SUSTAINING AN ASSESSMENT CULTURE

In this section, we describe measures that are often components of a program review. Accrediting agencies, administration, legislators, or Regents or Trustees may explicitly request these data to reflect a program's viability and productivity, but do not always reflect aspects of program quality. These data should be considered as foundational to understanding the achievements of a department. However, programs may fare better by including other more direct measures of program quality. Care should also be exercised in creating data sets that might promote specious comparisons across programs.

Primarily Quantitative Measures

¥   Analysis of Course Scheduling Patterns

=>  Average class size
=>  Student credit hour production
=>  Trends in course demand over time
=>  Seat availability; backlog for required courses
=>  Balance of required courses versus faculty special interest

¥   Student Characteristics

=>  Number of majors, minors, service course users*
=>  To what extent is the student population diverse?
=>  What is the gender balance of students?
=>  Grade point average comparisons

¥   Graduation Rates

=>  Ratio of graduates to upper division majors may be used to evaluate completion pace of majors
=>  Degree completion rates: number of years
=>  Attrition patterns

¥   Faculty Characteristics

=>  Balance between full and part-time faculty
=>  Percent of the faculty with tenure
=>  Gender and diversity characteristics

¥   Faculty Performance Indices

=>  Patterns of faculty workload
=>  Average student evaluation ratings
=>  Quantity of scholarly products
=>  Dollars generated by grant activity
=>  Number of service commitments to profession, community
=>  Salary patterns

¥   Program Resources

=>  Faculty: student ratio
=>  Square footage assigned to program activities
=>  Size of operating budget

¥   Honors Achieved

=>  Student research presentation and service awards
=>  Faculty recognition at local, regional, national levels
=>  Program distinction conferred by professional organizations

¥   Accreditation Status

¥   Analysis of Employer Needs and Demands

=>  Percent of student employed 6 months after graduation
=>  Participation of employers in job fairs

Primarily Qualitative Measures

¥   Mission Statement (including relationship to institutional mission)

¥   Strategic planning

¥   "Reputation" in academic community

¥   Quality of faculty performance in teaching, scholarship, and service

¥   Strength of external evaluations

¥   Curriculum quality (currency, innovation, coherence, relevance)

*           Programs may want to distinguish between students who are committed to the major restricting analyses to advanced students since the total major number may be influenced by students who are in transition to other majors.

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