Instructions for Completion of
Assessment Record for QEP

This site provides instructions for completing the QEP Assessment Record. The Assessment Record will be ready for input in the fall of 2005 (http://pbir.mercer.edu/assessment/).

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Program Description
Enter a brief statement of your QEP program’s purpose that describes the activities provided and those for whom those services are provided. This purpose statement will need to be evaluated once a year for revisions.

Example
The College of Liberal Arts, Stetson School of Business & Economics, School of Engineering, Tift College of Education, and the Georgia Baptist College of Nursing will work in collaboration with the Division of Student Affairs to implement ethical leadership modules within first year and senior capstone courses.

QEP Goal(s) Supported
In addition to Collaboration among colleges/schools and co-curricular programs, select one or more learning outcomes below:

Intended Collaboration Outcome
The Intended Collaboration Outcome should identify the colleges/schools and/or co-curricular programs that will be involved and the purpose of the collaboration. The collaboration objective should be:

1. Consistent with the purpose of the QEP
2. Reasonable given the ability of program participants
3. Clear and measurable
4. Singular – Use of conjunctions or commas causes “bundling,” which leads to confusion in formulating means of assessment and criteria for success.
5. Stated in future tense.

Example
A collaboration Task Force composed of representatives from Liberal Arts, Business, Engineering, Education, and Nursing will meet with Student Affairs professionals on a regular basis to develop leadership modules to propose for inclusion in first year and senior capstone courses.

First Means of Assessment and Criteria for Success
Describe the source of your assessment information (number of participants from various colleges/schools, tasks to be accomplished, self-reports, etc.). Based upon the selected means of assessment, provide a criterion for success that answers the question: “If our QEP program is functioning the way we think it ‘should’ function, what will be the performance on this means of assessment?” The criteria that you set should be a realistic challenge. Use future tense.

Example
Proposed leadership modules will be presented by the Collaboration Task Force for approval by the faculties of the five colleges/schools not later than December 1, 2005.

Summary of Assessment Data Collected
Enter a brief summary of the data you collected from your assessment activities. There should be enough data here to convince the reader that assessment has been done. Data should be in exact figures, not rounded. Make sure the data collected relates back to the intended Collaboration objective. Data should not exactly match the cited criteria for success or be statistically impossible or unlikely. Information should be in past tense.

Example
Four leadership modules were developed by the Collaboration Task Force and sent to each dean of the five undergraduate schools on November 20, 2005. The modules included (1) Character Development (2) Moral Reasoning & Ego Development (3) Leadership Styles (4) Case Studies of Ethical Decision-Making.

Use of Results to Improve Program
Describe how the program leaders used the information obtained from the assessment activities described in “Means of Program Assessment and Criteria for Success” to improve the QEP program. Be responsive to shortcomings revealed in the assessment results reported. Often, this will lead to some sort of program revision. If the program fails to meet its criteria for success then describe what actions the program leaders have taken to assure that the intended objective is met. Information should be detailed enough to convince the reader that change actually took place. When appropriate, it should be supported by evidence of program change. Description of the use of results should not be stated as a promise to consider making a change through referral to another body. Information should be stated in past tense.

Example
The faculties of the five undergraduate colleges/schools approved the modules with minor revisions. Modules were implemented in the following academic year.

Second Means of Assessment for Outcome
Means of Assessment & Criteria for Success
Use the same directions as those above if a secondary method of measuring the outcome will be employed. Leave boxes blank if a second means of assessment is not used. However, your assessment plan is stronger if two means of assessment with criteria for success are used.

Example
85% of the representatives from the five undergraduate colleges/schools and Division of Student Affairs will agree or strongly agree on a telephone survey that, as a result of their work on the Collaboration Task Force, they formed relationships with members of other colleges/schools and/or Student Affairs which could result in future collaborations.

Second Means: Summary of Assessment Data Collected
Example
The fifteen members of the Collaboration Task Force participated in a telephone survey conducted by an Associate Provost who was not involved with the Task Force. 90% agreed or strongly agreed that as a result of their Task Force experience future collaborations could occur.

Second Means: Use of Results to Improve Program
Example
The QEP Steering Committee scheduled a “reunion” of the Task Force to explore future collaborative programs.

Intended Learning Outcome
After you have entered the Collaboration Objective for your QEP program, click the “Add Outcome” button at the top of the screen. Then go to Type of Outcome (check one): and check Learning.

• Now, enter the intended learning outcomes for your QEP program. It is recommended that there be at least two of these intended learning outcomes and definitely no more than four.
• The Intended Learning Outcome should describe what you intend for program participants to know (cognitive), think (affective), or do (behavioral) when they have completed your program.
• Learning outcome statements should be:

1. Consistent with the purpose of the QEP
2. Reasonable given the ability of program participants
3. Clear and measurable.
4. Singular - Statement of one outcome (Use of conjunctions or commas causes "bundling" which leads to confusion in formulating means of assessment and criteria for success.
5. Stated in future tense.
6. Rotated when validated. Rotate this outcome back to the long list of desired outcomes once it has been achieved. Then select another outcome from your list for the next assessment cycle.

1. Participants in the leadership program will be able to identify current moral dilemmas encountered by leaders.
2. Participants in the ethics seminar will be able to defend courses of action taken by specific professions on identical ethical dilemmas.
3. Participants will demonstrate moral judgment consistent with Judeo-Christian beliefs.

First Means of Program Assessment & Criteria for Success:
Describe the source of your assessment information (reflection papers, class presentations, digital storytelling, Web pages, etc.). Opinion or satisfaction surveys are not recommended for the primary means for assessment. They can be used as a secondary or supporting assessment and entered under "Second Means of Assessment for Outcome Identified Above." Based on the selected means of assessment, provide a criterion for success which answers the question: "If our QEP program is functioning the way we think it 'should' function, what will be the performance on this means of assessment?" Use future tense.

1. The average score of the participants in the leadership program on the locally developed rubric designed to identify moral dilemmas will be 3.5 on a 5.0 scale.
2. 80% of the participants in the ethics seminar will identify at least three of the four positions taken by various professions on the internally developed ethical dilemma indicator.
3. When faced with a moral dilemma as part of the case study required in each major's capstone course, 80% of the graduating class will choose the solution identified by the faculty as that demonstrating a commitment to Judeo-Christian beliefs.

Summary of Assessment Data Collected:
Enter a brief summary of the data you collected from your assessment activities. There should be enough data here to convince the reader that assessment has been done. Data should be in exact figures, not rounded. Make sure the data collected relates back to the intended QEP outcome described in the first box. Data should not exactly match the cited criteria for success or be statistically impossible or unlikely. Information should be stated in past tense.

1. 67 participants completed a short paper in which they identified moral dilemmas. A faculty panel used a rubric and gave an average rating score of 3.2/5.0.
2. The Ethical Dilemma indicator was administered to 147 participants. 83% identified no less than 3 ethical positions taken by various professions. However, only 70% correctly identified the theological position.
3. 82% of 143 students chose the appropriate solution to the moral dilemma posed. However, students majoring in Business and Pre-Med scored 73%.

Use of Results to Improve Instructional Program
Describe how the program leaders used the information obtained from the assessment activities described in “Means of Program Assessment and Criteria for Success" to improve the QEP program. Be responsive to shortcomings revealed in the assessment results reported. Often, this will lead to some sort of program revision. This improvement needs to relate back to the Intended Learning Outcome or Collaboration Objective stated in the box at the top of the page. If the program fails to meet its criteria for success then this section is used to describe what actions the program leaders have taken to assure that the intended outcome or objective is met. Information should be detailed enough to convince the reader that change actually took place. When appropriate, it should be supported by evidence of program change. Description of the use of results should not be stated as a promise to consider making a change through referral to a committee. Information should be stated in past tense.

1. Program faculty and staff decided to refocus the program content to current events that contain ethical dilemmas and to continue this outcome for the next assessment cycle.
2. Criteria met. However program faculty and staff decided to present additional examples of theological ethical dilemmas in the next program cycle. Participants will be assessed to see if an increase results.
3. Criteria met. MAPS 101, the introductory course in Business, instituted a module on moral decision-making. Faculty and staff decided to choose another outcome to assess for the next cycle.

Second Means of Assessment for Outcome Identified Above
Use the same directions as those above if a secondary method of measuring the outcome/objective will be employed. Surveys and self-reported data can be used here as a supporting secondary measurement but not as the primary method. Leave boxes blank if a second means of assessment is not used! However, your assessment plan is stronger if two means of assessment with criteria for success are used.

1. On the graduating student questionnaire, 90% of the program participants will agree" or "strongly agree" with the statement "As a result of this program I am able to identify moral dilemmas which are present in current events."
2. Focus groups of no more than 8 students per group will result in 75% of participants indicating that they understand why different professions take different positions on identical moral dilemmas.
3. 70% of program participants who participate in a random telephone survey will indicate that their spiritual beliefs influence their ethical decision-making.

1. 73% (57) responded "agree" or "strongly agree."
2. 24 students participated (3 focus groups with 8 students each). 60% indicated that they “highly understand or understand” the positions taken by various health professions on identical ethical dilemmas.”
3. 80% of the 35 students who participated in the telephone survey indicated that their spiritual beliefs influenced their decision-making.

1. Program leaders decided to continue to focus on ethical dilemmas in current events. A current event was chosen for each week to serve as an example.
2. Criteria met. However program directors decided to include in the program a panel of representatives of various professions followed by a debate on the merits of each position. Assessment will continue for the next cycle.
3. Criteria met. Faculty and staff decided to develop another outcome for the next assessment cycle.

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