Major-Field Assessment:  The goal of this component of the assessment plan is to evaluate students' mastery of the knowledge appropriate to their major field and to assess the curriculum within each major.  The faculty from each college has developed goals, outcomes, and assessment criteria for each major.  Although each college has unique goals, outcomes, and criteria for its degree programs, a common set of guidelines was used to develop and document the major-field assessment plans for each degree program.   Because the DSU mission is so closely tied to computer technology, goals, student outcomes, and criteria that address these abilities are included in the assessment plans for each of the degree programs.

In addition to the assessment activities adopted by the colleges, the institution has developed several survey instruments to evaluate the institution's degree programs.  The DSU Employer Survey has been used since 1993 to survey employers of the previous year's graduates.  The DSU Graduate Survey has been used since the 1980s to assess graduates' level of satisfaction with the curriculum in their major programs.  Both of these surveys are also used to assess areas that are central to DSU's mission, such as computer technology and communication skills. 

Major-Field Assessment - Procedures and Activities:  Since 1989, all candidates for graduation in associate-and baccalaureate-degree programs have been assessed during their last semester of enrollment.  On DSU Assessment Day, students complete various assessment activities specific to their major field of study.  Students in many degree programs also participate in capstone courses, internships, and other experiences related to the assessment plan. 

The faculty of each college is responsible for the development and administration of major-field assessment activities.  The Assessment Office is the central clearinghouse for all major-field assessment plans, including copies of the testing instruments, and is responsible for maintaining a longitudinal database.  Students and their advisors receive individual results with a comparison to DSU populations and national norms, if applicable.  The analysis and interpretation of major-field assessment data is the responsibility of the faculty within each college.  DSU's assessment procedures require that major-field assessment plans be reviewed annually and a summary report of that review be submitted to the Assessment Coordinating Committee.  In addition to this annual assessment review, the college also submits a summary of major-field assessment activities and students' performance on those activities to the Assessment Committee.  This annual summary report from the college must also include an action plan with explanation (e.g. recommendations for changes in curriculum or assessment process). 

The instruments used in major-field assessment vary from college to college and may include assessment activities that are incorporated into major-field coursework or assessment activities that are independent of major-field coursework.  Standardized tests, portfolio assessment, and student presentations provide verification of student skills and knowledge levels.  When similar assessment activities are used over a long period of time, assessment results can help faculty link student performance more directly to curricular change.  Because they are intimately acquainted with both individual students' skills and knowledge and with program requirements, advisors also play a key role in monitoring student skills and knowledge relative to the curriculum. 

Academic Changes Based on Major-Field Assessment Data:  Since 1995, each college dean has annually reported the results of major-field assessment (and academic changes made as a result of that assessment) to the Assessment Coordinating Committee.  These reports include a summary of the assessment data and an action plan for any recommended changes in the assessment process or the curriculum.  The monitoring of student progress is a crucial element of program assessment and provides students, faculty, and administrators with vital information about program quality, since the reports also highlight areas of strengths and concerns within the degree programs.  Examples of program changes implemented in the 1999-2000 academic year because of assessment data include:

• Faculty in the College of Natural Sciences recently developed a physical science degree program, combining and eliminating current programs in chemistry and physics.  These program changes were initiated, in part, because of employer feedback collected during major-field assessment activities. 
• Based on graduate and employer survey data, selected courses in the physical health education major are incorporating peer teaching to increase students' communication and teaching skills. 
• Graduate survey data and major-field assessment test results for English for Information Systems majors indicated a need for additional background in on-line writing and Internet and Web publishing.  As a result, two courses focusing on these topics are now included in the documentation and publishing option in that major. 
• Based on results from the major-field assessment tests, the health information management faculty are reviewing content in sub-domain areas and soliciting input from HIM practitioners.
• In addition to other assessment activities, faculty in the College of Education now prepare formal classroom observations for students doing field experiences activities.  Letters of recommendation (typically using these formal observations) are required for entry into the teacher education program and into student teaching.  Students having difficulty with course work, field experiences, student teaching, or other requirements in teacher education may be placed on a Professional Development Plan (PDP).  This plan is developed by the advisor and/or the university supervisor, in consultation with the student.  The plan is designed to address specific areas identified as needing remediation. Clearly defined goals, objectives, responsibilities, and deadlines help focus on solutions to the student's performance difficulties.

Annual Assessment Review Process:  The Assessment Coordinating Committee initiated a five-year assessment review during the 1999-2000 academic year.  A task force reviewed each of the college's assessment plans and provided feedback to the Assessment Coordinating Committee on: 

• Evidence of goals, outcomes, and assessment criteria for each major that meet NCA's criteria for assessment plans (i.e., the outcomes must be measurable and the assessment criteria must include both direct and indirect measures of student learning).
• Evidence of faculty involvement in the assessment process (i.e., minutes of the college meetings, on-line discussions, and additional notes on the faculty's use of assessment data).
• Evidence that the faculty have analyzed the data, developed a summary and interpretation of the data, and provided a detailed action plan for any proposed curricular changes.
• Evidence that the assessment process has been communicated to faculty, staff, and students (i.e., e-mail notices, letters to students, and publication of college and committee meeting minutes).
• Evidence that assessment data has been used for curricular and/or program modifications (i.e., assessment data used to justify curricular and/or program changes on the forms submitted to the DSU Curriculum Committee and to the Academic Affairs Council for system approval of curricular changes).

In addition to this task force review, the Assessment Coordinating Committee also conducted a five-year review of the assessment plan itself and the institution's assessment policies and procedures, to ensure that the documented plan reflects current practice and to ensure that policies and procedures are appropriate for the institution.  The revised assessment plan will be submitted to the general faculty for their approval early in Fall 2000.  The Assessment Office prepares detailed annual reports on this data and publishes short news articles summarizing the results. 

Assessment of Student Achievement in Graduate Programs

DSU currently has two graduate programs approved by NCA:  a master of science program in information systems (offered by the College of Business and Information Systems) and a master of science in education program in computer education and technology (offered by the College of Education).  The master of science program in information systems was approved by NCA in August 1999, following a focused visit in April of that year.  The master of science in education program in computer education and technology was approved by NCA in April 2000, following a focused visit in November 1999.  Course offerings and program requirements are documented in the graduate catalog; policies and procedures related to graduate education are documented in the graduate student handbook.  With the development and delivery of the two graduate programs, a fourth level has been added to the DSU assessment plan.  In general, graduate program assessment follows the same pattern of data collection and analysis that is used in major-field assessment. There are four primary areas:

Assessment of students' entry-level skills, particularly skills related to the English language and computer technology.

• Assessment of student achievements.
• Assessment of program content and processes.
• Assessment of collaboration efforts with other regental institutions, if appropriate.

Faculty who teach within the graduate programs are responsible for program assessment activities and data analysis.  Policies and procedures related to graduate program assessment are established by the Graduate Council. 

Summary:    Over the last 10 years, DSU's assessment efforts have resulted in a mature and comprehensive plan that exhibits many of the characteristics of NCA's third level of implementation, as described in NCA's Addendum to the Handbook of Accreditation, March 2000.

Stage One—Beginning implementation of assessment programs:  DSU completed this phase of implementation prior to submitting its plan to NCA in 1995.  By 1995, the Assessment Coordinating Committee had developed and implemented a general education assessment plan that was approved by the general faculty.  College faculty had also adopted and begun to implement assessment plans with goals, student outcomes, and assessment criteria for each academic program. 

Stage Two—Making progress in implementing assessment programs:  Since 1995, assessment data has been collected and analyzed on an annual basis.  The data has been used to guide curricular changes and to guide the institutional budget process.  In addition, the general education assessment plan and the original major-field assessment plans have been reviewed and revised by the committee and/or the college faculty. 

Structure/Administration:  The assessment plan includes an annual calendar of assessment activities.  The Assessment Coordinating Committee actively works with colleges and with faculty to develop effective feedback loops so that information is shared with all institutional constituents and used for institutional improvement.  The assessment specialist, who reports directly to the vice president for academic affairs, works with the assessment committee and with subcommittees / task forces to ensure that assessment activities are planned and executed efficiently and appropriately.  The Assessment Coordinating Committee is a faculty-based committee but also includes student representation. 

Faculty Involvement / Efficacy:  The NCA Commission statement on assessment of student academic achievement does not prescribe a specific methodology for assessment.  Instead it calls on each institution to structure an assessment program around its stated mission and educational purposes.  Because of DSU's computer-oriented mission, each level of assessment at DSU includes at least one goal related to information technology / literacy.  College faculty are actively involved in every phase of assessment (from developing the plans, to helping with data collection, to analyzing the data and suggesting curricular changes to improve student performance).  Ample evidence exists that the colleges are using assessment data to improve student learning and teaching.

Resources:  The strategic initiatives for each college include at least one initiative related to assessment.  These strategic initiatives have a direct link to the budgeting process through the colleges' O&M funding.  In addition, the Assessment Office has a budget that is sufficient to provide the materials and technology / clerical support needed to sustain a viable assessment program.  In the last few years, the Assessment Office responsibilities have expanded into areas of institutional research and analyses, and the budget has been increased to accommodate this expansion.

Stage Three— Maturing stages of continuous improvement:  The DSU assessment plan and processes are mature enough to place the institution in the third stage of assessment per the NCA guidelines. 

Mission:  The institution recognizes the importance of assessment through its strategic planning process.  The DSU academic catalog includes a discussion of appropriate student learning and identifies the specific assessment activities that students participate in during their college enrollment.  To accommodate institution-wide assessment activities, classes are dismissed for one day in the fall and spring semesters.

Structure/Administration:  The assessment of student learning has become central to DSU's culture.  Faculty annually review the major-field assessment plans and revise them if necessary.  Assessment policies also require that the plan, in its entirety, be reviewed every five years.  During the 1999-2000 academic year, the institution's comprehensive assessment plan (originally approved by NCA in 1995) underwent a five-year evaluation and was modified to reflect changes in the institution, in BOR mandates, and in institutional assessment practice and policy.  Class syllabi typically include specific student outcomes, which relate to program or general education assessment goals.  The results of assessment activities are incorporated into faculty review of academic programs, and assessment results are now part of the discussion process when faculty propose course and/or program changes.

Faculty Involvement / Efficacy: An assessment culture has emerged at DSU, sustained by faculty and administrative commitment to use assessment data for institutional improvement.  For example, both the Academic Council and the Curriculum Committee request assessment data to justify curricular changes prior to approving them.  DSU has also put considerable effort into increasing campus- and community-wide recognition of students' assessment achievements.  The results of the 1999 Employer Survey were published in both the University's newspaper and the local newspaper.  The results of proficiency testing and other general education assessment activities are regularly published on the web and in the University's newspaper and, on occasion, in the local newspaper.  The faculty continuously document changes made in pedagogy, curriculum, and course content as a result of assessment data. 

Resources:  The Assessment Office budget is reviewed annually and has been expanded in FY00 and again in FY01 to cover the additional costs related to institutional research and evaluation.  The Assessment Office staff has also been increased to include a half-time secretary in addition to the work-study position that has traditionally been assigned to the office.