Mission
| Timeline of Key Events
The OAA seeks to support quality student learning and to foster excellence
in educational practices by establishing and maintaining a culture of
assessment and improvement at the course, program, and institutional levels.
The basic premise (and slogan) of OAA is "Assessment for improving
student learning." Its primary responsibilities are to:
- work with faculty, student, and administrative committees to develop
and implement a plan for assessing student learning outcomes in the
liberal studies program and for using the results of that assessment
to inform decision making about liberal studies curriculum and instruction
- work with academic units to develop and implement plans for student
learning outcomes assessment to improve curriculum and instruction at
the course and program levels
- serve as an assessment resource to the university community (including
the Mountain and Statewide NAU sites) and work with the Office of Faculty
Development to provide professional development opportunities related
to the understanding and use of contemporary theory and practice in
educational assessment
- improve communication about assessment across the institution through
a variety of dissemination and discussion avenues, including both internal
and external reports, workshops and presentations, online resources,
and dialogue with a variety of assessment constituents
- collaborate with the Center for Research, Development, and the Assessment
of Learning in Electronic Environments to conduct research on the assessment
of student learning to help the institution understand the effectiveness
of various delivery methods (particularly those used in distributed/statewide
courses) for a variety of student populations and disseminate the results
of this research to both university and national audiences
The timeline shown below illustrates some key events in the organizational
progress of developing an assessment program at NAU since 1998.
| Date |
Event |
| 1998 |
New Liberal Studies Program adopted with essential skills and
themes
Dean of Liberal Studies and Assessment appointed
Liberal Studies Council appointed
Assessment Council appointed |
| 1999 |
Assessment Coordinator hired
UC 101 Course begins; student learning portfolios established
Assessment template developed and provided to departments for developing
assessment plans
Shaping Graduate Education In NAU’s Second Century
calls for the assessment of student learning outcomes in reviews
of graduate programs |
| 2000 |
Student Affairs Assessment Resources Team formed to investigate
role of student affairs activities in student learning of essential
skills
1999-2000 Assessment Progress Report issued
Dean of Liberal Studies and Assessment upgraded to Associate Provost
for Undergraduate Studies
Assessment Contact Faculty identified in each department
Assessment Report Template developed and distributed to departments |
| 2001 |
2000-2001 Assessment Progress Report issued
Associate Provost upgraded to Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies
Assessment workshops for Assessment Contact Faculty held |
| 2002 |
Faculty Senate supervises election of Liberal Studies Committee
members
Faculty Senate establishes Assessment Committee
Office of Academic Assessment established and director, assessment
specialist and assessment coordinator hired
2002-2003 Strategic Plan includes assessment of student
learning
ASNAU forms Assessment Subcommittee of Student Senate
Director of Academic Assessment appointed to Strategic Planning
Council
On site reviewers from North Central Accreditation provide feedback
on student learning outcome assessment and advisement on future
directions |
|
