To know where SRU is going with assessment it helps to know. . . .

Where We've Been

1980s Since at least the 1980s, students in the Elementary, Secondary, and Special Education departments have been required to take an exit exam for certification that is administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS).

1987 A group of Education faculty members from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Millersville University, and Slippery Rock University received a Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) grant to do pre-teacher assessment. Two faculty members from SRU’s College of Education and Human Service Professions (CEHSP) participated in this project through the late 1980s.

Early 1990s Anne Griffiths (Dean, CEHSP) and Leona Parascenzo (Nursing) attended several American Association of Higher Education assessment conferences.

1991-92 academic year The College of Education and Human Service Professions established an Assessment and Research Center.

June 1993 Seven College of Health and Human Services (CHHS) faculty members attended the AAHE assessment conference in Chicago.

June 1993 A CHHS faculty member attended an Alverno College assessment workshop.

1993-94 academic year The College of Health and Human Services received a State System of Higher Education (SSHE) Outcome Assessment Initiation Grant to do a college-wide pilot study using critical thinking skills tests. As part of this grant, the College sponsored two critical thinking workshops presented by Peter Facione (Santa Clara University) and Noreen Facione (University of California, San Francisco).

March 1994 Reid Johnson of Winthrop University conducted a workshop for a university-wide group on how to assess student outcomes.

June 1994 Several CHHS faculty members attended the AAHE Assessment Conference.

June 1994 Seven CHHS faculty members attended an Alverno College assessment workshop.

August 1994 At least one CHHS faculty member attended the Sonoma International Critical Thinking Conference.

Spring 1995 Several Business departments in the College of Information Science and Business Administration (CISBA) underwent their first ETS exam in order to monitor student progress.

June 1995 A group of faculty members from several colleges, including Rachela Permenter, Neil Cosgrove (both English), Betsy McKinley, Lynn Spadine-Taylor, Patty Pierce, Rob Ammon (all Physical Education), and Carolyn Rizza (Sociology, Social Work, and Anth.) attended an Alverno College assessment workshop.

September 1995 Charles Zuzak (Dean, College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)) and Jay Harper (Associate Dean, CAS) tell CAS faculty members about assessment in a college-wide meeting.

June 1996 A group of more than fifty faculty members from several colleges attended an Alverno College assessment workshop.

September 1996 Lee Upcraft of the Center for the Study of Higher Education spoke to members of Student Affairs from Slippery Rock and Clarion Universities.

Fall 1996 The Elementary Education/Early Childhood department required its students to produce and orally present an exit portfolio. By the fall of 1998, the remaining three departments in the College of Education (CE) had a similar requirement.

Fall 1996 Several CISBA, CAS, CHHS faculty, and Anne Griffiths (Dean, CHHS) saw assessment guru Jim Nichols of Institutional Effectiveness Associates at California University of PA.

1996-97 academic year The College of Health and Human Services sponsored a assessment seminar series. Robert Paoletti of King’s College (PA) presented a seminar and workshop on capstone courses. Carole Barrowman and Luanne Wielichowski from Alverno College presented on outcomes and assessment.

September 1997 Michael Ignelzi (Counseling and Educational Psychology) directed a workshop about assessing student development goals for members of the Student Affairs division.

November 1997 Lynn Guhde (Management and Marketing) and Lori Zulauf (Accounting) attended the Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis Assessment Conference.

March 1998 Catherine Moresink (Dean, CE), John Hicks (Elementary Ed/Early Childhood), Carla Hart (Career Services) and others received a grant titled "Assessment of Students in the Professional Education Program" from the SSHE Planning Implementation Advisory Council. In April 1998, in connection with this grant, Charlotte Danielson of the Educational Testing Service spoke on assessment in teacher preparation programs.

April 1998 A SSHE Imperatives Grant for Assessment Planning was awarded to Edinboro, Slippery Rock, and West Chester Universities. The purpose of the $225,000 grant is to develop "a collegial assessment model that provides for collaboration among the State System universities and will assist in the implementation of each university's plan for assessment." More specifically, each of the three universities will link program outcomes, courses, and curricula to student outcomes for general education, major programs, and co-curricular activities. At SRU, Rachela Permenter, Neil Cosgrove (both English), and Betsy McKinley (Physical Education) are coordinating the grant activities. An assessment team with thirteen members is formed.

September 1998 More than 30 faculty, staff, and administrators from Edinboro, Slippery Rock, and West Chester Universities met at the Clarion River Lodge to attend an assessment planning workshop. The focus was on institutional planning for assessment and to share work from each university at the department, program, general education, and co-curricular levels.

September 1998 Student Affairs directors met at a retreat to work on a student development outcomes model.

September 1998 Rachela Permenter and Neil Cosgrove (both English) and Betsy McKinley (Physical Education) address questions on assessment at a workshop held on Professional Development Day.

October 1998 Jim Hathaway and Rachela Permenter create the SRU assessment website.

November 1998 Claire Schmieler (Assistant Dean, Student Affairs and Health Center), Rachela Permenter (English), and Sue Hannam attended the Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis Assessment Conference.

November 1998 An assessment planning meeting and workshop was held for more than fifty assessment coordinators from all academic and student affairs departments.

November 1998 At an Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties membership meeting, Rachela Permenter and Neil Cosgrove (both English) update faculty on assessment.

Fall 1998 The SRU Assessment Team creates Governing Principles for Assessment and receives approval for them from the SRU administration.

February 1999 On Professional Development Day, more than eighty people attend an overview on assessment and four breakout sessions.

March-April 1999 A 'request for proposals' for grants for the assessment of student learning to be funded by SRU is produced. Grants totaling $35,000 are awarded to eight teams.

April 1999 Student Affairs held a retreat and discussed several issues, including the compatibility of University-wide and division outcomes and the discussion of how each department could assess one learning outcome.

Spring 1999 The SRU Assessment Team, a subcommittee of the Liberal Studies Monitoring Committee, and the University Curriculum Committee draft a statement of University-wide outcomes. The Assessment Team works on curriculum-embedded assessment as a way to integrate these as a way for departments to integrate these outcomes into their classes. The Student Affairs Assessment Team also works on ways to implement assessment of these outcomes.

May 1999 Sharon Johnson (VP/Dean, Student Affairs) presented a paper on student development learning outcomes and assessment in a session organized by Claire Schmieler (Assistant Dean, Student Affairs and Health Center) at a SSHE Student Affairs Conference at Indiana University of PA (with representatives from Edinboro and West Chester Universities).

June 1999 Faculty members from several colleges and Student Affairs staff members attended the AAHE Assessment conference in Denver.

August 1999 Student Affairs developed an assessment model. Student Affairs will continually assess the learning and development of students as a result of programs and services provided through its various departments. In addition, student and other user satisfaction will be measured for the services, programs, and facilities provided for the campus community.

August-October 1999 Constance Smith (volunteer consultant for assessment planning) and Carla Hart (Career Services) incorporate assessment at the institutional level into student surveys.

September 1999 The Student Affairs Assessment Team introduced assessment worksheets at a division-wide workshop.

Fall 1999 Eight taskforces work on the implementation of assessing each of the university-wide outcomes. Taskforce goals include identifying abilities that would demonstrate student learning of the outcome and investigating tools of assessment regarding these outcomes and abilities.

November 1999 A 'request for proposals' for grants for the assessment of student learning to be funded by SRU is announced to SRU faculty and staff.