Faculty Attitudes Towards Outcomes Assessment

• In the ASSESS discussion-list archive, see the
  • March 2005 thread Faculty Attitudes Toward Student Learning Outcomes Assessment, initiated by Reuel Barksdale.
  • April 2012 thread Searching for Survey of Faculty Knowledge of Assessment Basics and/or Faculty Attitudes Towards Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes, initiated by Allen Butt.
  • March 2013 thread Chronicle Point of View Piece, initiated by Zaneeta Daver. The online version of the 3/11/13 Chronicle of Higher Education article to which this refers, “Who’s Assessing the Assessors’ Assessors?,” includes readers’ comments that illustrate a wide range of faculty attitudes towards outcomes assessment. The online version of the article is available to Chronicle subscribers and through most college/university libraries.
  • August 2015 thread Chronicle Article-Does Assessment Make Colleges Better? Who Knows?, initiated by Catherine Wehlburg. The online version of the 8/14/15 Chronicle of Higher Education commentary where Erik Gilbert was curious about college’s assessment programs. The online version of the article is available to Chronicle subscribers and through most college/university libraries.
  • October 2015 thread Overcoming Faculty Resistance to Sharing Results, initiated by Marylee Demeter.
• Developing/fostering positive attitudes and a “culture of assessment”
  • In the ASSESS discussion-list archive, see:
    • The January 2010 thread Compliance-Commitment (was [SACS] Taking the Fifth), initiated by Karen Kate Kellum.
    • Mike Johnson’s post in the June 2010 thread Definition of “Instructional Program” for the Purposes of Meeting SACS Criteria, the following posts in that thread, and the associated threads Balancing Assessment and Balancing Assessment, etc etc.
    • The March 2011 thread Using Positive Means to Stimulate Good Assessment Work, initiated by Pat Williams.
    • The August 2012 thread What to Call a “How Assessment can Support Teaching, Learning, and Research” Discussion, initiated by Kay Schneider.
  • The Council of Graduate Schools’ project on preparing future faculty to assess student learning.
    • Overview of the project. (The project report is a pdf file.)
    • Links to other assessment resources.
    • Project update.
  • NILOA Occasional Papers (pdf files):
    • Opening Doors to Faculty Involvement in Assessment.
    • Student Outcomes Assessment Among the New Non-Tenure-Track Faculty Majority.
• Faculty unions’ statements on outcomes assessment
  • NILOA Occasional Paper What Faculty Unions Say About Student Learning Outcomes Assessment (pdf file).
    • A structured dialogue with representatives from AAUP, AFT, & NEA.
  • For AFT’s perspective on accountability, see Student Success, from AFT Higher Education.
    • See the AFT Higher Education report Student Success in Higher Education (pdf file).
• Frequently-encountered objections to outcomes assessment
  • In the ASSESS discussion-list archive, see the discussion Logical Fallacies and Assessment, initiated by Stephen Zerwas.
    • April 2009, Logical Fallacies and Assessment – Straw Dog/Straw Man and the associated threads Assessment and Philosophical Issues (initiated by Steve RiCharde) and Logical Fallacies and Assessment – “red herrings” arguments (initiated by Stephen Zerwas). Posts include philosophical/theoretical discussion, examples of fallacious arguments, and suggestions for dealing with fallacious arguments.
    • August 2009, Logical Fallacies – Kill the Messenger and Kill the Messenger ?? Ad Hominum? Continued, initiated by Stephen Zerwas.
    • November 2015 thread Outcomes vs Outcomes, initiated by JaneMarie Souza.

• NILOA Occasional Paper: Assessment and Academic Freedom: In Concert, not Conflict (pdf file).

• “Our assessment says we’re doing just fine!”
  • In the ASSESS discussion-list archive, see the August 2011 thread Program Assessment, initiated by Susan Warner.