Texas Tech University

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OPA Assessment Spotlight Interview

Dr. Dora Epstein Jones

OPA is glad to recognize TTU faculty and staff who exhibit an exceptional commitment to academic assessment. Dr. Dora Epstein Jones, Department Chair for Architecture in the College of Architecture, is someone who encourages excellence throughout her department's assessment practices. Dr. Epstein Jones is dedicated to improving assessment practices at the college-level and produces quality assessment reports that reflect a commitment to improving students' experiences within the Architecture degrees. Click here to learn more about Dr. Epstein Jones.


Announcing a Monthly Blog Contribution on the OPA Website

Beginning in June 2020, OPA staff will draft a monthly blog post about important assessment news. The blog post will discuss “need-to-know” information for TTU faculty and staff. Look for a notification email from our office in early June 2020!


Faculty Peer Review

During the Spring 2020 semester, the Office of Planning and Assessment conducted a comprehensive Faculty Peer Review of degree program assessment. As part of TTU's SACSCOC accreditation status, each academic degree program on campus is responsible for identifying Student Learning Outcomes and a plan for assessing student learning within their program. Programs then report their assessment results along with a plan to improve student learning. This assessment data is reported by degree program faculty annually in a software called Nuventive Improve, and every five years these data reports are submitted to SACSCOC as part of TTU's accreditation evidence.

OPA recruited faculty members from each of the academic colleges to participate in the review process, which involved reviewing and evaluating degree program assessment reports based on an internally developed rubric, the Program Assessment Rubric (PAR). There are approximately 250 undergraduate and graduate degree programs at Texas Tech University, and each degree program was reviewed twice to allow for interrater reliability. The inclusion of faculty peer reviewers also allowed for a deeper level of analysis as these faculty members have a firsthand knowledge of assessment at the college-level and relevant program improvements. Data from this review are currently being analyzed and will be made available to department chairs in the coming months.

OPA would like to acknowledge the following faculty members for volunteering to participate in the review process. Each individual gave approximately 10 hours of their time to review degree programs and were subsequently awarded a stipend of $1,200.

Oliana Alikaj-Fierro
Andrea Bilkey
Megan Condis
Christiane Herber-Valdez
Wendy-Adele Humphrey
Stephanie Jones
Jon Mcnaughtan
Courtney Meyers
Kelsey Moore
Nichole Morelock
Jason Rinaldo
Marcelo Schmidt
Alexander Wiseman
Aaron Zimmerman

OPA Gives Back

OPA values all of our partnerships and relationships with TTU faculty, staff, and students. Since 2016, we've provided numerous scholarships to students, and we've also supported faculty activities related to assessment. We're proud to share how we “give back” to the TTU community!

OPA Gives Back


Assessment Innovation Grant Award Winners

OPA is happy to announce the winners of this year's Assessment Innovation Grant! We awarded four $500 grants to individuals who demonstrated a commitment to innovative assessment practices within their department. This year's winners are:

Educational Psychology and Leadership:

Jaehoon Lee, Assistant Professor and Associate Director

Jaehoon Lee

Family and Consumer Sciences Education:

Kristie Storms, Assistant Professor of Practice

Karen Alexander, Associate Professor

Kristie Storms
Karen Alexander 

Architecture:

Dora Epstein Jones, Associate Professor and Chairperson

Dora Epstein Jones

College of Education:

Lane Sobehrad, Assistant Director

Marcelo Schmidt, Director of Assessment and Accreditation

Lane Sobehrad
Marcelo Schmidt

 

 

Managing Administrative Processes During the University Shutdown

OPA has also felt the effects of the university entering into Phase IV of our emergency preparedness plans. During this time, we have learned volumes about what processes need contingency. In times like these, administrative procedures and processes can seem like the least of anyone's worries, but these processes keep TTU accredited and in compliance. One of the most important of these procedures for compliance in Digital Measures is House Bill 2504 (HB2504).

Do you need to upload a revised syllabus?

The answer is yes, if your syllabus is undergoing major changes to account for the new distance modality. However, OPA will not be monitoring the upload of these syllabi like we do at the beginning of each term. The spirit of House Bill 2504 is of transparency and ensuring fair treatment and equal expectations for both students and faculty. House Bill 2504's requirement currently is to have syllabi uploaded by the 7th class day, which TTU suffices each term.

One function of Digital Measures is to export syllabi to the Public Access to Course Information (PACI) website. Your revised syllabus will overwrite your previous syllabus. OPA will keep a record of all syllabi during this time. HB2504 was implemented for transparency, and revising and uploading your syllabus, while keeping an archived copy of your previous syllabus, provides evidence that student expectations remained reasonably similar, fair, and that revisions were communicated to students.

OPA understands that this is a hectic time both on- and off-campus, and we hope that if you have any questions or concerns that you would reach out to our office. We are available by phone during normal business hours, and we have a ticketing software at opa.support@ttu.edu that is monitored daily.


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Fast Facts About Fifth-Year Report

 

 
 
Fast Facts about the Fifth Year Report
 
Chairs Cheat Sheet

Office of Planning and Assessment