Standard Number 3.3.1: The institution identifies expected outcomes for its educational programs and its administrative and educational support services; assesses whether it achieves these outcomes; and provides evidence of improvement based on analysis of those results:

(Recommendation 4) The Committee recommends that the University document the use of analyses of outcome assessments in decision making for improvements made in its educational programs and its administrative and education support services.

The Focused Report, the Institutional Effectiveness Reports for 2002-2003, and Academic Program Reviews were reviewed with respect to documenting the expected outcomes for educational programs and administrative and educational support services, assessments of those outcomes, and evidence of improvements based on analyses of those results. Also, the Committee interviewed the Director of Strategic Research and Analysis, the Director of Institutional Effectiveness, and the Associate Provost. The interviews yielded further insight into the process that led to the development of the Institutional Effectiveness Plans and the process used to identify strengths and weaknesses of the first iteration of the Institutional Effectiveness Reports. The Committee notes the efforts being made to provide assessment training and the intention to use external experts in assessment. Although the Reaffirmation Committee’s review established the existence of program and service outcome statements, many were not measurable. Further, use of assessment data as the basis for improvements was not well documented. University personnel acknowledged that evidence of data to support the assessment of outcomes was inconsistent in some areas.

Response:

In response to Recommendation 4 and following the exit interview of the on-site SACS review team, the SACS Leadership Team discussed all of the recommendations received from the on-site review team with all campus personnel involved in the on-site visit (on April 8, 2005). The recommendations were also reviewed with the President's Cabinet and the academic deans on April 12, 2005.

The SACS Leadership Team gave serious consideration to revising the Institutional Effectiveness Plans (IEPs) reviewed by the on-site SACS review team to correct the deficiencies noted by that group. However, after much deliberation, and given that these IEPs are now historical documents, the Leadership Team decided that the campus' energies would best be devoted toward focusing on the next iteration of the IEPs. National and state trends that focus on accountability as well as University System of Georgia's priorities to optimize student success are consistent with the recommendations of the SACS review team and reinforced the selection of this option. The activities described in this document reflect this decision.

To assist in appropriate and timely use of learning outcomes assessments and analyses “in decision making for improvements made in its educational programs and its administrative and education support services,” select campus representatives participated in summer training. The training sessions undertaken as well as those planned for the fall semester have been described in the response to Core Requirement 2.12 (Recommendation 1, pp. 2-3).

Beyond these training opportunities, the SACS Leadership Team has been involved in efforts to clarify the processes that support annual reviews as well as review of Institutional Effectiveness Plans and the establishment of appropriate student learning outcomes. Campus work sessions were held April 8, April 20, June 8, and July 20, 2005. In addition, sub-groups who have been tasked with specific assignments related to the processes that identify and feed assessment analyses to the decision-makers in various units and governing bodies for the University have been working steadily throughout this period.

One of these sub-groups, led by the Chair of the Strategic Planning Council, was tasked with revising the University's master planning process based on suggestions from the off-site and on-site SACS review teams as well as a final round of feedback from the Deans' Council (May 27, 2005). Revising the campus planning process has been an ongoing effort since Spring 2005 and was designed to strengthen the linkage between strategic planning (decision making) and assessment. The results of this effort are shown in the attached Master Planning & Assessment Schematic.

In the new Schematic, the Action and Assessment Plans (formerly the Institutional Effectiveness Plans) provide the direct linkage between planning and assessment activities. Each learning and programmatic outcome included in the Action and Assessment Plan is directly linked to one or more of the University's six strategic themes (identified in Level I of the Strategic Plan). The Action and Assessment Plans become the single source repository for all related assessment data from which evidence-based decisions related to Program and Accreditation Reviews, Budget Requests, and Professional Development can be drawn. Each academic year, a summary of important unit actions and decisions will also be culled from the Action and Assessment Plan to form the unit's Annual Report, which is an annual reporting requirement of the University System of Georgia.

The new Schematic was shared with Academic Affairs at the Deans, Directors, and Department Chairs Workshop held on June 24, 2005. Participants at this workshop were also provided with a draft Action and Assessment Plan template, showing examples of learning and programmatic outcomes and required linkages to both strategic themes and decision making (evidence of improvement based on analysis of results). The Schematic was also shared with the Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management on July 19, 2005, the Division of Business and Finance on August 9, 2005, and the Division of University Advancement on August 12, 2005. Following review by each division, the Schematic received formal approval from President's Cabinet on August 18, 2005.

A second sub-group activity of the SACS Leadership Team has been led by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Strategic Planning which carefully and critically re-examined the last round of the Institutional Effectiveness Plans (those shared with the SACS on-site review team). This activity occupied the early part of Summer 2005. Most academic, administrative, and educational support units already use evidence-based decision making; however, inconsistencies in the appropriate use of learning and programmatic outcomes as well as common problems related to the documentation of the use of assessment data as the basis for improvement were identified. Training specifically targeted at these two issues should correct any deficiencies in the next iteration of the formal university-wide collection of Action and Assessment Plans (formerly the Institutional Effectiveness Plans or IEPs).

Fall 2005 will begin the next cycle of data collection for the Action and Assessment Plans. As noted in the University's reaffirmation documents, the triennial formal university-wide collection of the Action and Assessment Plans will occur in academic year 2006-07. Thus, evidence from the 2005-06 academic year will inform improvements for academic year 2006-07.

Attachments
Master Planning Schematic
Learning Outcomes
Programmatic Outcomes