8.+Templates

Hello There from Lisa Kramer,

Here are all of my assessment templates in the event they may be of use to someone else. These are the templates I developed in my first year at Golden Gate University to help the institution prepare for its Educational Effectiveness visit, which was coming up in just 14 months. GGU had no institution-wide learning assessment or program review processes in place. I was starting from scratch. All program chairs were told the templates request the minimum information required. They were told they should feel free to alter the templates to suit their program’s needs, but they must always provide the basic information specified in the template.

All academic programs complete a Learning Assessment Plan at the beginning of every academic year. In the first Learning Assessment Plan (the one shown) the academic program described their mission and goals and indicated when their learning outcomes would be consistent at the web site, in the course catalogue, etc. as they had not done this before. The Learning Assessment Plan template that is used on an ongoing basis does not require them to include this additional information.
 * 1) Learning Assessment Plan**

All academic programs submit a Learning Assessment Report at the end of the academic year. The current Learning Assessment Report template requires them to provide more detail regarding their findings and plans for implementing findings than the template shown here (lesson learned).
 * 2) Learning Assessment Report**

I used “introduced,” “practiced” and “demonstrated” but I like the term “mastery” better for the third-level per the material presented at ALA. In the future I will use that framework.
 * 3) Curricular Matrix**

I used this document to systematically gather information from academic programs regarding alignment of GGU’s institutional learning outcomes (“educational objectives”) and the programs’ learning outcomes. Alignment analyses showed GGU has two institutional learning outcomes that nobody really “owns” which raises the issue of whether they are actually institutional learning outcomes.
 * 4) Educational Objectives Matrix**

Each academic program submitted a plan indicating when they will deliver their Program Review Report (five-year cycle). The plan ensures they will have assessed all learning outcomes at least once prior to undertaking their self-study. A Program Review Calendar was created using the plans. The Calendar was provided to WASC to assure them we would continue with program review after accreditation (since we had only three Program Review Reports to share with them at the time of their visit).
 * 5) Program Review Plan**

This template is changing based on input from faculty. While they greatly appreciated the semi-standardized approach to the Program Review Report, they want the program review, and report review process to be revised a little.
 * 6) Program Review Report**

A “Committee on Academic Standards” at GGU reviews all Program Review Reports prior to their submission to the VP of Academic Affairs for formal consideration in the budget process. This Program Review Report checklist is under revision as faculty are changing the structure and content of the Program Review Report. It is fabulous that faculty are coming to me with suggestions as to how the Program Review Report template might be improved, and how the review checklist might be improved, as this shows they are buying into the self-study process.
 * 7) Program Review Report Quality Checklist**

This is a template I asked all co-curricular programs and service units to complete prior to the WASC visit. I received 40+ research summaries (= wonderful). The co-curricular programs and service units were pleased when they were told their assessment work is an integral part of the university-wide assessment program. They had been feeling left out.
 * 8) Co-Curricular Program Research Summary**

I routinely distributed this document to program chairs and deans, and senior university administration, so that everyone would know who had/had not submitted various deliverables. The transparency encouraged program chairs to get documents to me. When they were late, the relevant “cell” was highlighted in red. This document was included as an appendix in our Educational Effectiveness report for the WASC visiting team.
 * 9) Deliverables Tracking Matrix**

Recently I implemented a new template that is due annually in addition to the Learning Assessment Plan and the Learning Assessment Report. All academic programs submit a document describing all substantive changes they have made (not “will make”) to their program to improve student learning and achievement of other program goals the prior 12 months. Faculty told me they wanted to document changes made as a result of learning assessment and program review findings, and other changes, separately. They said, “we are always making changes to our programs to improve quality and we should be able to document these changes also.”
 * 10) Template to Document Quality Improvement Changes**

I posted these templates in the event they may be of help to someone else. I am certainly ***not*** suggesting this is how assessment should be done—not at all. I, myself, can see many areas where these templates can be improved. At a different institution with different needs, the templates would be different.

Warm Regards,

Lisa