About Mansfield's Assessment Committee

We are a committee appointed by the President that facilitates the assessment and continuous improvement of student learning by identifying and encouraging sound assessment practices at university-wide, department, and program levels.

In addition to co-chairs (currently Peter A. Keller, PhD, Professor of Psychology; and Nancy Cooledge, PhD, Associate Provost), our membership includes:

• A representative from the President's cabinet.
• A diverse group of eight faculty with appropriate skills and knowledge about assessment, who are appointed by the president.
• Support staff from the office of institutional research.
• Two students appointed by the President.

We accomplish our mission by:

• Encouraging meaningful assessment practices that effectively measure improvement of all of Mansfield University's efforts to meet its mission.
• Supporting and serving as a resource for departments as they identify and measure learning outcomes.
• Cooperating and collaborating with other groups interested in planning (e.g., the University Planning Committee and the Academic Planning Committee), assessment, and continuous improvement.
• Actively educating the campus community about sound assessment practices.
• Monitoring, influencing, and interpreting State System of Higher Education assessment initiatives and activities.
• Identifying and disseminating model assessment practices and resources that may meet the needs of Mansfield University's various programs.

Why We Assess...

Among faculty who often feel over burdened by a multitude of demands, several questions are often asked in relation to assessment. For example, why should we assess our programs? We test our students in all of our courses. Why should we be expected to do more? The questions are fair, and there are a variety of answers.

What should we be able to say about the students who have completed a program? Certainly it should be more than that they passed the courses. Should we also not be able to answer questions such as, how did the program change the ways they think or behave? What knowledge, skills, or new perspectives on the world did they gain from the program? How are they different now from when they entered the program? Finally, how do we know these things? Are these conclusions for which others should take our word, or is there evidence of the gains students make from their learning in a program?

At various times the members of our Assessment Committee have discussed these and similar questions. The points that follow are some of the reasons for assessment that we uncovered.

• We can use self-study to support planning for our programs and the university.
• We can modify our curricula to improve student learning and experiences.
• We can be accountable as an institution.
• We can improve our management efficiency.
• We can graduate satisfied and well-prepared students.
• Parents will feel assured that the quality of our programs is worth the cost.
• Middle States will recognize our excellence where appropriate.
• Legislators and the public will be satisfied with our effectiveness.
• Our faculty will improve their teaching.
• Our managers will improve their leadership.
• We will always know what to improve.
• We will have the facts.
• We will be more effective at recruiting students because of the evidence we generate.
• We will identify important accomplishments to celebrate.

View the varied forms of assessment currently being used by academic programs at Mansfield: Assessment Techniques Currently Used