1. 1 Outcomes-Driven Program Assessment as a Component of Sustainable Development at an Innovative College ABET Best Assessment Practices Symposium April 25-26, 2008 – Atlanta, GA

2. 2 4-year, State College in the University System of Georgia Authorized by GA Legislature in May 2005 President hired in September 2005 Campus opened with 118 students and 10 faculty in August 2006 Current headcount is 876 students and 90 faculty Offers 4 degree programs: BS in Information Technology; BS in Biology; BS in Psychology; BBA in Business Home of the Grizzlies!

3. 3 Reimagining Higher Education for the 21 st Century Commitment at every level to student learning and effectiveness Institutional focus on interdisciplinary/ integrated education Openness to going “outside the box” – provided there is a plan for assessment Created the opportunity for a ground-up design of an INSTITUTIONAL assessment plan

4. 4 Designing Assessment In from the Beginning Listening and looking for best practices –Alverno –West Point –AAC&U General Education Conference 2007 –ABET/Gloria Rogers Major overarching points –Faculty commitment is critical –Cross-disciplinary discussion is critical –Requires a serious investment of time and resources

5. 5 In order to get “…ongoing, integrated, and institution-wide research-based planning and evaluation processes…[SACS]” for our academic programs we needed: –Structure and resources –Faculty involvement –Consensus and agreement

6. 6 Initial Efforts (2006-07) Program level student learning outcomes and assessment plans General Education curriculum designed around student learning outcomes Agreement to develop and assess for institutional student learning outcomes Agreement to integrate curricular and co- curricular student learning efforts Leading to: Integrated Educational Experience (IEE) Student Learning Outcome Goals for GGC

7. 7 Structure and Resources IEE Goal Team Interdisciplinary Operationally define & plan assessment(s) Integrated review of program findings IEE Assessment Review Committee Goal Team Chairs, Dean, Dir of IE Communication Integrated review of IEE assessment results Assessment Steering Committee Review Committee Chairs, VPASA, Other VP Reps Integrated review of all assessment results Strategic analysis of results; impact on strategic plans Administrative Review Committee General Education Committee General Education Goal Teams Program Goal Teams

8. 8 Benefits To Date 100% of current faculty are engaged in thinking about and discussing assessment Substantive discussion about Student Learning Outcomes Deepening awareness of value and role of student learning outcomes in course design and assessment Expanding awareness of issues and concerns of faculty in other disciplines Building common vocabulary about learning and assessment Emerging interest in and commitment to Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

9. 9 Articulating the initial task of the Goal Teams: To operationally define each Student Learning Outcome Managing expectations Implementing program-level assessment plans while still developing the institutional framework Challenges to Date

10. 10 Linking Outcomes Integrated Educational Experience General Education Program Goals Course Goals Lesson Objectives Non-Academic Activities

11. 11 IT Program Goals Common IT Program Goals Demonstrate a strong foundation in mathematics and science, and apply this fundamental knowledge to solving IT problems Work as individuals and as members of a collaborative team that solve IT problems. Demonstrate competence in effectively communicating technical information using oral, written, and digital presentation techniques Demonstrate a desire and ability to continuously refine their computing knowledge and skills and learn to use new tools and processes Demonstrate a working knowledge of multiple programming languages and system environments Demonstrate knowledge in the design, implementation, and improvement of network and database systems Have a strong foundation in business and management theory and practices and be able to apply this foundational knowledge to solving IT problems Evaluate, propose and implement plans for effective use of information technology within organizations Demonstrate knowledge of enterprise management in a heterogeneous environment Identify information system requirements for a client and then develop information systems that meet those requirements Demonstrate a working knowledge of security practices to optimize information assurance Demonstrate a knowledge of current legal requirements for information and system security Effectively apply software development practice over the entire lifecycle of a design project including the analysis, prototyping, design, implementation, and testing of the new design Use software tools effectively in all phases of software development Demonstrate knowledge of algorithms, operating systems, theory of computation, and computer architecture Business Track Systems and Security Track Software Development Track

12. 12 Assessment Data as a Basis of GGC Strategic Analysis Factual Data Constituent Input Societal trends and issues Higher education trends and issues GGC’s opportunities and challenges Best practices/other universities’ plans SACS and ABET Strategic Choice, Strategic Framework Vision, Mission Institutional Goals Strategic Analysis Strategic Implementation Action areas and activities Faculty Board of Regents Foundation Board Community Business Operating Principles Strategic priorities Assessment Data

13. 13 Sustainable Development Traditionally, the challenge of sustainable development is to reach some balance among several components: economical aspects, social aspects, institutional (administrative) aspects, environmental aspects, and strategy of growth Sustainable development requires a quantitative approach to analyze the set of problems

14. 14 Sustainable Development

15. 15 According to UN universities, colleges, and other higher education institutions can contribute to sustainable development in several ways: –First, by giving sustainable development a place in all university and research programs. –Second, by playing an important role as local knowledge centers for sustainable development. –Third, by making sustainable development a leading principle in their own logistics and management processes Sustainable Development

16. 16 Why Simulation? The Benefits of Simulation: 1. Simulation Provides a Virtual Way for Doing System Experimentation 2. Develop A Thorough Understanding of the Behavior of a System 3. Evaluate Various System Operating Strategies Without : Building the system, Disturbing the system (operating system which is costly and/or unsafe to experiment with it), Destroying the system (if it is required to determine its limits of stress).

17. 17 Model Building

18. 18 Initial Model Data Specification Principal Variables Selection Initial Description Abstraction Interpretation Real World of the Investigator Real-world Object A Particular College System Formalized Environment of the Investigator Hierarchical Levels of Models Simulation Model Formalization of the System

19. 19 Scenarios of Simulation Experiments Efficiency Criteria, Constraints Hierarchical Models of the System and Subject Simulation Model Principal Variables Selection Options of Structural Solutions Investigator Design SolutionsSubject Description Recommendations Environment of the Investigator Formal Simulation Environment Abstraction Interpretation Simulation for Systems Analysis and Design

20. 20 The GGC System Boundaries Gwinnet County Market and Community University System of Georgia Gwinnet County Administration Gwinnet County Environment Students Faculty College Economics Administration Structure Computer Systems College Facilities

21. 21 Set of Simulation Models for Analysis and Planning of Sustainability of GGC College Monitoring Systems Students Database Computer Systems Database Faculty Database Administration Structure Database College Facilities Database College Economics Database Faculty Computer Systems Students College Economics College Facilities Administration Structure College Administration Innovative College Systems goals, criteria, constrains, set of strategies Simulation Management Team Simulation Scenarios Simulation Models and Calculations Decision Support System Strategy of the college sustainable development Local Community and MarketGovernment and Local Administration Local Environment

22. 22 Outcomes-Driven Program Assessment as a Component of GGC Sustainable Development Simulation Model Hierarchy Initial Model of Subject Domain Data specification Initial description of the students Data Channels Students Subject Domain ProjectsPresentationsAssignmentsTests GGC Courses goals GGC IT Program goals Data Model of Subject Domain Next level of model hierarchy

23. 23 GGC IT Program Outcome Goals Bachelor of Science – Information Technology Major Concentration – Systems and Security Program Outcome Goals Graduates who complete the Information Technology Major (Systems & Security Concentration) will be able to: PG1. Demonstrate a strong foundation in mathematics and science, and apply this fundamental knowledge to solving IT problems PG2. Work as individuals and as members of a collaborative team that solve IT problems. PG3. Demonstrate competence in effectively communicating technical information using oral, written, and digital presentation techniques PG4. Demonstrate a desire and ability to continuously refine their computing knowledge and skills and learn to use new tools and processes PG5. Demonstrate a working knowledge of multiple programming languages and system environments PG6. Demonstrate knowledge in the design, implementation, and improvement of network and database systems PG7. Identify information system requirements for a client and then develop information systems that meet those requirements PG8. Demonstrate a working knowledge of security practices to optimize information assurance PG9. Demonstrate a knowledge of current legal requirements for information and system security

24. 24 Outcomes-Driven IT Program Assessment as a Component of Sustainable Development at GGC