• Student Success Planning at The University of Akron
• Voluntary System of Accountability
• Student Assessment Task Force
• Provost’s Faculty Fellows Program
• Core Competency Assessment of Undergraduate Student Achievement and Learning
• Learning Assistants Program
• Learning Communities Program
• Undergraduate Research for Student Success
• Start Strong with UA’s First-Year Experience Program!
• Student Success and Retention Committee
• Academic Program Assessment Plans
• Student Success Planning Team Members
• Institute for Teaching and Learning
• Gateway to Student Success Plans

Student Assessment Task Force

The Student Assessment Task Force (SATF) was established in 1996 as a group of faculty who provided advice, guidance, and oversight regarding academic assessment at the institutional level. The first departmental assessment plans were developed in 1998 and updated two years later. To address recommendations from the 2003 North Central Association Higher Learning Commission site visit, the Task Force was revised with the dean of each degree-granting college appointing a representative. The Director of Institutional Research and representatives of the Provost’s office and Associated Student Government were also appointed. A representative of the University’s Diversity Council was added in 2005. The Task Force members serve as liaisons between the Provost’s Office and SATF, and deans, department chairs and departmental assessment representatives with regard to the assessment of student learning.

Although many of our academic departments had long-established plans for assessing student learning in their programs, in Fall 2003 the Student Assessment Task Force systematized the method of reporting plans by providing a simple, four-column template that asked for the most basic information about each individual undergraduate and graduate program plan. Departments were asked to submit their student learning outcomes and a description of their planned methods and tools for data collection to the SATF in October of 2003. Almost 100 separate plans were submitted from every college. The Task Force broke into teams of three and reviewed each plan. Feedback was returned to each department to allow faculty to gather data and determine actions during the spring term. Final reports are collected by the SATF in May and departments received comments and suggestions from SATF over the summer, in time to make modifications for inclusion the next fall at the beginning of next year’s cycle.

In 2004 the Task Force developed a web site to house, archive and manage all Academic Program Assessment Plans. To date over 140 plans are contained in this site. The SATF continues to review submitted plans each spring, providing feedback and recommendations for faculty consideration the following year.

The SATF also works with the Institute for Teaching and Learning and departments to develop programming to support the continued improvement of assessment activities. These include workshops, speakers and distance-delivered programs.

As individual program assessment plans move forward, SATF will provide guidance and professional development opportunities for faculty through the Institute for Teaching and Learning. As the higher education community continues to advance a culture of evidence for teaching and learning, SATF will promote best practices and share The University of Akron’s accomplishments through its participation in Ohio’s Student Success Plan project.

As one of the five Design Principles in the University’s Academic Plan, Design for Our Future, “Assessment is a principle The University of Akron will employ to distinguish and leverage itself as an optimum learning environment ensuring student success.” The role of the Student Assessment Task Force is central to this principle.