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WASC and the Self Study. Our Polytechnic Identity in the 21st Century Fall Conference 2008. What is WASC?. WASC is the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, one of six regional organizations that the federal government has authorized to accredit institutions of higher learning.
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WASC and the Self Study Our Polytechnic Identity in the 21st Century Fall Conference 2008
What is WASC? WASC is the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, one of six regional organizations that the federal government has authorized to accredit institutions of higher learning.
What is the self-study process? Every ten years, we must demonstrate our ongoing commitment to the continuous improvement of our programs, both curricular and co-curricular. The self-study defines an inquiry we can use to measurably improve student learning. If you are already engaged in outcomes-basedassessment or strategic planning, you are already contributing to this process! Thanks!
Why do we have to do this? Simple answers: • To be eligible for federal funds that support a variety of programs, including student financial aid. • For the academic credit we award to be recognized by other institutions.
Why do we have to do this? A better answer: WASC describes the self-study as “the university doing a dissertation on itself.” This suggests that it can be an intellectual opportunity – an exercise in collaborating and in “thinking critically and creatively,” to cite our own University Learning Objectives.
What is our stake? Though everyone has a different stake in the WASC process, everyone benefits from the improvement of the institution.
WASC Themes:College and Unit Interests Table based on discussions with individual deans during Summer ‘08
What do we propose to do? In Spring 2007, a committee representing students, staff, faculty, and administration proposed four themes: • Our Polytechnic Identity in the 21st Century • Learn-by-Doing • The Teacher-Scholar Model • Integration and Student Learning
Why are these themes compelling? The overarching theme, Our Polytechnic Identity, is based on the idea that we are living through a period of profound change, not only in higher education but also in the world at large, which should affect the nature of this institution.
Why are these themes compelling? The other themes explore critical aspects of our identity: • Our historical commitment to the pedagogy of Learn-by-Doing • Our developing commitment to the Teacher-Scholar Model • Our emerging commitment to the challenge of becoming an integrated community that educates the whole student
How long will this take? The self-study is a multiyear process divided into three phases: • The first phase is already complete; WASC accepted our institutional proposal in December 2007. • The Capacity and Preparatory Review (CPR), which has already begun, will culminate with a site visit by a team of peer reviewers in Spring 2010. • The Educational Effectiveness Review (EER) will culminate with a site visit in Fall 2011.
Where are we now? • Working groups representing diverse constituencies have already been formed around each theme. • A steering committee has been established to oversee the self-study as a whole. • The working group chairs have revised their portions of the self-study proposal. • Evidence is being gathered to support the work of each group. Scott Steinmaus, Teacher-Scholar Group Chair Tom Trice, Learn-by-Doing Group Chair
What about strategic planning? Rest assured; your efforts have not been wasted. The campus conversations on Access to Excellence helped to produce a new strategic plan that will guide CSU decision-making for the next ten years. • ATE has informed the Cal Poly strategic plan. • The Cal Poly strategic plan will inform the WASC process.
What about the last self-study? This has yielded its own results: • Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL). • University Diversity Enhancement Council (UDEC). • University Learning Objectives. • Pilot programs to assess senior-level writing and lifelong learning. • Diversity Learning Objectives.
What about the ULOs? The alignment of program objectives and outcomes with University Learning Objectives (ULOs) is now a key part of Program Review. Contact these Student Learning Objective Consultants to help find ways to improve student learning: Navjit Brar (nbrar@calpoly.edu), Lifelong Learning and Information Competency Brenda Helmbrecht (bhelmbre@calpoly.edu ), Writing Proficiency Dan Villegas (dvillega@calpoly.edu), Cultural Diversity and Global Understanding
How can I help? • Join a working group. • Respond to requests for information. • Participate in surveys and focus groups. • Comment on the draft CPR and EER reports. • Pay attention to the process: WASC wants everyone to be aware if not directly involved. • Talk to someone who is involved about an issue that interests you. • Most of all, show faith in the process and help others to do so.
How can I learn more? • Visit Cal Poly’s WASC website <wasc.calpoly.edu> for further information and links to WASC and accreditation-related resources. • Contact the directors of the WASC process, David Conn <dconn@calpoly.edu> and Bruno Giberti <bgiberti@calpoly.edu> with your questions and concerns.
Inclusive Excellence • In higher education, an excellent institution is an inclusive institution. • All students should have the opportunity to succeed. • All students benefit educationally from participating in a community where people differ from one another. • In order to be successful as citizens and workers, graduates must be prepared to live and work in a diverse world.
Inclusive Excellence From diversity as an isolated initiative to diversity as a catalyst for educational excellence
Example of Isolated Initiative: Increase racial/ethnic diversity of student body Responds to: Calls from business and community leaders to strengthen workforce diversity Desire to redress past societal inequities General feeling that diversifying student body is the “right thing to do”
Example of Isolated Initiative: Increase racial/ethnic diversity of student body But does not address: Compositional diversity of other parts of campus community (faculty, staff, administrators) Differences between predominantly white institutions and predominantly minority-serving institutions Campus climate once students and others arrive on campus Students’ multiple identities: race and ethnicity intersecting with gender, class, sexual orientation, national/regional origin, ability, and religion Curriculum transformation to include perspectives, sources, and modes of inquiry heretofore left out of the academy How compositional diversity influences classroom and co-curricular practices, and ultimately, student learning
Catalyst for Educational Excellence: Increase racial/ethnic diversity of student body as part of comprehensive plan to make excellence inclusive Also responds to: Need to enact diversity in intentional ways that enhance students’ intercultural competency, cognitive complexity, and ability to work in diverse groups (Milem et al.) Need to address equity in academic achievement for all students, with particular attention paid to groups historically underrepresented in higher education (Bauman et al.) Need to engage entire campus community in conceiving of, carrying out, and assessing a comprehensive process to enact diverse learning environments (Williams et al.)
Academic Program Review (APR) and Outcomes Assessment at Cal Poly In the next 3 years, 75% of Cal Poly academic programs will start the review process (again) Current review process is similar to the WASC process and was adopted by the Academic Senate in Nov. 2000 Program review contributes to the WASC self-study effort (WASC Standard 4: Creating an Organization Committed to Learning and Improvement)
Academic Program Review (APR) and Outcomes Assessment at Cal Poly “First and foremost, the purpose of the academic program review (APR) process at Cal Poly is to acknowledge the strengths of our academic programs and, at the same time, to seek ways of further enhancing their quality.” APR for non-accredited undergraduate and graduate programs and centers and institutes APR modified for accredited programs In 2008, pilot integrated program review (IPR)
Academic Program Review (APR) and Outcomes Assessment at Cal Poly NSSE 2008-Responses from Seniors To what extent has your experience at this institution contributed to your knowledge, skills and personal development in the following areas: Thinking critically and analytically Very little (2%) Some (10%) Quite a bit (39%) Very much (50%) Understanding people of other racial and ethnic backgrounds Very little (29%) Some (40%) Quite a bit (22%) Very much (10%)
Academic Program Review is … A Process- Program faculty are asked to engage in a consultative, evidence based review of student success With Products- Self-study report documenting the review Reviewers report (s) of the program Action Plan Year One Phase I: Initiation of the review (fall quarter) Phase II: Self study (winter and spring quarters) Year Two Phase III: Site Visit (fall quarter) Phase IV: Action Plan Development = KEY OUTCOME for APR
What’s New in Academic Program Review? Phase I Early October: workshops by college Centralizing approvals through Academic Programs Office Phase II Self-study guidelines emphasize evidence-based approach to reviewing student success Phase III Reviewers look at student work and/or meet with students One reviewer must have experience with assessment Other suggestions from you as we work together on this are welcome!
Types of Evidence for Academic Program Review Outcomes-based assessment (Elaborates Program Assessment Inventory) Data from Institutional Planning and Analysis Institutional Data: NSSE, FSSE, YFCY Other Departmental Data Other Data sources (for ex., employer surveys)
What’s new in Outcomes Based Assessment at Cal Poly? Further use of WASC rubrics on assessment as “external validation” for our efforts Departmental workshop: course level outcomes Opportunities for sharing of campus best practices CTL workshops Several WASC workshops on assessment Promotion of the scholarship of teaching, learning and assessment Enhancing the role of college assessment councils
What can you do for assessment? Foster the development of assessment leaders in your department Encourage the use of the WASC rubrics Consider arranging for the course level outcome workshop for a dept. meeting Encourage participation in internal and external faculty development opportunities in assessment Encourage the scholarship of teaching, learning, assessment Identify faculty for participation on the ULO project
Session with new chairs: Assessment Barbara Wright’s, “Department Guidelines for Assessing Student Learning” Discussion of issues raised in the previous session: suggestions for each other ULO Assessment project—D. Keesey Assessment resources around campus Emerging commonly held ideas, terms on campus
Guidelines for Good Assessment of Student Learning at the Department or Program Level From Barbara Wright, Associate Director, WASC Begin with the mission, values, traditions and aspirations of your program. Assessment is about quality improvement first, quality assurance second. Define your key learning goals for students. Look for evidence of learning not just scores. Align methods for gathering evidence of learning with your goals for learning.
Guidelines for Good Assessment of Student Learning at the Department or Program Level Make interpretations and use explicit steps in the assessment process. Think of assessment as ongoing, not episodic. Assessment is not something entirely new; build on what you are already doing and what you care about. Keep in mind the bigger picture and public calls for accountability. From, “Effective Practices for Academic Leaders: Leading Change through Assessment” by T.W. Banta and L.A. Lefebvre
Voluntary System of Accountability “The Cal Poly undergraduate experience is designed to promote the personal, intellectual and professional development of students. We have specified our educational expectations for students in the Cal Poly university learning objectives which elaborate on our specific institutional mission. The curricula specified by the major program as well as the general education program are designed to provide students opportunities to achieve these objectives. In addition, we recognize that learning takes place outside the classroom in multiple ways, such as internships, residence hall programming, and co- and extra-curricular activities. In other words, student engagement with the institution leads to learning and the university learning objectives specify what we hope students are learning. In order for us to be able to determine how effective our educational opportunities are, various groups of students will be asked to participate in program, college and institutional assessments that allow us to obtain a measure of student progress and achievement of the university learning objectives. Grades measure individual student performance in individual courses. Assessment provides information on the effectiveness of our educational opportunities, information that we use to improve our offerings. Here at Cal Poly we also depend on information from our industrial advisory boards and surveys of alumni as well as employers of our students to ensure that the education we offer is effective and responsive to societal needs.
“How Should Colleges Assess and Improve Student Learning?” A Study from AACU Employers Advice on Focus for Assessment Resources Internships/Community-Based Learning evaluated by faculty (50%) Individual Student Essay Tests that measure students’ problem solving, writing, and thinking skills (35%) Electronic portfolios of students’ work in key skill areas and faculty assessment of them (32%) Senior Projects to demonstrate depth of skill, writing, and advanced reasoning evaluated by faculty (31%) Multiple-Choice Tests: general content knowledge (5%)
