agreed upon by the state educational institutions. They are as follows:

Foundational Intellectual Skills

  • Quantitative Reasoning
  • Speaking and Listening
  • Written Communication

Ways of Knowing

  • Humanistic and Artistic
  • Scientific
  • Social and Behavioral

 

Faculty representatives from each institution in Indiana met to agree upon the learning outcomes for each competency. Each state educational institution is required to offer a general education program of at least 30 credit hours which addresses these statewide competencies and the associated learning outcomes. The learning outcomes for each of the above six competencies are listed in a document from the Indiana Commission for Higher Education (ICHE) which is provided in Appendix A (attached as a separate file).

Based on the following:

  • Six of the core categories of the PNW Core Curriculum established in FSD 16-05 map directly to the Statewide Transfer General Education Core
  • PNW is required to periodically verify that they satisfy the requirements of Act 182
  • With faculty representatives from each institution in Indiana ICHE established the statewide student learning outcomes for each competency

PNW will adhere to the statewide student learning outcomes as the basis for the assessment of their GE courses in the six corresponding categories at PNW.

The PNW Technology Category is not outlined in the state document by ICHE as part of GE, The following learning outcomes will be used to assess the PNW Technology category of GE:

  1. Students are able to recognize, analyze and interpret technological development in modern life.
  2. Students are able to explain social implications to technological development.
  3. Students are able to recognize and explain how technology affects life and the environment.

The PNW First Year Experience (FYE) is not specifically outlined in the state document by ICHE as part of GE, Courses categorized as FYE will be assessed as outlined in FSD 17-09, to ensure they satisfy the following outcomes:

  1. Academic Planning
    1. Campus Resources
    2. PNW Programs
    3. Opportunities for Student-Faculty Engagement
  2. Reflection
    1. Self-Knowledge
    2. Self-Advocacy
    3. PersonalResponsibility
    4. CareerPlanning
    5. Critical Thinking
  3. Relationships
    1. Communication
    2. Inclusivity
    3. Teamwork/Groupwork

GE Assessment: Currently Listed Courses

As ongoing assessment of GE courses is necessary, the GEA Committee proposes that all departments and programs with listed GE Core courses take this year to do the following:

  1. Identify the appropriate Statewide Transfer General Education Core
  2. Identify at least three learning outcomes for the identified competency that the course fulfills. These outcomes should be identified in course syllabuses in the future.
  3. Identify assessment procedures, making use of both direct and indirect assessment.
  4. Identify the level considered successful student attainment of the specified outcomes and the measure used.
  5. Identify procedures for making modifications and improvements to the course based on assessment, documenting and reporting on the entire cycle annually.

If the course is not offered frequently or does satisfy at least three learning outcomes for the specified core competency then it may be worthwhile to consider withdrawing the course from the lists. Reports from each department or program that offers GE Core courses will be due to the GEA Committee by September 30, 2019. To organize the assessment process two templates are provided in Appendix B.

Appendix A STGEC Guidance 11.1.2018

 

Schedule for GE Core Course revalidation

December 15, 2019: FYE, Experiential Learning

December 15, 2020: Quantitative Reasoning, Technology

December 15, 2021: Natural Sciences, Composition

December 15, 2022: Humanities, Social Sciences

December 15, 2023: Oral Communication

The material for GE core courses being revalidated should be submitted to the GEA Committee by September 30th of the year of revalidation.

 

Approved: Dave Kozel, Libbie Pelter, Colin Fewer, Donald Gray, Xiuling Wang, Wei He

 

Disapproved:

 

Absent:  Janice Tazbir

 

 

 

 

 

Appendix A

 

 

Appendix B

General Education Assessment Report Form

Instructions

Thank you for updating the General Education and Assessment Committee on your planned assessment efforts.  Submissions from all units will be compiled into an assessment of the General Education program.  Below you will find a list of questions and instructions for filling out the form on the next page.  The spaces of the form will expand to accommodate your writing.  Indicate the following:

  1. The three letter course designee, course number, and name of the course being assessed.
  2. Name and contact information (if the General Education and Assessment Committee needs to contact someone regarding assessment of the course).
  3. The General Education Category the course fulfills. Click “Choose an item” then click on the triangle to select a category from the list. If the course satisfies two General Education Categories, fill out one form for each category.
  4. At least three of the outcomes that will be assessed for this course (choose the three or more items which will be assessed of the multiple options).
  5. Description of the activities used to assess the outcomes listed in (d). Be specific.
  6. Indicate the level considered successful student attainment of the specified outcomes and the measure used.
  7. Indicate procedures for how modifications or improvements to the course will be implemented based on the results of the assessment and/or if measurements may change in the future based on feedback with a time for implementation if appropriate

 

 

 

General Education Course Assessment Report Form

Academic year:

a)     Course designee, number, and name

 

b)     Contact(s)

 

c)     General Education CategoryChoose an item.
d)     Three Learning Outcomes
e)     Assessment procedures 
f)      Required level of achievement 

 

 

 

 

 

 

g)     Plan for implementing modifications or improvements to the course based on assessment(s)