SACS may key in on evaluation
If the university cannot show documentation of how evaluations are used to improve departments and what is expected of graduates, then TCU could be found inadequate with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools visiting team, said Melissa Canady, director of assessment.

“Evaluations are used to find out how the university is meeting the goals and objectives that we are setting,” Canady said.

An Academic Program Assessment Plan was established in 2001 to evaluate to what extent the university meets the requirements set by the self-study report, said Bob Vigeland, chairman of Institutional Purpose and Effectiveness. The academic program assessment results will be collected every two years after the first year, he said.

“This program started only fairly recently so I don’t think it’s far enough along to show a huge improvement,” Vigeland said. “We don’t have all the documentation needed to show the SACS visiting team, but because of the program we will have some.”

The academic program assessment has several requirements, Canady said. Each department must show that they have a defined purpose and expectations for students upon graduation, she said.

Canady said one instance of a department defining student expectations could be AddRan College of Humanities and Social Sciences stating that graduates should be able to think critically. The English department could say that students should be able to critically analyze a text, Canady said suggested. Ways for the English department to ensure that students acquire the skills would be for students to take certain classes, she said.

“The assessment plans provide an opportunity for our department to focus on what’s important for students when they graduate,” said Bill Ryan, chairman of the communication sciences and disorders department. “It’s a way for us to show what students are accomplishing in communication sciences and disorders.”

The university has to come up with ways to evaluate the departments to show what steps are being taken to achieve the purpose and objectives, Canady said. The results of the evaluation must be used to improve and develop the program, Canady said.

“The process is not only to show what the mission statements and purposes are, it is to see how well we are meeting the goals and objectives set by the departments,” Canady said.

Jennifer Higa, a professor of psychology, said it is hard to find a common issue being addressed when evaluations are returned.

“Everything now seems to be outcome based,” Higa said. “If you have a set of objectives you must document what you have done to achieve them.”

Bonnie Melhart, director of SACS self-study, said the self-study report is vital for the university to receive reaccrediation from SACS, because it is the outline for the visiting committee to review the campus.

skiffletters@tcu.edu