Another Layer to Achieving Faculty Buy-In?

Hoover, E. (27 Oct, 2009). An Expert Surveys the Assessment Landscape. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from http://chronicle.com/ on Feb 9, 2010.

This article summarizes an interview with Dr. George D. Kuh, a well-known scholar in the field of Student Affairs assessment. Dr. Kuh was largely responsible for the implementation of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), which has surveyed over 1300 colleges in the past ten years. The survey focuses on the learning that occurs from the total student experience, including time spent outside the classroom.

Currently, Dr. Kuh serves as the director for the National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment. This group recently released a report describing how more than 1500 colleges measure what students learn. The Chronicle asked Dr. Kuh to talk briefly about the current assessment climate at U.S. colleges and universities.

Dr. Kuh shared several observations that we have already discussed at length in Ed 721. For example, he stated, more than once, that universities are not very good at "closing the loop." Even if they collect data, they are not prone to utilize it for analysis and programmatic changes. He notes, "It's not about posting a score on a Web site - it's about doing something with the data."

He also commented on the idea of faculty cooperation or what we, in Ed 721 have coined as "faculty buy-in." Much like our class discussions, Dr. Kuh explains how faculty understanding of assessment seems to be inconsistent. Some see assessment as merely assigning student grades vs. aligning with institutional outcomes. It will also come as no surprise to this class that Dr. Kuh believes assessment needs to be a "public, shared responsibility" within every department. Assessment should be part of daily life, course structures, and annual reviews.

However, Dr. Kuh's next point regarding buy-in gave me pause to think. He mentioned that faculty "need more support for developing good assessment tools." Along with inconsistent understanding and misconceptions about assessment, faculty simply are not experts in this area. Developing an effective assessment tool or practice may not be in their realm of knowledge or experience.

Take last week's presentation, for example. The NDSU Interior Design program has developed excellent rubrics for assessment, primarily driven by the accreditation process and their own need for organizing their data collection processes. The tool they created, although it may be a fluid document seems to be serving their needs, took countless hours of staff time to create and refine.

Dr. Kuh has revealed another layer in the discussion of faculty buy-in, that of time and expertise. Perhaps another consideration for our class as we discuss equipping and empowering faculty for good assessment practice.