Units of the Montana University System are allowed to request special funds from the legislature for specific purposes as modifications to the existing program allocations. Provost Mark Emmert requested funds from the 1993 Montana Legislature to establish an assessment program at Montana State University. The text of the proposed program modification is presented below. The legislature did not fund Provost Emmert's request.

Title: Student Outcomes Assessment
Amount: $277,497 per year
Program: Academic Support

Abstract: The Commission on Colleges of the Northwest Assocation of Schools and Colleges recently added the following policy statement to the Accreditation Handbook, the document that sets standards for college accreditation:

The Commission on Colleges expects each institution and its program to adopt an assessment scheme responsive to its mission and its needs. In so doing, the Commission urges the necessity of a continuing process of academic planning, the carrying out of those plans, the assessment of the outcomes, and the influencing of the planning process by the assessment activities.

The latest edition of the Handbook discusses in some detail the types of outcomes assessment information that institutions are expected to collect. MSU collects some of the demographic information required but has no university-wide program to evaluate students' overall learning experiences, particularly as they apply to critical thinking abilities, personal growth, and professional success after graduation. Clearly, in order to successfully complete its next accreditation review by the NASC in the year 2000, MSU must initiate an outcomes assessment program.

Objectives of Modification: To establish a program for evaluating student learning which will meet the standards of the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges as well as provide information that can be used to improve MSU's academic offerings.

	1994	1995
FTE	4.08	4.08
Personal Services
Contract Faculty	157,851	157,851
Professional	38,689	38,689
GTA/GRA	0	0
Classified	18,986	18,986
Other	0	0
Benefits	49,571	49,571
Subtotal	$265,097	$265,097
Operations
Contracted Services	2,000	2,000
Supplies	500	500
Communications	500	500
Travel	4,800	4,800
Other Operations	1,600	1,600
Subtotal	$9,400	$9,400
Capital	3,000	3,000
Total Budget	$277,497	$277,497

Program Modification Description: House Bill 0142 provides for a review of the Montana University System's outcome assessment programs and any associated fiscal incentives. The Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education has encouraged each of the units to develop assessment programs congruent with their individual missions. MSU proposes to develop an assessment program which combines portfolio analysis for a subset of students and faculty, standardized testing of degree-seeking students who entered MSU as freshmen, and annual surveys of students, alumni, and employers.

Under a program of portfolio analysis, selected students maintain a portfolio of examples of their work and their impressions of their educational progress. These portfolios are periodically critiqued by faculty who have received training in portfolio analysis. Selected faculty also maintain portfolios of their teaching experiences in particular classes and use the case analysis method to improve their teaching practices and course contents. Portfolio analysis is widely regarded as the most effective assessment tool, but is costly in terms of student and faculty time. Therefore, we plan to supplement our portfolio analysis with standardized tests that will yield comparative data for a wider student population.

The proposed budget includes funds to hire a full-time assessment coordinator and a full-time administrative assistant. The Assessment Coordinator will work closely with the Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Director of Institutional Research to develop the overall program. The Assessment Coordinator will also serve as a liaison between these offices and academic deans, department heads, and directors of programs which contribute to the assessment effort.

The budget also includes funds to specifically involve eight faculty in portfolio analysis. One faculty member will be selected from each college (two from the College of Letters and Science) to develop and initiate procedures for teaching portfolios and student portfolios for each college. The faculty are to receive one month's salary support during summer session and will attend the American Association for Higher Education's summer institute on outcomes assessment. During the academic year, the faculty will work with the Assessment Coordinator and the college departments to develop programs which address the specific objectives of the major areas of study and are congruent with the university's overall assessment objectives.

Return to regular view	Text-only	Updated: 8/08/2002