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Academic Assessment Program

Timelines
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University of Central Arkansas

 

Assessment Initiative Timelines

[Please note: These time lines are of primarily historical interest. As the Academic Assessment Program has been implemented, the Initiative Timelines have given way to schedules more closely tied to other processes already operating in UCA's academic life. --JAG, 1999-08-10]

Scroll or click to view initial development schedules for Assessment Initiatives 1-3:

Initiative 1

Plan development: October 1995-March 1996

  1. Statement of departmental/program purpose; statements of intended outcomes/objectives (10/1994-3/1995)
  2. Statements of assessment procedures and criteria (3/1995-10/1995)
  3. Preparations for implementing plan (10/1995-3/1996)

Initial assessment cycle: March 1996-December 1997 (See note, below.)

  1. Develop data (3/1996-3/1997)
  2. Analysis and reporting (3/1997-5/1997)
  3. Effect changes in assessment plan or program (5/1997-12/1997)

Annual assessment cycle begins: academic year 1997-1998

Initiative 2

Each item in the schedule is followed by an indication of the groups involved in the particular stage of plan development.

Plan development: October 1995-March 1997 [See note 1 below.]

  1. Statement of departmental/program purpose; statements of intended outcomes/objectives (10/1995-3/1996): Program
  2. Statements of assessment procedures and criteria (3/1996-10/1996): Program
  3. Preparations for implementing plan (10/1996-6/1997): Program
  4. Plan review, revision (3/1997-8/1997): OAPA, Assessment Subcommittee, and Program

Adjusted Deadlines

Initial assessment cycle: September 1997-December 1998

  1. Develop data (9/1997-5/1998): Program
  2. Analysis and reporting (5/1998-6/1998): Program
  3. Report review and response (7/1998-8/1998): OAPA, Planning and Assessment Committee
  4. Effect changes in assessment and/or program (9/1998-12/1998): Program and other relevant University entities

Annual assessment cycle begins: September 1998-June 1999 [See note 2 below.]

Initiative 2 Notes

Note 1: Interdisciplinary programs and associate degree programs have not been brought on board in time to meet the schedule breakdowns under "plan development." On the other hand, because departments have been through the plan-development process with other programs and because the number of programs is small, we expect shorter development times in Initiative 2 than we could expect in Initiative 1, and we hope that the end of the initiative may in fact happen very nearly on time. Departments/programs involved in Initiative 2 should informally report on progress twice during the development of their plans: (1) December 15, 1996: status of purpose statement and of statements of intended outcomes/objectives; (2) February 15, 1997: status of statements of assessment procedures and criteria. Completed assessment plans are due by March 31, 1997.

Note 2: The annual assessment cycle will, we expect, follow the pattern of the initial assessment cycle. As the overall program matures, we will be able to make necessary adjustments to the whole or its parts.

Initiative 3

Each item in the schedule is followed by an indication of the groups involved in the particular stage of plan development.

Plan development: October 1996-March 1998 [But see note below.]

  1. Statement of departmental/program purpose; statements of intended outcomes/objectives (10/1996-3/1997): Program
  2. Statements of assessment procedures and criteria (3/1997-10/1997): Program
  3. Preparations for implementing plan (10/1997-3/1998): Program
  4. Plan review, revision (10/1997-3/1998): OAPA, Assessment Subcommittee, and Program

Initial assessment cycle: March 1998-December 1999

  1. Develop data (3/1998-5/1999): Program
  2. Analysis and reporting (5/1999-6/1999): Program
  3. Report review and response (7/1999-8/1999): OAPA, Planning and Assessment Committee
  4. Effect changes in assessment and/or program (9/1999-12/1999): Program and other relevant University entities

Annual assessment cycle begins: September 1999-June 2000

Initiative 3 Note

Different programs within Initiative 3 will need different lengths of time to accomplish their assessment planning. The departmental honors programs, for example, will need a relatively short period of time, since the departmental degree programs should already be in place or nearly so. The Honors College and the Writing Program, on the other hand, will probably need most of the time we have allowed for this initiative. We have, therefore, established two sets of deadlines:

For Those Preparing Addenda to Degree Program Plans

(An informal progress report is due at the February 1 deadline; submission of the complete addendum is expected at the May 1 deadline. Assessing departmental honors programs will, then, become part of the regular assessment cycle in the 1997-1998 academic year.)

For Those Developing Complete Plans

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