Assessment Committee Meeting of March 11, 2011

Members Present: Verine White, Lakota Studies Department; Dana Jones, Business Department & Committee Chair; ex-officio member Lenora Hudson, Director of Assessment and Institutional Research; Crystal Paulson, Applied Sciences Department; Leslie Henry, Agricultural Extension; Susanne Auer, Humanities Department; Deb Tobacco, Nursing Department; Dr. Bill Young, Education and Foundational Studies Department; and Dr. Andrew Thompson, Graduate Studies Department & Committee Secretary.

Others present: Dr. Greg Gangon of University of North Dakota

Wocekiya was said by Verine White.

Meeting was called to order at 10:00 am, 3/11/2011 by the Chair. The agenda was presented and approved by consensus.

The committee then reviewed the prior February, 2011 committee meeting minutes. The secretary introduced a new format for the minutes where the Chair and the Secretary would attest to the minutes having been approved or approved with changes as appropriate. The Secretary also advised the committee that, per OLC policy, he would obtain the signatures, submit a signed copy to the official record, and upload the minutes to the OLC assessment web page. Crystal moved to accept the minutes with changes included, the motion was seconded by Deb, and the Chair called for the vote which was unanimous in favor of the motion.

Old business

The Chair then asked if the presentation by Susanne Auer about the NCA/HLC assessment training could be tabled, given that President Shortbull and Dr. Giraud had made a full presentation to the faculty in the all staff meeting; and Dr. Gagnon was here at the meeting to discuss these issues as well. Deb moved to table the presentation indefinitely, Leslie seconded the motion. Chair called for the vote, which was unanimous in favor.

New business

The chair introduced Dr. Greg Gagnon who has been hired by the college for a major campaign to address the HLC self-study including an assessment program review. The college had required an interim report to address assessment after the 1993 HLC self-study. The President’s office is considering a restructuring of assessment committee so that it would not fall under the Piya Wiconi Okolakiciye governance process or the instructional division.

Leslie Henry raised the issue of the nationally-normed Accuplacer entering student placement testing. She asked if the caliber of student that OLC enrolled would be a factor in the assessment review. She pointed to the handout from the all-staff meeting that President used to describe the difficulties of an open-admission college, such as OLC. See attachment 1- Accuplacer test scores for pre-and post-tests: Fall 2008 thru Fall 2010. The hand-out also presented an Assessment of Student

Learning in General Education (MAPP/Proficiency Profile) for sophomores and seniors in 2009 and 2010. Dr. Gangon said the primary concerns of assessment at the institutional, program and course level is 1) that expected student outcomes are detailed; 2) the appropriate measurements are taken; and 3) that instructional improvement action plans are then implemented where necessary. Each school is faced with student remediation difficulties, and the HLC understands this.

Dr. Gangon then discussed assessment using direct and indirect measurements; objective test designs and subjective essays in a holistic evaluation of student learning; and the establishment of student outcomes after sound discussions between departmental faculty. It was important to note that academic freedom on the part of the faculty needs to be protected, and that we do not want to tell the faculty how to teach.

All business being conducted, the meeting was moved to adjourn by the Chair, and Dr. Gangon was thanked for his presentation. The meeting was adjourned at 12:20 pm

Approved _____________

Approved with changes ____________

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Chairperson Dana Jones date

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Secretary Andrew Thompson date