Stylus Publishing (VA) Coming to Terms with Student Outcomes Assessment: Faculty and Administrators’ Journeys to Integrating Assessment in Their Work and Institutional Culture

'Assessment on college campuses has a sordid history, and it is fairly simple to find someone with a traumatic tale to tell. It is wise to respect that that reputation is deserved'. 'How do you modify the inner workings and culture of a massive institution with minimal resources and even less authority (other than GE course approvals), and thousands and thousands of talented people busy doing other things?' 'The road to departmental assessment can seem both dramatic and apocalyptic, especially if one's departmental 'centre cannot hold,' and purpose falls apart. The Department of English and Linguistics is presently on this journey, slouching towards its own revelations of mission and fulfillment of purpose'. 'I have become more optimistic about the potential value of the process, even if some of my initial skepticism remains. This skepticism, however, has been valuable, forcing me to think in more concrete ways about what I do in the classroom'. As these excerpts show, this is no conventional book about assessment. It presents the unvarnished first-person accounts of fourteen faculty and administrators about how they grappled, and engaged, with assessment and how - despite misgivings and an often - contentious process - they were able to gain the collaboration of their peers as the benefits for student learning became evident. This is a book for skeptical faculty, for those who have been tasked to spearhead their institution's call to create a culture of assessment; and, on campuses where assessment has been widely accepted and implemented, for those who now need to ensure this commitment will endure. For all these audiences, this book offers valuable advice, strategies, models and ideas. Review I recommend this as a great addition for your library either if you are currently involved or will be involved in your institutions' or departments' assessment efforts. It is informative regardless of the size of your institution and is a candid and comprehensive volume as the title suggests on coming to terms with student outcomes assessment.-- "NACADA Journal (National Academic Advising Association)" (2/1/2011 12:00:00 AM)The contributors, faculty and administrators from 16 campuses who recont the ups and downs of efforts to put assessment into practice in departments and general education programs, on the campus level and system wide... These are stories of people working against the grain, many told in a lightly ironic mode... While harrowing, the tales in this collection include some remarkable inventions. It's hard to imagine that students won't someday benefit from the massive efforts this volume describes. This sobering but engaging book suggests that the result of its success in moblizing genuine inquiry into learning that matters is key to whether the assessment movement will nuture flowers or only thorns.-- "Change Magazine" (10/1/2011 12:00:00 AM) About the Author Peggy L. Maki is a higher education consultant specializing in assisting institutions integrate assessment of student learning into educational practices. Formerly Senior Scholar and Director of Assessment at the AAHE, Associate Director of the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc., she has also served as a Dean and Chair at various institutions.