Faculty Involvement in Outcomes Assessment

Abstract

For both four-year and community colleges, no question in academia raises more interest, concern, frustrations, and anxiety, than “How are our students doing?” One reason for such widespread interest is legislators, accrediting bodies, and the general public are all demanding that educational institutions be held accountable and justify themselves in terms of outcomes related to the investments made by federal and state governments, parents, and students. Administrators and faculty, overwhelmed by the wide array of assessment tools and methods, are concerned about how this emphasis on assessment will affect graduation requirements and accreditation standards. They are also concerned about how it will impact budgeting. (Hatfield and Gorman, 2000) While there are many advantages to educational institutions that manage enrollments effectively, ongoing documentation of assessing student learning is now an essential survival skill for all educational institutions. Not only do these institutions need to continue to enroll and graduate students, but they also need to prove to all that education provides the essential skills, knowledge, and values of an “educated” person. (Hatfield and Gorman, 2000)