CHAPARRAL

INSTITUTIONALIZING ASSESSMENT PRACTICES
by Alice Mecom, SLO Chair

A couple of weeks ago, Kathy McNeese and I drove down to Anaheim for the Strengthening Student Success Conference, where Kathy gave a presentation on using assessments to improve student learning in GCC’s Allied Health program.  She represented us very well—the audience related with the topic, asked lots of questions, and commended Kathy as the workshop came to a close.

     It concerned me to think that Kathy wasn’t able to share her work with any of us here at GCC.  She had been scheduled to present her “best practices” at our faculty meeting last spring, but she was pulled from the agenda without our knowing about it until the meeting was in progress.  Of course, we got an apology, but it was hard not to wonder: Does it mean that we don’t value sharing assessments with our own colleagues?  Could it be that a faculty meeting is just not the right place for such a presentation?  If not, what would be the right venue?  I have seen some of our faculty present both locally and nationally, but not here on our own campus.  Do tell me: Isn’t it strange that we don’t give ourselves the opportunity to routinely share with each other our techniques to improve student learning—especially when our goal is to institutionalize assessment as mandated by the accreditation standards?

     Yes, this article does relate to SLOs.  We should never have called them SLOs in the first place.  The administration asks me, “Alice, how many SLOs do we have?  What can we do to get people to write their SLOs?  We need to get people to turn in more SLOs.”  Most faculty react with the same irritability and frustration they feel when they find that they have to insert a quarter in order to use a public restroom. They go through the motions of sending me their SLOs and then check it off their to-do lists.

     It can’t go on like this. We lack a UNIFIED VISION. An SLO without an assessment cycle is like a question without an answer.  It’s a cause without a result.  And what do we want and need?  ANSWERS.  RESULTS.

     As a college, we are now facing the issue of sustainability.  Apparently, this is a natural and expected phase in SLOAC implementation, and colleges statewide are bending over backwards to find creative, proactive ways to keep SLOACs sustained.  In other words, once we get everyone to write their SLOs and do a few assessments, how do we maintain forward momentum so that our college meets the accreditation expectations as outlined by ACCJC:

• Student learning outcomes and authentic assessment are in place for courses, programs and degrees.

• Results of assessment are being used for improvement and further alignment of institution-wide
  practices.

• There is widespread institutional dialogue about the RESULTS.

• Decision-making includes dialogue on the RESULTS of assessment and is purposefully directed toward improving student learning.

• Appropriate resources continue to be allocated and fine-tuned.

• Comprehensive assessment reports exist and are completed on a regular basis

• Course student learning outcomes are aligned with degree student learning outcomes. 

• Students demonstrate awareness of goals and purposes of courses and programs in which they are enrolled.

     Notice the bolded words above emphasize assessment, results, institutional dialogue, and appropriate resources.  The question is:  Is our institution collectively focused on assessing our SLOs, on finding the answers, on looking for results?  And, are appropriate resources being given to this cause?  My answer to both questions is NO. 

     We have done a decent job of whipping people to the point of achieving a 50% completion rate on the course level.  But if we use the analogy of comparing SLO writing to planting seeds in a garden, we can realize that until people go out and reap the harvest, they are not going to be very enthusiastic about planting the seeds.  Clearly, once the harvest comes in, people will see the benefits and will be motivated to replant for the next season.  It is this viewpoint that other colleges are taking to promote sustainability.  We need to shift gears and change perspective.  We must show people the bounty of the harvest.  How do we do this?

1. We must recognize and reward the assessment work that is being done on campus.

2. We must share with each other the benefits of performing assessment cycles.

3. We must provide examples to each other so that people develop interest, get over their fears (or anger), and become motivated to join the assessment efforts.

     If we provide these opportunities to people. they will be more inclined to participate in student assessments, and they will have a reason behind writing their student learning outcomes.

How do we accomplish the above?  What are other colleges doing?

     We need to provide reserved time to our faculty and staff—Institute Day, "Assessment Fridays," Afternoons of Best Practices.  Other colleges have instituted these activities.  We rely on Staff Development to provide time for this, which is helpful, but there is little sense of institutional support here.  When does the college plan to have dialogue and make action plans in terms of the institutional assessment cycles?  Remember when we all had to align our courses to the seven core competencies?  Are we ever going to talk about that? 

     Other colleges have teams of SLO leaders, stipends for participants, and web designers for their SLO websites.  I know that we are in a budget crisis, so how are these people doing it?  Is it because they see SLOAC implementation as arduous, complex, multi-faceted, and long-term?  Are they more focused on the results of student learning outcomes?

     I hope that together we can refocus our efforts to better address the critical SLOAC issues that exist on our campus.  Our issues are not our fault, and they are definitely not unique to us.  All colleges face the same challenges (resistance, sustainability, tracking, compliance, etc.) but we seem to be weak in terms of allocations of time and people.  I know that I cannot ask for the impossible, but I do ask for acknowledgement and support (in any way, shape, or form) from our institution for those people who are providing the college data on their students' learning—data that the college will have to rely upon in order to meet the planning and budgeting mandates so that we can remain an accredited institution.