Educational assessment at GBC is utilized to accomplish the campus mission and academic objectives outlined in the GBC Academic Master Plan and subsequent Addenda. Directly, assessment is identified in Academic Goals 1 and 3:

Academic Goal 1: Evaluate and further enhance general education including the determination of essential knowledge undergraduates need in science and technology, humanities and fine arts, social sciences, and western and non-western cultures.

Academic Goal 3: Incorporate institutional assessment data into the planning process to improve decision-making and resource allocation with special emphasis on student outcomes.

Assessment and institutional effectiveness are themes that are integrated into GBC’s Academic Goals and Objectives, for the College’s achievements are measured against accomplishing its mission and academic goals. Examples of the College’s accomplishments are well documented in documents such as the GBC Academic Master Plan and Addenda, GBC Facilities Master Plans, and President’s Progress Reports.

The Great Basin College 2002-2003 Educational Assessment Plan consists of the following primary components:

• General Education
• Data-Enrollment Management Warehouse
• Planning and Institutional Effectiveness (PIE) Committee
• Surveys
• Focus Groups
• Multi-media Digital Portfolio
College faculty and staff work to ensure that findings and recommendations from institutional research and assessment remain integrated into the campus planning processes and the Academic Master Plan itself in a systemic manner to enhance educational programs and services for GBC students.

Assessment of learning. Currently, assessment varies from department to department. For example, the English instructors, both full-time and adjunct, meet twice a semester to do a “reading” of final essays from Effective Writing to develop consistent evaluation standards for writing assignments and to determine how consistently students are prepared for the next class in the writing sequence. Another innovation, especially used in the Elementary Education program, is an electronic portfolio which captures examples of writing, art work, etc. A subcommittee has recently formed to study how all general education experiences can become a part of this electronic record of student achievement, and whether or not to require a portfolio of all GBC graduates.

Since Fall 2001, Dr. Karen Paulson of the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS) has provided technical assistance in two primary areas:

• Develop outcome maps for all departments and academic programs, informed by the best practices of assessment.
• Develop a process to assess the general education core curriculum.

Notes and follow-up to the Dr. Paulson’s workshop are in Exhibit 2.5, and copies of departmental and academic program outcome maps are in the departmental binders.

Prior to the introduction of baccalaureate degree programs in Fall 1999, faculty have worked diligently by focusing on the lower-division general education curriculum and academic program requirements to enhance student learning. According to the GBC Faculty Senate Bylaws, the General Education Committee serves to review, revise, and otherwise make recommendations relevant to the standards, implementation, oversight, and assessment of the General Education Program. For the 2002-2003 academic year, the Committee decided to focus on assessing the changes associated with the revised general education core. The following outlines GBC’s general education objectives:

• Communication Skills
• Critical Thinking
   • Quantitative ability
   • Reasoning and independent thought
   • Scientific understanding
• Personal and Cultural Awareness
   • Sense of individual and society
   • Sense of the past
   • Sense of accountability
   • Appreciation of fine arts
• Personal wellness
• Technological understanding

GENERAL EDUCATION COURSES SELECTED FOR REVIEW IN SPRING 2003

From each course, eight student assignments will be randomly selected and reviewed by the Committee using the course rubric to examine the first general education objective—Communication Skills. Each year, the general education assessment process will involve the sampling of courses but focus on the different general education objectives. This staggered approach is manageable for the Committee. An annual report on the findings of the Committee’s course review will be completed during the summer of each year in conjunction with the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment and submitted to Faculty Senate at the beginning of each fall semester. The Office of Institutional Research and Assessment and General Education Committee are also in the process of identifying information in the data-enrollment management warehouse and surveys to assist the Committee with examining the impact of general education curriculum on student achievement.

Outcome Maps.
The assessment maps documenting student learning outcomes developed by the faculty for the departments and programs have provided an effective method to initially identify learning outcomes and ultimately examine course level learning outcomes that recognize student achievement. The ongoing work of the General Education Committee in coordination with the Office of Institutional Research to assess the general education core curriculum by reviewing course syllabi and student assignments to determine if the general education objectives and learning outcomes are being achieved is the heart of the College’s assessment plan.

The student outcome maps for the departments and programs are available to students, parents, and general public online at GBC’s website. The campus is in the process of examining different methods for publishing student learning outcomes such as the inclusion of information in campus catalogs, semester schedules, and orientation classes. GBC’s General Education Objectives are already provided in the campus catalogs. The General Education Committee and Office of Institutional Research will facilitate the discussions related to the ongoing refinement of these documents.

Other Assessment Components
The following describes the other components of GBC’s Assessment Plan in further detail and provides examples of educational program planning and assessment activities.

Data-Enrollment Management Warehouse.
The Data-Enrollment Management Warehouse is currently being developed and implemented at GBC to facilitate institutional research and assessment activities. In Summer 2002, the President’s Council charged the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment to develop a data warehouse that will enhance planning decisions and institutional effectiveness. The implementation of the Data-Enrollment Management Warehouse has provided the campus faculty, administration, and staff with student and course-level data that is being utilized to measure student success and achievement. It is expected that the warehouse will continue to provide the College with useful information for institutional research, planning, assessment, and enrollment management.

Institutional Profile.
The Great Basin College 2002 FactBook provides an overview of the enrollment trends, student profile, instructional activity, student retention and persistence measures, and campus resources. The institutional profile covers a period from Fall 1996 to Fall 2001, examining the changes such as the downturn in economic conditions, introduction of new bachelor degree programs, and implementation of a revised general education curriculum.

Planning and Institutional Effectiveness (PIE) Committee.
In Fall 2001, the Planning and Institutional Effectiveness (PIE) Committee was formed to review the institutional research and surveys being conducted on campus. The PIE Committee members consist of both faculty and staff, representing a cross-section of the College. (See Exhibit 2.6 for roster of PIE members.) The Committee meets one to three times per semester, depending on the survey results to be reviewed. As the data-enrollment management warehouse is utilized to prepare reports (e.g., student retention and persistence), it is expected that the Committee will meet more frequently. In 2002-2003, much of the effort has shifted to the “gen ed” committee and to the student service area, which is looking at survey data to improve services to students.

Course Evaluations.
Student evaluation of courses is conducted each semester with all courses. See Exhibit 2.7 for a sample course evaluation.

Surveys
As part of the ongoing assessment process, the College conducted the administration of the following surveys. The Executive Summary of Survey Responses, Fall 2001, Spring 2002, and Fall 2002 is available as Exhibit 2.8.

Student Satisfaction Inventory (SSI). The Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory (SSI) is administered every three years and most recently administered in October 2002 (Exhibit 2.9). The instrument is designed to measure student satisfaction and the level of importance of campus issues. For the first time, results of this survey will be compared to faculty and staff responses in the Institutional Priority Survey also administered this semester.

Institutional Priority Survey (IPS). The Institutional Priority Survey (IPS), a Noel-Levitz product, was administered for the first time in Fall 2002 (Exhibit 2.10). GBC’s faculty (part- and full-time), staff, and administration were surveyed in October 2002 simultaneously with the SSI. Responses from this survey will be correlated with SSI survey responses to determine the level of agreement and disagreement between students and campus personnel. It is expected that the results of both surveys will provide a foundation for the strategic planning initiative that the College will be starting in January of 2003.

Comprehensive Alumni Assessment Survey (CAAS). The Comprehensive Alumni Assessment Survey (CAAS) is designed to ascertain information on graduates to measure institutional effectiveness. The primary areas covered in this survey include employment, undergraduate experience, achievement of general education objectives, personal development, community participation, and satisfaction of campus support services (e.g., Advising, Financial Aid, Career Center). This instrument is for both associate and bachelor degree graduates and will be administered on an annual basis in October. The Fall 2002 semester is the second year of administering the survey (Exhibit 2.11).

Community Summits. In Fall 2000 and Spring 2001, the faculty were actively engaged in the development of GBC’s third baccalaureate degree program—the BA in Integrative and Professional Studies—and were meeting with the community leaders in Elko, Ely, and Winnemucca to elicit feedback on the needs of the employers (business and industry, non-profit organizations, and local governments) in terms of student competencies and proficiencies. The results of the community summits not only reinforced the College’s general education objectives, but also provided a dialogue between the College and service area communities about the areas of concentration for the new baccalaureate degree that are tied directly to community workforce needs.

Educational Program and Its Effectiveness Assessment of Employer and Workforce Needs. In order to determine the needs of the local workforce and be responsive to the changing needs of business and industry, the academic programs have advisory groups that consist of College faculty and representatives from primary employers such as the hospital, mines, casinos, and public sector. For example, the Northeastern Nevada Professional Development Program is a consortium of GBC’s service area school districts—Elko, Eureka, Humboldt, Lander, and White Pine. President Paul Killpatrick serves as the chair, and each of the county superintendents represents their school district. The consortium meets on a quarterly basis, providing for ongoing communication between GBC’s elementary education program and service area school districts.

Another example of the formal assessment of the workforce needs in northeastern Nevada is the Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) Advisory Group. The mining companies, the regional hospital, and primary employers along with faculty are represented on the Advisory Group, convening meetings on a quarterly basis to ensure that the curriculum is being responsive to the dynamic workforce.

December 2001 Elementary Education Program Graduate Survey. Similar to the focus group session, an in-house survey, based on the recommendation from the evaluators from the Nevada Department of Education, was developed by the College. The survey utilized a double Likert scale to determine the importance of the program in terms of preparing the students as teachers who are able to use the INTASC Principles. The survey was distributed to the students in December 2001, and follow-up survey was distributed in January 2002. A total of 11 out of 18 graduates and post-baccalaureate completers responded to the survey for a 61 percent return rate. The following gives a sample of the results:
    • Ten respondents (91 percent) strongly agreed-agreed that the coursework that they took in their endorsement area(s) prepared them in teaching the subject matter.
    • Nine respondents (82 percent) strongly agreed-agreed the clinical-field experiences prepared them for the student teaching internship.
    • Nine respondents (82 percent) strongly agreed-agreed that the program prepared them for the student teaching internship.
    • EDUC 362, Teaching Science, Grades K-8 was ranked as the best methods course that prepared the students to master the INTASC Principles.
    • Ten respondents (91 percent) strongly agreed-agreed that the integrative seminars provided them with baseline knowledge in their endorsement area(s).

Since this is a graduate survey from the first graduating baccalaureate class, the data will provide the foundation for baseline information on program graduates. Overall, the focus groups have become a popular method for the College to receive feedback on academic programs and support services. The Office of Institutional Research and Assessment assisted the Teacher Education Committee (TEC) by convening a focus group in Fall 2002 and administering a graduate survey to the May 2002 class.

Educational Program and Its EffectivenessMulti-media Digital Portfolio (MMDP). The ability of the College to demonstrate program accountability is linked to multiple student outcomes. As well as student surveys, focus groups, standardized testing, evaluations, employer satisfaction, and number of students employed, an innovative approach the Multi-Media Digital Portfolio (Exhibit 2.12), which is currently being used by elementary education students. Assessment of degree objectives includes the review of a student’s progress by an adviser, essay-based examinations of performance, demonstrated ability in the use of information technologies, acquisition of skills in concentration areas, faculty and peer evaluation of writing and speaking competence, satisfactory completion of an appropriate professional internship, exit interviews, and the submission of an academic portfolio for faculty review. The MMDP, an innovative resource for faculty-oriented assessment as a student-referenced record of personal achievement, is “burned” to a compact disc. It includes a resume that provides GBC students a competitive edge in job searches.

The MMDP is a student-assembled work that dramatically presents a student’s academic preparation and job readiness. It may incorporate videotaped references from professors and employers, contains material a student wishes to include as evidence of growth and development of skills and knowledge. MMDPs have recently been introduced in higher education, and GBC can offer this advantage to its students at a low cost and at a high level of effectiveness for all students. Since their introduction, the electronic portfolios have evolved over the last three years in response to student and local school district feedback to improve the portfolios. Currently, the students’ portfolios are beginning to represent their entire college experience. Artifacts are closely linked to INTASC Principles demonstrating growth and proficiency in ten principles.

Overall, the digital portfolios have become an excellent way to measure the students’ technical proficiency with various software and computer applications. The development and maintenance of a portfolio will be required of students in the program. This portfolio is used by advisers and faculty to assess student progress in fulfilling program expectations, and it provides the basis for the students to assemble an individualized Multi-Media Digital Portfolio (MMDP). Completion of the MMDP has become part of the capstone experience for students in the elementary education program.

Program Reviews. Program reviews are an ongoing part of academic planning process and institutional effectiveness model at GBC. Program reviews address structure, instruction, curricula, format, and currency of programs. They are submitted to the UCCSN Board of Regents on a periodic basis. No program reviews are required for 2002-2003 due to the upcoming full-scale accreditation visit in Spring 2003.

Revised by the Academic Standards Committee, the program review guidelines (Exhibit 2.13) have established a procedure, a timeline, a data collection process, and a mission statement in regards to each program relationship to the overall college mission. The data collected include feedback from graduate surveys, performance of transfer students at four-year institutions, measures of employer satisfaction, etc. The Academic Vice President is the key administrator involved in this process. Copies of recent program reviews are available in Exhibit 2.14.

Focus Groups. In coordination with the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment and Career Center, faculty have convened focus groups to solicit feedback from students on the College’s academic programs, general education courses, and support services. The following focus groups were convened during the last year:
• BA in Elementary Education (Fall 2001)
• Manpower Training Cooperative, Inc. (Spring 2002)
• AA and AAS in Nursing (Summer 2002)
• BA in Integrative and Professional Studies (Fall 2002)

The most recent focus group was convened with students enrolled in the BA in Integrative and Professional Studies program. The focus group was also held via interactive video with students at sites in Battle Mountain, Elko, Ely, and Winnemucca. In the focus groups, the students highlighted the following:

• Connection between their general education courses to upper-division coursework in areas of concentration.
• Application of what was learned in class to their current jobs.
• Appreciation of the individual attention as a result of small class sizes.

Planning
In Spring 2003, Great Basin College faculty, staff, administration, and service area community leaders school districts, business and industry, local government, and non-profit organizations will embark on a 20/20 strategic planning process. At the President’s Council retreat in December 2002, the integration of the results of the General Education Committee was discussed. The recognition by President’s Council of the benefits associated with utilizing the results from the assessment of the general education core curriculum for strategic planning illustrates the importance of learning outcomes that reflect larger institutional values. These values are being incorporated into the upcoming campus planning and decision making processes.

Analysis of Educational Program Planning and Assessment

STRENGTHS
• Utilization of student, course, and program information from the data-enrollment management warehouse.
• Realization of the importance of assessing the effectiveness of general education.
• The Multi-Media Digital Portfolio (MMDP) for students in the Elementary Education Program as documentation of student success and accomplishments of meeting the INTASC Principles.
• Usefulness of the range of assessment data for the College’s upcoming 20/20 strategic planning efforts.

CHALLENGES
• Using the data-enrollment management warehouse to its fullest capacity.
• Integrating student learning outcomes into the total assessment program for GBC.
• Limited resources for faculty reassignment time to focus on assessment-related activities for
long-term sustainability, organization, and continued faculty support.
• Communicating assessment results to various campus constituencies to be used in planning.

RECOMMENDATIONS/ACTION ITEMS
• Continue to work with faculty, staff, administration, and students to enhance the assessment culture that systematically integrates the findings from campus educational program planning and assessment activities. The General Education Committee is currently utilizing an effective and manageable framework that could be considered.
• Establish institutional benchmarks in the Academic Master Plan for educational program planning and assessment activities for Academic Goal No. 1 and Goal No. 2.
• Provide the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment with the long-term resources to fully implement the data-enrollment management warehouse to maximize its effectiveness and to assist faculty (e.g., General Education Committee) with assessment contributions to ongoing assessment activities and student retention and persistence initiatives.
• Publish student learning outcomes for the College’s program in course catalogs and post on the website.

The Complete Document for this section is located here and is in a PDF Format.