Fall 2016
Faculty Peer Review Pilot
Friday, March 25, a group of Texas Tech University faculty participated in a peer review of assessment documentation and evidence. The following faculty volunteered for this peer review:- Joe Neary – CASNR, Animal and Food Sciences
- Audra Morse – ENG, Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering
- Sheila Scott – HS, Hospitality & Retail Management
- Conrad Lyford, CASNR, Agricultural and Applied Economics
- Janet Froeschle-Hicks, COE, Educational Psychology and Leadership
- Erin Schambureck, HS, Interior Design
- Bill Gelber, VPA, Theatre and Dance
- Eileen Johnson, Provost, Museum Science
- Cindy Akers, CASNR, Ag Communications & Education
- Andrea Bilkey, VPA, Theatre and Dance
- Nichole Morelock, HS, Marriage & Family Therapy
- Alan Reifman, HS, Human Development Family Studies
- Yu Zhuang, ENG, Computer Science
Faculty peer evaluators were organized into one of four groups. Groups were given
explicit instructions regarding how to use the Program Assessment Rubric (PAR) to
evaluate a sample of degree programs. Each degree program's 4-column TracDat report
was analyzed according to four components of the PAR: student learning outcomes, assessment
methods, results, and actions for improvement/follow-up actions. With the exception
of Arts & Sciences, all colleges were included in the sample population (Arts & Sciences
conducted its own peer review). The purpose of the evaluation, as explained to the
faculty peer evaluators, was to provide supplemental peer feedback to a small sample
of degree programs and to determine if future faculty peer reviews would be beneficial.
After this initial peer review pilot, OPA staff determined this activity to be a meaningful
endeavor, and OPA will organize a second peer review for the Fall 2016 semester. Please
contact the OPA office at 742-1505 if you are interested in the Fall 2016 peer review.
iPortfolios Assessment
Members of Texas Tech University's Core Curriculum Committee (CCC) came together on
March 22, 2016 to participate in the inaugural assessment of student i Portfolio work.
This assessment was quickly and easily accomplished through the Chalk and Wire platform,
the online system being used by the TTU i Portfolio initiative. Curriculum Committee
members downloaded and reviewed each assignment, scored the work by making a few quick
clicks in the digital rubric, added a comment or two if desired, saved, and the process
was complete. CCC members thought the process was a very easy and efficient. Student
i Portfolio work was submitted by students in the first pilot group working with electronic
portfolios from select art, engineering, Raider Ready, and honors geography courses.
These students identified previously completed assignments submitted for their regular
classes and loaded this work into their personal iPortfolios. Several students began
preparation of an additional presentation iPortfolio, one that could potentially be
used in a future job search or graduate school application.During fall semester 2016,
a second i Portfolio pilot will be in place as further evaluation and groundwork of
the system takes place. Expanded assessment, training, and even student scholarship
incentives will ensue during the second pilot year as preparations are made for further
implementation during fall semester 2017. For additional information about the i Portfolio
initiative on the TTU campus, please visit the OPA website, http://www.depts.ttu.edu/opa/iPortfolio/iPortfolio.php.
Recruiting faculty members to serve as peer reviewers
Based on a successful faculty peer review pilot in Spring 2016, the Office of Planning and Assessment is recruiting faculty members to serve as peer reviewers of assessment documentation and evidence. The estimated time commitment is 6 hours. Reviewers will receive reports in an electronic format to review in advance of a face-to-face meeting that will be held on September 29, 2016. On September 29, reviewers will meet for 4 hours to jointly score assessment reports, and to provide feedback to department chairs and program coordinators. Faculty will choose either a morning or afternoon session to attend. Snacks will be provided. Faculty volunteers will receive a letter from the Office of the Provost documenting this service.WTAC $200 Travel Reimbursement
The West Texas Assessment Conference (WTAC), co-hosted by TTU's OPA and Angelo State's
Accountability office, is planned for October 17 & 18, 2016 and will take place at
the McNease Center in San Angelo, Texas. The deadline for proposal submission for
presentations has been extended to September 1. OPA encourages all TTU interested
parties to submit a proposal and will reimburse $200 in travel expenses to all TTU
employees who have proposals accepted. The proposal application is available here.The goal of this conference is to bring together higher education professionals across
Texas and the surrounding states to share ideas and information about accreditation
and assessment. Conference tracks include: Student Learning Assessment, Accreditation,
Planning, Assessment of Non-Instructional Areas, Institutional Effectiveness, and
new this year: Dual-Credit, as well as Special Interest Topics such as technology
and core curriculum. For more information about the conference, including registration,
please visit the OPA website,https://www.depts.ttu.edu/opa/wtac/.
Assessment Innovation Grants
OPA is pleased to announce that it will award $500 Assessment Innovation Grants beginning this Fall 2016 semester. The link to this form can be found here: Assessment Innovation Funding Request. Applicants are asked to provide a project description that specifies how the grant will contribute to the overall assessment plan within your degree program/area. Grants are available to academic and non-academic areas. The deadline is September 30, 2016.Office of Planning and Assessment
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Address
Administration Building, Suite 237, Box 45070 Lubbock, TX 79409-5070 -
Phone
806.742.1505 -
Email
opa.support@ttu.edu