| Planning
The
Mission of
Plymouth State University is central to its planning efforts
at every level across campus. In 1997 The University
Planning Committee (CPC) developed a Strategic
Plan (published 1999). The Strategic Plan,
updated annually, serves as our Expanded Statement
of Institutional Purpose . During the
academic year 2000-01, Academic Departments developed
program plans that were directly linked to the Institutional
Mission and to the Strategic Plan of the College.
Assessment
Plymouth State University is committed to determining its institutional
effectiveness. In January of 1999 the President appointed
an Assessment
Task Force to 1) inventory current PSU assessment activities;
2) investigate best practices in assessment; 3) review model
college-wide assessment programs at institutions comparable
to PSU; 4) solicit PSU faculty and staff input in identifying
PSU-specific learning outcomes; 5) develop and recommend
an administrative structure for operations of the assessment
program. The Assessment Task Force forwarded their
recommendations to the President in April 2000.
As a result of the Assessment Task Force recommendations,
the office of Institutional Research was developed in the
fall of 2000, a Director of IR was appointed and in September
2002 the Associate Vice President was assigned oversight
of Institutional Assessment. An Assessment
Advisory Group was formed to oversee institutional assessment
activities and to provide assistance to academic departments
as they create and implement program assessment plans.
Academic Departments are charged with the following:
| Fall 2002 |
Departments identified broad goals for the
major/program and intended student outcomes
|
| Spring 2003 |
Departments developed assessment plans
- means of assessment
- criteria for success
- for “closing the loop* ”
*when/how will data be used. |
| Annually, beginning
fall 2003 |
Implement assessment plans
- Begin data collection
- Summarize data collected
|
Annually,
April - Sept |
Review data and make recommendations
for program improvement; revise department goals and
intended student outcomes |
|
