Dr. Timothy S. Brophy Director of Institutional Assessment University of Florida GRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL PROGRAM ASSESSMENT PLANS

 Describe and explain SACS accreditation expectations for academic program assessment  Describe and explain the sections of the Graduate and Professional Programs Assessment Plan  Answer questions TODAY’S GOALS

 SACS-COC = the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools’ Commission on Colleges  SACS is the Federally-approved accrediting body for southern region of the US  SACS develops policies and standards that operationalize Federal Regulations  Eligibility for Federal funding (includes NSF, NIH) is tied to our reaffirmation – without accreditation we lose this important funding source WHAT IS SACS AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO BE ACCREDITED?

US DOE US DOE & Office of Postsecondary Education - “Most institutions attain eligibility for federal funds by holding accredited or pre-accredited status with one of the accrediting agencies recognized by the Secretary, in addition to fulfilling other eligibility requirements.”Office of Postsecondary Education Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) - “For USDOE recognition, accreditation from the organization is used by an institution or program to establish eligibility to participate in federal student aid or other federal programs.”CHEA FEDERAL FUNDING ELIGIBILITY: UF MUST BE RECOGNIZED BY THE USDOE

SCOPE OF THE SACS PRINCIPLES 12 Core Requirements 35 subcomponents 14 Comprehensive Standards 73 subcomponents 9 Federal Requirements

 The institution identifies expected outcomes, assesses the extent to which it achieves these outcomes, and provides evidence of improvement based on analysis of the results in each of the following areas: (Institutional effectiveness)  educational programs, to include student learning outcomes SACS STANDARD

An educational program is a coherent set of courses leading to a credential (degree, diploma, or certificate) awarded by the institution. HOW SACS DEFINES EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

There is a clear expectation that an institution be able to demonstrate institutional effectiveness for all its diplomas, certificates, and undergraduate and graduate educational degree programs. The expectation is that the institution will engage in ongoing planning and assessment to ensure that for each academic program, the institution develops and assesses student learning outcomes. EXPECTATIONS FOR ACADEMIC PROGRAM ASSESSMENT

Methods for assessing the extent to which students achieve these outcomes are appropriate to the nature of the discipline, and consistent over time to enable the institution to evaluate cohorts of students who complete courses or a program. At appropriate intervals, program and learning outcomes and assessment methods are evaluated and revised. EXPECTATIONS FOR ACADEMIC PROGRAM ASSESSMENT

 Shared widely within and across programs, the results of this assessment can affirm the institution’s success at achieving its mission and can be used to inform decisions about curricular and programmatic revisions.  (SACSCOC 2012, Resource Manual, EXPECTATIONS FOR ACADEMIC PROGRAM ASSESSMENT

Completion of at least one complete educational program assessment cycle Documented evidence that the “improvement cycle” is complete Evidence and documentation of compliance with all requirements and standards WHAT SACS EXPECTS

Institutional Effectiveness Establish Goals and Outcomes Assessment Planning Implement the Plan and Gather Data Interpret and Evaluate the Data Modify and Improve THE UF ASSESSMENT PROCESS Assessment UF MISSION

Graduate /Professional program Assessment Plan Mission Alignment Student Learning Outcomes Research Assessment Timeline Assessment Cycle Methods and Procedures Assessment Oversight GRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL PROGRAM ASSESSMENT PLAN

SECTIONS OF THE PLAN

Describe briefly the program’s mission, and how the program meets the department, college, and university missions. For example: The mission of the program is to. This aligns with the department mission by It also supports the college mission to. It supports the university mission by. MISSION

 These have been provided in the templates you received in September  The complete file is on the Institutional Assessment website  Graduate SLO categories are Content, Skills, and Professional Behaviors  Online resources:  “Writing Measurable Student Learning Outcomes” PowerPoint  “Guide to Writing Student Learning Outcomes” STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

What are the research expectations for students in your program? Briefly describe the research expectations for students in the degree program. How does your program prepare the students to become researchers in the discipline? If the degree is NOT a research degree, briefly state this, and include a brief description of any research-related activities that students complete in the program. RESEARCH

The Assessment Timeline is a matrix that shows when the SLOs assessed and measured in the program It should be clear to a student when an assessment occurs, and the type of assessment that is planned (assignment, project, paper, performance, presentation, etc.) ASSESSMENT TIMELINE

Assessment SLOs Assessment 1Assessment 2Assessment 3Enter more as needed Content Knowledge #1 #2 Skills #3 #4 Professional Behavior #5 #6 ASSESSMENT TIMELINE Program_____________________________________College ____________________________________

Assessment SLOs Assessment 1Assessment 2 Knowledge Theory and Research MethodsDissertation ProposalDissertation Defense Theory and Research Methods/Classes Upon completion of each advanced- level class Annual Evaluation Skills Completion of conference papers/publications Upon completion of each advanced- level class Annual Evaluation Professional Behavior Ethics/diversity appreciation Upon completion of MMC 6929 Communication Colloquium Service/leadershipAnnual Evaluation TIMELINE SAMPLE – PH.D. IN MASS COMMUNICATIONS Program: Ph.D. in Mass Communication College of Journalism and Communications

Year SLOs Content Knowledge #1 #2 Critical Thinking (Undergrad) Skills (Grad/Prof) #3 #4 Communication (Undergrad) Professional Behavior (Grad/Prof) #5 #6 ASSESSMENT CYCLE Program College_ Analysis and Interpretation: [Enter date or time frame here] Improvement Actions: Completed by [Enter date here] Dissemination: Completed by [Enter date here]

Year SLOs Knowledge Theory and Research MethodsXXXX Theory and Research Methods/ClassesXXXX Skills Completion of conference papers/publicationsXXXX Professional Behavior Ethics/diversity appreciationXXXX Service/leadershipXXXX ASSESSMENT CYCLE SAMPLE – PH.D. IN MASS COMMUNICATIONS Program: Ph.D. in Mass Communication College of Journalism and Communications Analysis and Interpretation: May-June Program Modifications: Completed by August 31 Dissemination: Completed by September 30 Note: Data collection for these assessments will begin in the academic year. We did not collect data in prior years.

Each unit employs various methods and procedures to assess and collect data on student learning. In this section of the plan, units provide information on their specific methods and procedures for the SLO assessments they identify in Assessment Timelines. Include a sample grading rubric. It’s OK to sample your total student population – see the recommended sample size chart on the Institutional Assessment websitesample size chart METHODS AND PROCEDURES

These are the individuals who are responsible for managing the assessment work in your unit List everyone and their contact information The first person on the list should be the lead contact Purpose: ongoing communication ASSESSMENT OVERSIGHT

Timothy S. Brophy, Ph.D. Director, Institutional Assessment 235 Tigert Hall Office of the Provost Phone: QUESTIONS