Program Assessment Contributes to Teaching and Service Accomplishments in Faculty Annual Review
January opens the new year and begins the annual review process for faculty, a time to reflect on and report accomplishments of the past year. ATL joins university leadership in valuing the contributions faculty make as they engage in assessment activities that advance student learning in undergraduate courses and curricula.
Beginning in 2018, updates to WSU’s faculty manual provide a mechanism to recognize faculty participation in assessment in the annual review process, as part of Teaching or Service accomplishments, depending on the activity. This update aligns with the university’s EPPM policies on assessment, which include recognizing assessment work in annual review at all levels.
We encourage faculty to familiarize themselves with the changes related to reporting participation in program assessment as part of Teaching and Service accomplishments in annual review; see pages 40-43 of the 2018-2019 Faculty Manual, with additions highlighted, along with the examples provided below. For additional information about faculty annual review, see the full 2018-2019 Faculty Manual.
Teaching: Updates to the Teaching section of the 2018-2019 Faculty Manual clarify the value of faculty participation in program/or UCORE assessment as teaching activities. We encourage faculty to report their participation in program and/or UCORE assessment activities using the “Other Teaching” field in the Teaching section of Activity Insight. Examples might include:
- Developed program-level learning outcomes for a degree program or UCORE
- Mapped curriculum to degree-level learning outcomes
- Developed an assessment measure to score student work on degree-level or UCORE learning outcomes
- Collected and scored student work on degree-level learning outcomes
- Engaged in faculty discussions and programmatic decision-making about assessment results
- Designed/refined course(s) or teaching strategies in relation to program-level or UCORE learning outcomes
- Pursued professional development activities related to assessment of student learning (e.g., normed on a rubric; attended presentations or workshops on assessment or assignment design; participated in a faculty learning community related to assessment or assignment design)
- Trained or mentored other faculty in the assessment of student learning
- Used results of program assessment or activities to refine courses or teaching strategies
- Collaborated with colleagues on curricular changes related to assessment results
Service: Updates to the Service section of the 2018-2019 Faculty Manual clarify the value of coordinating program and/or UCORE assessment, or serving on related committees, as service activities. We encourage faculty assessment coordinators to report their work managing program assessment in the Service section of Activity Insight. Examples might include:
- Developed and/or implemented the program’s assessment plan; coordinate assessment efforts and logistics with faculty participation across all campuses offering the degree
- Liaised with chair and departmental committee, faculty, and support offices
- Analyzed results and prepared them for discussion by chair, faculty and curriculum committee
- Prepared annual assessment report for WSU; archived assessment results and documents for the department/program
Attention by faculty, chairs, and directors is needed to operationalize these policies, as, over time, the university academic community becomes familiar with these changes in the Faculty Manual and understands that these activities should count in annual review of faculty.
ATL extends its appreciation to the many faculty and assessment coordinators who contribute to program-level assessment for their degree programs; through these activities and uses of data, faculty can collaboratively develop, maintain, and improve an effective curriculum that promotes student learning. Our undergraduate education is stronger for your efforts, and annual review can now better recognize those important contributions.