Assessment Information for Faculty: Spring 2012

The UGS Assessment Coordinator partners with the Signature Course Program Office to implement a comprehensive assessment plan for Signature Courses. As a faculty member, your participation in assessment is critical to our efforts to understand the successes of the Signature Course and the areas in which we can improve. We will contact you prior to and during the semester about the various assessment projects.

Mid-Semester Student Survey

All Signature Course students will receive a mid-semester course survey in early March. The survey will be sent directly to students, via email, from UGS Assessment. We ask students to identify their instructors so we can send you your individualized feedback, including student comments. The goal is to provide concrete information from students on their class experience so far. We will notify you when the survey is deployed and ask for your assistance in encouraging students to complete it.

Oral Communication Assessment

In early spring, we will contact all instructors to request permission to visit your class during student oral presentations. The purpose is to view the big picture of student skills, not to evaluate individual students or instructors. All assessment results will be reported in the aggregate and stripped of identifying information. A more detailed description of our oral communication assessment efforts will be sent in late January.

Course Instructor Survey (CIS)

We utilize a version of the CIS that is designed to assess the six Signature Course goals. The Program Office will contact you early in the semester to obtain your format preference (paper or electronic). If you have questions about the CIS, contact Kin Hau.

End-of-Semester Faculty Survey

This brief survey solicits your thoughts on your Signature Course students, the teaching experience, and program administration. You will receive the electronic survey via email in May.

Focus Groups

We will hold several focus groups in late spring. These meetings offer an opportunity for faculty to discuss student learning: successes, challenges, surprises, effective teaching strategies, etc. The focus groups help UGS in our SACS reporting obligations and provide a beneficial opportunity for faculty members to share their teaching experiences with each other.

Sanger Learning and Career Center TA Observation

The SLCC assists UGS in training UGS 303 TAs. SLCC staff will contact TAs once per semester to schedule a time to observe their teaching in a discussion section. The SLCC observer will debrief the TA and provide collegial feedback on his or her performance. These observations help the SLCC gauge the effectiveness of the training they provide in light of student learning needs. Staff members are available at any time in the semester to consult with TAs on classroom issues or to help the TA refer students to appropriate campus resources. If you have questions or concerns about these visits, please contact Tracy Saenger.

Questions or concerns about assessment? Contact our assessment team.