Assessment

The Higher Learning Commission's report at the end of YSU's site visit noted that general-education assessment and compliance was in great need of attention. Our methods of assessment were at best fragmentary.

The General-Education Committee (GEC) suspended the course-based, individual assessment system that has been in place for the past six or so years and began a series of initiatives aimed at gathering useful, relevant data.

Jane Reid, Management professor, ran Focus Groups for each knowledge and basic skills domain of the general-education program. Summaries of those reports will be available on the website.

The GEC asked faculty and advisors to respond to a survey that evaluated each domain's effectiveness and solicited substantive responses. Again, the raw data and a summary of the responses will be available on the website.

Both of these were initial steps, not conclusive. They will guide the committee's next efforts to gather more relevant and useful information on general education at YSU.

We have also participated in the e-portfolio pilot of LiveText, a program that can facilitate assessment across the university. Writing and speaking were the focus of the pilot.

Beginning in the fall of 2009, the GEC will undertake a redesign of at least portions of the general-education requirements.

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Summaries of Focus Group Reports (the GEC thanks Jane Reid for leading the focus groups)

Summary of Survey (our thanks to Bob Hogue)

Academic Strategic Plan (Adobe PDF Format)

General Education Program Annual Report, 2008-2009 (Adobe PDF Format)

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