1. Assessment-driven Core Reform
Dmitriy Krichevskiy, Brian Newsome,
Fletcher McClellan

2. Session outcomes Audience members will learn how to
Gain faculty support for the initiation of Core assessment
Foster a collaborative process of Core reform
Confront unforeseen challenges and maintain momentum on both Core assessment and Core reform

3. Background: Institutional Learning goals at Elizabethtown College
Adopted in 2007, Elizabethtown’s Institutional Learning Goals (ILGs) state that students will be able to:
Assume responsibility for their intellectual development, personal growth and well-being.
Reason, analyze and engage in critical thinking.
Demonstrate thoughtful and articulate communication by applying knowledge in a variety of contexts, including writing, speaking, listening and interpretation.
Understand the creative process and its role in human expression, and cultivate the ability to make informed aesthetic judgments.
Navigate diverse cultural worldviews and perspectives, with the realization that differing frames of reference influence analysis, communication and behavior.
Make reflective ethical decisions and act with integrity to seek just outcomes with relationships, communities and society.
Apply and integrate different strands of learning and comprehend interconnections in the process of gaining knowledge and experience.
Identify and cultivate a sense of purpose that inspires a commitment to meaningful work in service to society.

4. The core program
Elizabethtown’s general education or Core Program includes one common course – First-Year Seminar – and 10 courses in 8 Areas of Understanding:
Power of Language – 2 courses
English (composition)
Modern or Ancient Language
Mathematical Analysis
Creative Expression
Humanities
Western Cultural Heritage
Non-Western Cultural Heritage
Social Science
Natural and Physical Science – 2 courses
At least one of the non-POL courses must be intensive writing

5. Middle states assessment mandate: 2009
Following an institutional self-study and external review in , Middle States reaccredited Elizabethtown but required that the College submit a progress letter by spring 2011 that documented compliance with Standards 7 (Institutional Assessment) and 14 (Assessment of Student Learning)
To comply, the College needed to:
Align ILGs with Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) at the program (curricular and co-curricular) and course levels
Gather authentic evidence of student learning at the course, program and institutional levels
Use the results to improve educational programs and instruction
The progress letter was accepted by Middle States in spring In December 2012 the College was invited to present its assessment program at the annual Middle States conference.

6. Getting started Educational Assessment Committee Core Committee
Coordinated faculty development seminars
Spearheaded department-level assessment
“Just do something”
Core Committee
Writing in the First-Year Seminar
Fall 2010: revealed significant deficiencies and led to reform
Fall 2011: indicated new measures worked
Lessons learned from St. Olaf College, AAC&U, Spring 2011
Pilot Program for Natural and Physical Sciences,

7. Discussion
How have you—how would you—initiate Core assessment?

8. Moving forward Other units assessed: Power of Language – English
Power of Language – Other
Math
Western Cultural Heritage
Non-Western Cultural Heritage
Humanities
First Year Seminar

9. Closing the feedback loop
Student performance assessment
Student Learning Outcomes reassessment
Methods revisions
Teaching recommendations
Curriculum recommendations

10. Recent challenges Writing in the First-Year Seminar, Fall 2014
Absence of “anchor” papers
Elaborate weighting system
Results:
2010
2011
2014
Thesis/Purpose Statement
75.4
85.1 91
Content
59.3
74.2 80
Logic and organization
57.3
67.0 81
Use of Sources
61.8
74.0 82
Citations
63.4
72.5 60
Grammar and Style
48.2
55.8 54

11. Pushing the envelope of reform: Interdisciplinary colloquium
Working with EAC, the Core Committee accumulated evidence of adequate but not exceptional student performance in ILGs 2 (critical thinking) and 7 (applying and integrating learning, developing interconnections)
In addition, a majority of faculty surveyed in 2011 believed that the Core Program did not promote integrative learning effectively
To address these concerns, Core Committee proposed in spring 2015 an Interdisciplinary Colloquium (IC) of topical, team-taught courses, aimed mainly at sophomores and juniors, that would satisfy two AUs and the intensive writing requirement
After faculty reaction and discussion, Core Committee will submit a revised IC proposal in fall 2015

12. Closing the Feedback loop
What have you done—what could you do—to close the feedback loop?