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What do you think? Students aren't always asked that question, but they're about to be.
Graduating seniors will be given a survey later this spring on their experiences at Saint Louis University. Their answers to various questions will be "meaningfully used to consider changes in curricula, services, activities and facilities," said Dr. Richard Breslin, executive vice president and provost.
The survey is just one small outshoot of the University's overall efforts in the area of "student outcomes assessment."
In recent years, institutions of higher education have experienced strong pressure to demonstrate the effectiveness of their academic programs. This movement has come from many sources, including parents, students, faculty, accrediting bodies, national education agencies and, in some cases, state legislatures. These groups have demanded accountability and verification that fiscal and human resources invested in educational institutions produce high quality education that positively affects students. The use of outcomes assessment of student learning has become an essential tool to improve academic programs.
The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA), the University's regional accrediting agency, has mandated that all its affiliated educational institutions implement student outcomes assessment into all undergraduate, graduate and professional programs.
"Such outcomes assessments are very important and will be an integral part of the University's reaccreditation process with the North Central Association three years from now," Breslin said. "Given Saint Louis University's broad educational goals, student outcomes assessment will involve not only the academic units but educational support services such as student development and campus ministry."
To design and direct these activities, Breslin co-chairs the University's student outcomes assessment process along with Frances Horvath, M.D., dean of the School of Allied Health Professions. Dr. Virginia Lussier serves as the University coordinator for outcomes assessment. The University's academic deans and directors are members of an executive steering committee studying the matter.
The major categories of outcomes to be assessed at Saint Louis University were defined by the executive steering committee. They include the following: intellectual abilities, personal development, spiritual qualities, professional development and social action. These categories form the basis of Saint Louis University's assessment activities that will be carried out by the various units of the University.
In January, Breslin asked the University's deans to accomplish two tasks:
- Appoint a college faculty representative to serve on a coordinating committee for student outcomes assessment that will share information among academic units, discuss how measurement results can be implemented effectively and make recommendations to the deans to address issues of common interest.
- Form college committees either by appointing a new committee or charging an appropriate existing committee with the responsibilities of student outcomes assessment.
These tasks have been accomplished. The University Coordinating Committee for Student Outcomes Assessment, consisting of the college representatives, had its inaugural meeting this month. The local college committees also have begun their work.
"By June 1, each dean has been asked to provide a brief overview of the assessment approach to be used, the timetable for its implementation and a discussion of how the results will be used to enhance the curriculum," Breslin said.
These assessment activities are intended to produce an ongoing process that results in continuous evaluation, curricular improvements and reporting of results for institutional development. "While the external impetus for student outcomes assessment stems from the need to prepare for the NCA accreditation visit in 2001-02, institutionally this gives us the opportunity to achieve our mission and educational goals more fully," Breslin said. "Improvement in student learning increases the likelihood that graduates will reach their potential and be better prepared to contribute to their families, communities, professions and the nation."
Each institution affiliated with North Central is expect to have a plan and program for assessing student academic achievement, but that plan and program must be related to other institutional strategic and long-range plans and to the planning process.
"That what we are doing here at Saint Louis University," Breslin said.
More information on student outcomes assessment activities at Saint Louis University will appear in future issues of Grand Connections.