Larry G' David

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Larry G. David

• Professor Emeritus
• Department of Industrial Engineering
• University of Missouri
• Columbia, Missouri

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• Role and Responsibilities of College Deans and
  Department Chairs in Program Assessment

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Program Assessment Experience

• Faculty Member for 35 years.
• Department Chair for 12 years.
• Refused to take an Interim Dean Job
• Been involved with program assessment since 2000
• Program Evaluator for Industrial Engineering
  since 1990 with over 20 visits
• EAC Team Chair for 7 years

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Brief History of Program Assessment

• Really started in late 1990s with ABET Criteria
  2000-Outcomes Based Assessment
• Criteria 2000 started in engineering about 2002
• Other accrediting agencies copied the concept
• Many programs now using assessment methods

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Why Program Assessment?

• Program Improvement
• Implement changing technology
• Satisfy demands from governmental agencies for
  accountability

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Terms I find on King Fahd University Web Pages

• Mission
• Vision
• Educational Goals
• Educational Objectives
• Guiding Values
• Objectives
• Goals
• Aims

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Confusion!

• These terms do not mean the same for all
  programs.
• For successful program assessment for all
  University programs, these terms must be defined
  and be the same across all programs.
• Faculty will have to be involved in this
  definition but the responsibility will be with
  the Deans and Program Chairs.

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Definition of Program Assessment Terms

• Deans and Program Chairs should strive to
  determine a common definition of these assessment
  terms.
• Perhaps form a committee and examine the meaning
  of these terms and find a consensus definition
• Web does show some programs with assessment
  committees

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Sample Programs With Assessment Committees (Web)

• Mathematics
• Electrical Engineering
• I am sure there are others
• Every program should have a person in charge of
  assessment
• Every college should have some advocate for
  assessment

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Requirements for Successful Program Assessment

• All academic programs must participate
• Programs must have some type of mission statement
  or objectives
• Programs must have learning outcomes
• Assessment requires measurement or assessment of
  learning outcomes
• Must establish benchmarks or target values
• Must review and act on data resulting from
  measurement

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Requirements For Successful Program Assessment

• All academic programs must participate
• Not sure how many programs at KFUPM currently
  participate.
• From website all programs appear to have some of
  the elements

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Requirement for Successful Program Assessment

• Programs must have some type of mission
  statement or objectives
• Use common terminology. Suggest educational
  objectives since many of your programs will be
  seeking ABET accreditation
• Definition What do you expect your graduates to
  be able to do about 4 years after graduation?

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Mission Statement Continued

• Should be measurable
• Should uniquely describe your program
• Should be on your website so potential students
  can see
• Deans and Chairs should provide leadership in
  development
• Faculty should play a role in the determination
  of these objectives
• Faculty should play a role in the modification of
  these objectives

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• Scanned KFUPM website looking for statements
  about what graduates of programs were suppose to
  be able to do after graduation.
• Here are some examples of what was found.

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Example of Mission Statement

• Architecture Found in message from chairman. To
  become the premier school of architecture in the
  region, producing architects who are will versed
  in programming, design, and project management as
  well as in the application of information
  technology and knowledge system in the field of
  architecture.

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Accounting and MISObjective and Educational Goals

• Objective Be a department of highly qualified
  instructors dedicated to preparing our students
  to entry level opportunities and long term career
  success in accounting and MIS.
• Educational Goal (b) To provide students with
  the skills necessary to apply their knowledge in
  organizations and businesses in which they are
  employed.

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How do we determine career paths of your
graduates?

• Ask your graduates with use of surveys. Found
  some examples of surveys on KFUPM website.
• Determine from your employers what they want your
  graduates to be able to accomplish after a few
  years. Use surveys or better to use focused
  visits of some type. I see some of your
  employers near here!!

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Determination of Program Objectives

• Program faculty must have input
• Make use of college and program advisory
  committees
• Every program has customers or constituencies.
  They must have input.

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Why Advisory Councils?

• Need input on determining what your graduates
  should be able to do about four years after
  graduation.
• Alumni will be able to tell you what skills are
  missing
• Employers will be able to tell you over time what
  skills are required of your graduates

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Advisory Councils

• Deans should have advisory councils which include
  alumni and employers
• What did I find on web
• 1. College of Science has Advisory Council.
• 2. College of Environment Design has advisory
  council. In Arabic and could not read.
• 3. I am sure there are some that I missed

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Advisory Councils

• Programs should have advisory councils made up of
  alumni, employers, and for some service programs
  such as chemistry, physics, and mathematics
  perhaps faculty from programs that use their
  services.
• Scanned the web and did not find very much
  information on program advisory councils but I do
  know some exist.

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Advisory Councils for ABET Accreditable Programs

• Almost mandatory but not required in criterion
  but will surely be mentioned by program
  evaluators
• Councils do not have to be large but should
  contain employers and alumni and some employers
  could be alumni

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Program Objectives Suggestions

• Determine a common term to use. Since many of
  KFUPM programs can be accredited by ABET I would
  suggest Program Objectives
• Deans and program chairs must take the lead in
  establishment of objectives
• Once established put on KFUPM website and define
  what you mean my program objectives. Make sure
  they are easy to find on websites.

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Suggestions Continued

• Once established, these objectives do not change
  that often
• May change as technology changes. Reading your
  news from last visit, the Kingdom is trying to
  establish more of a manufacturing base. This
  could change the program objectives of some of
  your programs.

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Suggestions Continued

• These educational objectives must be periodically
  evaluated and this evaluation should eventually
  lead to program improvement.
• Develop an evaluation scheme using surveys of
  graduates, alumni, and employer visits.

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Programs Must Have Learning Outcomes

• Marketing and Management Educational Goal
  Statement Provide students with the skills
  necessary to apply their knowledge in the
  organizations and businesses in which they are
  employed.
• 1. What are these skills???
• 2. Implies that students acquire these skills
  in their program of study
• 3. How do you know if students really know
  these skills??

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What are Outcomes or Program Skills

• Outcomes are skills that a student should know at
  the time of graduation.
• ABET specifies this minimum set for engineering,
  engineering technology, and computer science.
• Other programs should develop this set.

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Role of Deans and Chairs in Determination of
Program Skills

• Deans and chairs must take the lead to have
  programs determine this set of skills
• Assessment of these program skills is the heart
  of any assessment program.
• Assessment requires measurement and target levels
• Assessment leads to program improvement
• No matter how good your program is, there is
  always room for improvement.

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Program Chairs Do Not Overburden Your Chairs With
Assessment

• Things to Avoid
• Do not try to assess skills (outcomes) in every
  course
• Select key courses for assessment
• Do not attempt to develop special tests just for
  assessment
• Use data you already have available. I found
  lots of available data when I visited Industrial
  Engineering in May that was not being used.

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• 5. Do not assume that just because you have the
  required skills in a course that all students
  will master these skills. Providing courses with
  the skills is a process.
• 6. Grades in courses are not a good assessment
  tool.

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Senior Design Course

• All programs should consider some type of senior
  design course that requires the use of most
  courses in the program curriculum. Deans will
  have to push this concept.
• ABET requires this course and many other
  assessment agencies are doing the same or will
  add soon
• This course is an excellent place to assess
  outcomes

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Assessment Should Lead to Improvement of Programs

• You may have to add additional courses as
  technology changes. Look at the rapid changes
  that have taken place in the last 20 years or
  less.
• Chairs, you may have to make changes in some of
  your courses. For example add more writing and
  communication skills.

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Timing

• Program assessment is continuous and should not
  be based upon the timing of any accreditation
  visit.
• Warning to programs visited in November by ABET.
  Do not say thank goodness they are gone and we
  can relax until they come back again. Continue
  the assessment processes and keep improving them
  and improving the programs

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• Accreditation criterion from agencies changes
  over time. The Dean should be responsible for
  tracking these changes and making sure programs
  are following the most current criterion
• Keep checking the web each year and make sure
  your college programs adapt to the changes

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Final Thought

• Deans and Chairs can only lead. The real
  responsibility of program assessment lies with
  the faculty of that program. You must convince
  that program assessment is important and always
  be a strong avocate.
• Remember that Deans and Chairs were probably
  once faculty.

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My Email Address

• davidfbref_at_hotmail.com