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Georgia Tech Office of Assessment: 2004 Assessment Plan

Office of Assessment Mission:

Consistent with the Institute mission of providing leadership, advancing innovation, providing an ethical and well-managed administration, and ensuring effective use of entrusted resources, the Office of Assessment at Georgia Tech exists to:

• provide information and technical expertise to assist academic and other units at all levels in measuring and improving student learning and outcomes;
• facilitate continuous improvement of academic and administrative processes at GT;
• develop and disseminate best practices for enabling continuous organizational learning and development;
• provide a focal point for the Institute’s accountability to stakeholders;
• provide expertise for proposal development and evaluation expertise for funded projects internal and external to Georgia Tech on a cost recovery basis; and
• accumulate, generate, maintain, communicate and disseminate institutional information to support assessment and general awareness of student learning.

Expected Impact #1: Academic Programs at Georgia Tech will have in place and will utilize an annual update process for demonstrating institutional effectiveness in all degree programs

Evaluation strategy 1a: Evaluate extent to which schools and colleges comply with annual assessment reporting requirements

Evaluation strategy 1b: Evaluate the quality of assessment information provided in those reports.

Evaluation strategy 1c: Evaluate the quality of undergraduate and graduate assessment plans developed.

Expected Impact #2: Georgia Tech will have in place and will utilize a scheduled, systematic process of academic program review for all academic programs.

Evaluation strategy 2a: Annually evaluate compliance with the program review cycle as given to USG Board of Regents.

Evaluation strategy 2b: Annually evaluate the extent to which assessment is made a central feature of program reviews that are performed at GT.

Evaluation strategy 2c: Annually evaluate perception of those involved in reviews as to their utility in making improvements.

Evaluation strategy 2d: Annually evaluate the extent to which recommendations are being carried out and a “closed loop” is in evidence.

Expected Impact #3: Customers of the Office of Assessment will experience prompt and informed responses to their requests for data, consultation, and services related to institutional assessment. The Office of Assessment will meet and exceed user needs for assessment information.

Evaluation strategy 3a: A user survey will be used and included as an attachment for each deliverable to a customer of the Office of Assessment.

Evaluation strategy 3b: Cycle time will be tracked through a project tracking system.

Evaluation strategy 3c: An advisory board will be formed and will be asked to recommend actions.

Evaluation Strategy 3d: In a triennial electronic survey of users, the GT Office of Assessment will be judged as providing quality information and timely analyses of relevant assessment issues at GT.

Expected Impact #4: Faculty Principal Investigators will experience expert service in preparation of funding proposals.

Evaluation Strategy 4a: In an annual analysis of electronic survey feedback from users, the GT Office of Assessment will be judged as providing quality information and timely analyses of relevant assessment issues at GT.

Expected Impact #5: The Office of Assessment at Georgia Tech will provide expertise on evaluation for proposal development, will evaluate funded projects, and will be an acknowledged leader in funded higher education program evaluation within the State of Georgia.

Objective 5a: The Office of Assessment will provide proposal development expertise.

Evaluation Strategy 5a: Number of proposals on which the office assists each year; number of successful proposals.

Objective 5b: The Office of Assessment will provide evaluation of funded projects within and without GT and will become an acknowledged leader in funded higher education program evaluation within the State of Georgia.

Evaluation Strategy 5b: Number of funded projects under contract; dollar volume generated; number of projects evaluated internally/externally; topical and geographic dispersion of funded evaluations; benchmark with other contract evaluation organizations and units.

Expected Impact #6: The Office of Assessment at Georgia Tech will provide a comprehensive information resource on assessment, and will actively disseminate assessment findings around the campus to raise the level of awareness regarding assessment issues and practices.

Objective 6a: Develop, maintain and continually expand a longitudinal data base of student assessment and performance information; use for assessment studies.

Evaluation strategy 6a: Number of studies conducted annually using this database.

Objective 6b: Develop, maintain and continually expand assessment website contents and website functionality, featuring in-depth information on assessment practices and a network of links to other assessment resources at GT and worldwide.

Evaluation strategy 6b: User feedback will be sought directly on the site. Comments received on web site will be collected and continually evaluated.

Objective 6c: Disseminate knowledge of how to assess technology-enhanced educational programs through assessment newsletter and through campus presentations.

Evaluation strategy 6c 1): Assess impact of newsletter through user survey every 2 years.

Evaluation strategy 6c 2): Analyze use of best-practice assessment methods and techniques for assessing technology-enhanced programs as reflected in assessment updates posted to OATS

Objective 6d: Disseminate knowledge of best practices in authentic performance assessment for direct measurement of major-specific and general education skills in the disciplines.

Evaluation strategy 6d: analyze use of best-practice assessment methods and techniques as reflected in assessment updates posted to OATS.