The Task Force on Assessment of Students' Learning met on March 13, 1997 at 4 pm. in the Prairie Lounge.

Handouts

1) Summary of Discipline Assessment Methods and Tools

2) University of MN, Morris Bachelor's Degree Candidate Survey: Finding Out Your Views of the University (senior survey from last year)

Discussion

Assessment of Students Learning: Unit Plan Survey (for the academic support services)

Bert Ahern and Engin Sungur made the suggested revisions talked about in the February 27 meeting of the TFASL, and the final draft will be sent to the different services by March 14, 1997.

Feedback on Programs

The Biology discipline has put their Assessment Plans on the World Wide Web.

The Music discipline has decided not to fill out the Assessment Plan.

Dean Schuman suggested that the Chairman of the TFASL, Bert Ahern, call all the disciplines that did not return the Assessment of Students' Learning and give them one more chance before the Unit Plans are sent out. This will ensure that all disciplines wanting to fill out the Assessment of Students' Learning are able to do so.

Unit Plans

The Summary of the Discipline Assessment Methods and Tools will be included with the Individual Unit Plans to be sent to each of the disciplines.

Instead of sending the added questionnaire along with the Unit Plans to the disciplines that did not return the Assessment Survey, they will be called and informed what the questionnaire is about.

Senior Survey

Engin Sungur handed out last year's senior survey as an example of what kind of questions can be asked and what kind of information can be gathered from a senior survey.

Since there were many concerns involving the use of a senior survey for the assessment process, Bert Ahern suggested a sub-committee be appointed to look into the idea of a senior survey. Eric Bass motioned to create a sub-committee, and Engin Sungur seconded it. The members of the sub-committee are as follows: Eric Bass, Engin Sungur, Jim Cotter, and Tom Johnson. Steven Granger will also be asked to join this sub-committee because of his experience and expertise in this field.

Some questions the sub-committee will be dealing with are:

1) What questions should be asked?

2) Who should this survey be offered to? Will this survey be used for

all disciplines or just the ones that request it?

3) Is it feasible to accomplish a senior survey this year?

4) Should just a senior survey be done, or should there be a freshman and senior survey?

Budget

There were no objections to the current budget approach that Dean Schuman had outlined at the March 6 TFASL meeting. The next step is to send this budget proposal to Faculty Development for their approval.

submitted by Julie Brotzler