The Assessment Plan as it had been written in 1999
consisted of a course-embedded assessment model keyed to eleven general
education outcomes. The conceptual framework appropriate, the rubrics designed
to assess student outcome objectives appear in the Appendix of the 1999 Plan.
However, with administrative turnover and the departure of the half-time
assessment coordinator in fall 2000, the Plan was never fully implemented to the
level of analysis and feedback. There is evidence that individual faculty
continued to gather data but with nowhere for it to go, some of it remained in
faculty offices. There is also evidence that when divisions were formed in the
spring of 2001, discussions occurred with suggestions to revise and improve the
1999 Plan.
To address the need to provide coordination for the
course-embedded model and analysis and reporting of assessment results, a
fulltime assessment coordinator was hired and reported for work during the last
week of the spring 2002 semester. The new assessment coordinator came directly
from an accredited institution of higher education and has had considerable
experience with assessment, computer technology, expectations of accreditation,
and the administrative database software.
In June 2002, the academic dean and the assessment
coordinator attended an assessment workshop sponsored by the North Dakota Tribal
Colleges group. The keynote speaker, Dr. Barbara Taylor, provided valuable
information regarding accreditation, assessment, and continuous improvement as
modeled in AQIP.
The analysis contained in this Monitoring Report had been prepared by the new assessment coordinator with considerable support by the administration through collaboration with the academic dean and supervision of the president. This report has gone through a minimum of seven drafts over the summer with feedback and revision by the academic dean and president. During the summer, the assessment coordinator has made significant progress gathering data and evidence regarding assessment at LCO College. Beginning with the Fall Semester Orientation, the academic dean and assessment coordinator have begun the academic year with special emphasis on assessment in the context of the self-study and the expectations of the Higher Learning Commission.