Administrative Support

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Administration in both the College of Agriculture and the College of Human Sciences as well as in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition demonstrate support for assessment activities by providing opportunities for faculty to learn about and discuss issues in outcomes assessment, and by asking faculty to report on their assessment activities.

Workshops organized by the department Curriculum and Outcomes Assessment Committees and by the ad hoc committee FSHNComm receive the enthusiastic support of the department chair. Reports of the Outcomes Assessment Committee are regular components of the annual department retreat, where faculty are encouraged to comment to the committee on suggestions for future improvements and areas of focused study.

Faculty members are encouraged by both department and college administration to attend college-wide meetings and workshops devoted to outcomes assessment.

Administration supports the value of outcomes assessment by requesting progress reports on assessment activities from individual faculty members at the time of their annual reviews with the department chair.  The FSHN Student Learning Outcomes reports from faculty are reviewed by the associate department chair and the Outcomes Assessment Committee chair and summarized in a report to the Curriculum Committee and faculty..

Administrative support is also demonstrated by providing the Outcomes Assessment Committee the opportunity to report to the department’s external advisory committee at the time of its annual visit, and by encouraging implementation of recommendations the advisory committee may make.

While there is no separate budget line in the department for support of assessment activities, the associate department chair, the academic adviser, and the department secretary assigned to academic programs all have assessment activities listed as part of their job descriptions.

Public recognition of faculty and staff efforts in assessment activities is mostly verbal, in faculty meetings and retreats at which assessment is discussed. Private recognition of individual accomplishments and efforts is given by the department chair and associate department chair in their annual review meetings with faculty and instructional staff, with follow-up written summaries.

No release time is granted to faculty to devote to assessment. Rather, it is expected that each faculty member will incorporate appropriate assessment methods into his/her course(s). A faculty development workshop on writing and evaluating course outcomes was held in August 2002 for FSHN faculty and staff through the efforts of the FSHNComm ad hoc committee.  Additional faculty development workshops were held:  critical thinking in October 2004 and April 2005 and reflective writing in 2006.

Position descriptions for the associate department chair and the academic adviser include assessment activities. As new faculty join the department and as position descriptions for current faculty are rewritten, assessment will be explicitly stated as part of instructional duties.

Because the associate department chair is a member of the FSHN Curriculum Committee and chairs the FSHN Outcomes Assessment Committee, implementation and improvement strategies developed by these committees automatically have administration involvement and approval.

Revised 23 May 2006