Roles and Responsibilities for Assessment

The success of student learning assessment is a result of leadership from each department or unit. Deans, department heads and directors should communicate expectations regarding assessment. They need to ensure assessment of student learning occurs on a continuous, systematic cycle. They also need to ensure assessment plans are maintained and updated. Most importantly, each department needs to provide the human, financial and physical resources needed to implement and sustain a high quality assessment process. 

Each program/co-curricular unit needs to identify one (or more) individual(s) to coordinate the program/co-curricular unit assessment plan. This may be a department head, program coordinator, a faculty member or staff. Although each program/co-curricular unit has a designated assessment coordinator(s), all faculty and staff play a role in assessment efforts.

It is the Assessment Coordinator’s responsibility to do or coordinate the following: 

• Ensure the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment (OIRA) has the most current assessment plan on file by updating the assessment management system (Planning in Anthology). 
• Regularly update Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) and aggregate assessment data in Planning (and in Outcomes if desired).
• Prepare Annual Assessment Summary Report(s) in Planning.
• Respond to inquiries from the SDSU Assessment Sub-Committee of the Academic Affairs Committee. 
• Meet periodically with the Vice Provost and Assistant Vice President for Institutional Research and Assessment to provide assessment activity updates. 
• Designate and notify professional and civil service staff who will support assessment efforts. 
• Be engaged in the assessment process. 
• Be a champion for a culture of learning (inquiry). 
• Other tasks as identified.

Depending on the size of the program/co-curricular unit, the assessment coordinator may want to establish a committee that can assist in assessment efforts. Although not required, many areas on campus have benefited from having a program or unit assessment committee. The committee can help provide guidance, feedback and make decisions on the assessment plan and program improvements. 

Faculty and designated staff of the program/co-curricular unit must be active participants in all phases of the assessment process. 

Faculty and staff are expected to: 

• Contribute to and be familiar with the program/unit’s assessment plan, processes and procedures. 
• Provide assessment information as requested. 
• Participate in meetings and reviews as requested. 
• Be engaged in the assessment process. 
• Be a champion for a culture of learning (inquiry). 
• Other tasks as identified. 

The SDSU Assessment Sub-Committee is a sub-committee of the Academic Affairs Committee. Members are identified by the Faculty Senate, Professional Staff Advisory Council, Civil Service Advisory Council and the Students’ Association. There will be at least one representative from each academic college (including graduate college and honors college), three representatives from students affairs and two (one undergraduate and one graduate) student representatives. Each member will serve a three year term. The Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and the Assistant Vice President of Institutional Research and Assessment are also members and serves as the administrative liaisons. The Assessment Sub-Committee oversees and evaluates learning outcomes assessment at SDSU.

The Assessment Sub-Committee’s primary responsibilities are to: 

• Oversee implementation of assessment plans by programs and co-curricular units. 
• Develop criteria (rubrics) or guidelines to strengthen assessment plans. 
• Assist the Director of Institutional Assessment in coordinating an annual schedule of assessment activities, plans and reports. 
• Review guidelines, policies and templates/forms related to assessment plans and reports. 
• Provide constructive feedback and recommendations to programs/units regarding assessment plans and reports. 
• Provide support, workshops and consultation on assessment. 
• Promote campus discussion and reflection on learning outcomes assessment. 
• Be engaged in the assessment process. 
• Be a champion for a culture of learning (inquiry). 
• Other tasks as identified. 

Located within the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment (OIRA), the Assistant Vice President serves as the primary contact for all assessment activities. The Assistant Vice President is responsible for leading, maintaining and improving institution-wide assessment programs that focuses on student learning outcomes and institutional improvement; interpreting assessment results and training others in assessment. 

The Assistant Vice President of Institutional Research and Assessment will: 

• Implement and communicate guidelines and policy related to assessment activity. 
• Oversee implementation of assessment plans by programs and co-curricular units. 
• Coordinate an annual schedule of assessment activities, plans and reports. 
• Provide guidance on SLOs, assessment methods and assessment plans. 
• Provide support, workshops and consultation on assessment. 
• Promote campus discussion and reflection on learning outcomes assessment. 
• Be a champion for a culture of learning (inquiry). 
• Other tasks as identified.