Marki Alexander, EdD
December 5, 2025
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
METHODOLOGY IMPACT ON COURSES THEMATIC ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTDAY ON COURSES
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UNIVERSITY MISSION ALIGNMENT
THEMATIC ANALYSIS OF THE ALIGNMENT OF THE MISSION WITH CI DAY ACTIVITIES
PERCEIVED VALUE & KEY TAKEAWAYS THEMATIC ANALYSIS OF THE MOST VALUABLE ASPECTS OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT DAY & KEY TAKEAWAYS
IMPLICATIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
In 2018, the University of Tulsa established Fall and Spring Continuous Improvement Day (CI Day) to provide dedicated time for faculty to collaborate on assessment projects and continuous improvement of student learning.
The Office of Continuous Improvement implemented a quality assurance project in Fall 2024 to determine the impacts that CI Day has. There were three key areas of inquiry for the quality assurance project:
• Course impact
• Mission alignment
• Perceived value & key takeaways by faculty
These analyses examined 107 total faculty responses from a total of 47 different faculty members across three survey questions, providing a comprehensive understanding of CI Day's impact, mission alignment, and value.
Key Findings at a Glance
✓ 75-93% positive engagement across all measures
✓ Evidence-based improvement - 60% planning course & pedagogical improvements
✓ Student-centeredness dominates mission alignment - 56-60% of responses focus here
✓ Strong mission alignment - 92.3% identify specific mission connections
✓ Collaboration is most valued - mentioned by 50% of faculty
⚠ Diversity & equity significantly underrepresented - only 7.7% mention rate
⚠ 17.5-25% of faculty report minimal impact - opportunity for improvement
⚠ Implementation gap - planning strong, but follow-through unclear from responses
"CID ACTIVITIES ALLOWS US TO REFLECT AND EVALUATE OUR PROGRAM. THIS HELPS US TO ENSURE WE ARE ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS AND PROVIDING A CURRICULUM THAT WILL MAKE THEM MARKETABLE IN THEIR FUTURE PROFESSIONS."
As part of our accountability and quality assurance process for Fall 2024, the Office of Continuous Improvement (OCI) distributed a link to the Fall Continuous Improvement Day Survey to all full-time faculty via the faculty email list. The link connected faculty to a Qualtrics survey asking faculty to reflect Continuous Improvement Day (CI Day).
Faculty were asked to respond to three quality assurance prompts about their participation in CI Day:
1. How will assessment activities from Continuous Improvement Day impact your courses?
2. Indicate which areas of the university mission that you think were supported by the assessment activities on Continuous Improvement Day and how assessment or Continuous Improvement Day helps promote them.
3. What part of Continuous Improvement Day did you find to be most valuable? Were there any key takeaways? Please explain.
Analysis
Thematic analysis was conducted using an inductive coding approach, allowing themes to emerge from the data rather than imposing predetermined categories. Responses were coded for multiple themes where applicable, reflecting the multifaceted responses faculty made to the quality assurance questions. The analysis prioritized faculty voices and perspectives, using direct quotations to illustrate each theme.
This thematic analysis examines 40 faculty responses to the question: "How will assessment activities from Continuous Improvement Day impact your courses?"
The analysis reveals that Course and Pedagogical Improvements (60%) and Assessment Process Improvements (40%) are the two dominant ways CI Day impacts teaching and learning, with 75% of responses indicating some form of positive impact.
Course and pedagogical improvements is the dominant theme. Three-fifths of faculty indicated that CI Day will lead to improvements in their courses and/or teaching approaches, encompassing everything from general improvement intentions to specific changes in content, assignments, delivery methods, and pedagogical philosophy.
Key characteristics of responses that fit this theme include the following:
• General commitment to improving course quality and student outcomes
• Specific assignment additions, modifications, or eliminations
• Content updates (AI integration, new examples, case studies)
• Enhanced pedagogical materials and resources
• Pedagogical approach transformations (lecture to active learning)
• Teaching style and method revisions
• Integration of new technologies and tools
• Student engagement strategies (in-class writing, mentoring)
"I TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION ALL RESULTS FROM OUR CID ACTIVITIES TO IMPROVE MY COURSES, WHETHER TO UPDATE ASSIGNMENTS, REFINE COMMUNICATION METHODS WITH STUDENTS, OR CONSIDER THE ALIGNMENT OF ILO AND PLOS WITH THE COURSE ITSELF."
Representative quotes (list includes the spectrum from general improvements to specific changes):
• "They make them better and improve student outcomes."
• " "I will be modifying a course based on assessment scores from the Fall 2024 for the Fall 2025."
• "Discussed how we incorporated AI into different courses, as well as how to allow students to learn. Also discussed incorporating examples in some courses."
• "To further enrich student learning and engagement, we will incorporate more in-class essays to strengthen critical thinking, analytical skills, and written expression in real time. Additionally, we will expand one-on-one mentoring to provide personalized academic and professional guidance."
Key Takeaway: CI Day drives comprehensive improvements across the full spectrum of teaching, from aspirational commitment to concrete implementation, from incremental adjustments to transformative changes.
Two-fifths of faculty indicated CI Day would improve how they assess student learning, collect data, and monitor progress toward outcomes.
Key characteristics of responses that fit this theme include the following:
• Refinement of assessment measures and benchmarks
• Enhanced consistency and rigor in data collection
• Development of more discriminating performance measures
• Strategic long-term assessment planning (5-year schedules)
• Better alignment of assessment with learning outcomes
• Programmatic assessment development
• Integration with accreditation requirements (ABET, ACEN)
• Systematic monitoring and evaluation systems
Representative quotes:
• "In our fall Continuous Improvement Day, we set the assessment schedule for the next 5 years for our program learning outcomes."
• "We are currently working on improving our course reports to make it more meaningful by collecting data more consistently."
• "In the next round of assessment, we will be trying to find measures that more accurately discriminate student performance"
• "We gather artifacts and conduct programmatic assessment year-round as part of our ENGL 1033 Portfolio Assessment Project."
Key takeaway: CI Day strengthens the assessment infrastructure that enables evidence-based teaching improvement, ensuring faculty can effectively measure and document student learning.
One-fifth of faculty indicated they would use CI Day to better align courses with program learning outcomes (PLOs), institutional learning outcomes (ILOs), student learning outcomes (SLOs), and departmental goals.
Key characteristics of responses that fit this theme include the following:
• Enhanced understanding of how courses fit into program structure
• Strategic connection between course-level and program-level outcomes
• Revision and refinement of learning objectives
• Clearer linkage to institutional and departmental missions
Representative quotes:
• "I continue to think about how to make them better and better aligned with our department goals."
• "They will help me as I create new courses and continue to update and improve my existing courses, with a clearer understanding of the department and university learning objectives."
Key takeaway: CI Day helps faculty see beyond individual courses to understand how their teaching contributes to broader programmatic coherence and outcomes.
"THEY MAY LEAD TO SHIFTS IN PLOS AND SLOS AS WELL AS NECESSARY ADDITIONAL MONITORING IF STUDENTS ARE NOT REACHING EXPECTED ASSOCIATED BENCHMARKS."
Faculty valued CI Day as structured time for reflection on teaching practices and strategic planning for improvements.
Key characteristics of responses that fit this theme include the following:
• Metacognitive consideration of teaching effectiveness
• Strategic planning for future adjustments
• Gaining insights from peer discussions
• Ongoing reflection on course quality
• Continuous adjustment mindset
• Protected time for pedagogical thinking
Representative quotes:
• "Continuous Improvement Day's activities may allow us to reflect on our teaching practices for engaging students. This could include using new technologies, revising our teaching style, or looking for new materials."
• "CID provides a recurring opportunity to assess what's working and what needs improvement as I evaluate my own courses, as well as valuable opportunity to learn from my peers."
• "Each one among us gets insights on how to proceed with continuous adjustments."
Key takeaway: CI Day provides valuable dedicated time for pedagogical reflection that might not otherwise occur during busy semesters, fostering continuous professional growth.
Faculty used CI Day to improve both horizontal integration (standardization across sections) and vertical integration (skill progression across levels).
Key characteristics of responses that fit this theme include the following:
• Standardizing requirements across multi-section courses
• Ensuring consistency when multiple faculty teach same course
• Improving skill scaffolding from lower to upper-level courses
• Identifying foundational skills needed for advanced work
• Enhancing programmatic coherence
Representative quotes:
• "They may lead to some standardization of the requirements for courses taught by multiple faculty members, e.g. HIST 3903 and Senior Projects."
• "Faculty discussed the progression of students during their time at TU, and strengths and weaknesses observed along the way. This type of discussion helps identify skills to focus on in lower level courses in hopes of better outcomes in upper level courses."
Key takeaway: CI Day facilitates programmatic thinking about both consistency across sections and developmental progression across levels, improving the student experience and learning outcomes.
One-quarter of respondents indicated CI Day would have no impact, minimal impact, was not applicable to their situation, or that no changes were needed because goals were already being met.
Key characteristics of responses that fit this theme include the following:
• Assessment activities perceived as not affecting teaching
• Impact uncertain or unknown
• Timing doesn't align with teaching
• Sample size too small (n=1)
• Personal experience of limited impact
• No changes needed due to excellent current performance
Representative quotes:
• "Not at all"
• "At this time, the assessment activities will not impact my courses. While not meeting all benchmarks, we only have an n of 1, so too early to make changes"
• "The course I am currently teaching is not related (it is a funded study abroad course for 3 graduate students)"
• "I'm not sure."
Key takeaway: While the majority see value, one-quarter of faculty experience CI Day as having no impact or not applying to their situation, representing both successful validation (already meeting goals) and missed opportunities for engagement.
"GIVEN OUR ASSESSMENT DURING THIS PARTICULAR SEMESTER LED TO 100% OF STUDENTS HITTING THE BENCHMARK, NO ADDITIONAL CHANGES HAVE YET TO BE PLANNED."
Figure 1 illustrates that course and pedagogical improvements (n=24) was the most impactful aspect of CI Day with 60% of responses addressing this. Faculty valued the opportunity to discuss improvements across the areas of content, delivery, and method. With 40% of faculty respondents identifying assessment process improvements (n=16), faculty reflection on the importance how learning is measured and documented was clearly evident. Learning outcomes alignment (n=8) was a theme reflected in 20% of responses, which emphasized that connecting courses to program outcomes was an important activity that was done at CI Day. Faculty also valued structured time for pedagogical thinking, which was observed in 12.5% of responses addressing reflection and planning. A small number of faculty also discussed the impact of curriculum integration (n=2), leading to standardization across course sections and student learning progression through the program.
Most faculty responses indicated a positive contribution to their courses because of CI Day (n=30) with 75% of responses fitting into themes that indicated positive impacts. Negative or neutral responses (n=10) comprised 25% of those responses collected, indicating an area for improvement.
This thematic analysis examines 39 faculty responses to the question: "Indicate which areas of the university mission that you think were supported by the assessment activities on Continuous Improvement Day and how assessment or Continuous Improvement Day helps promote them."
The analysis reveals that "Student-Centered" is by far the most frequently mentioned mission element (54% of responses), followed by "Explore Complex Ideas" (33%) and "Meaningful Contributions" (26%). Faculty strongly connect CI Day activities to TU's mission, with 92% of responses identifying specific mission elements that CI Day supports.
Over half of all faculty responses explicitly identified "student-centered" as the primary mission element supported by CI Day. This is the dominant theme by a substantial margin, appearing more than twice as often as any other mission element.
Key characteristics of responses that fit this theme include the following:
• Focus on student outcomes - CI Day requires faculty to examine how students are performing
• Analyzing student needs and difficulties - Identifying where students struggle
• Student learning improvement - Using assessment to enhance learning experiences
• Addressing bottom third of class - Focusing on students who need most support
• Student-demonstrated needs and strengths - Allowing student performance to guide decisions
"THE UNIVERSITY MISSION THAT WAS SUPPORTED IS STUDENT - CENTERED. BY MAKING SURE THAT OUR COURSES BEST SERVE THE PEDAGOGY NEEDS OF THE STUDENTS, WE ARE SERVING THEM THE BEST WE CAN."
Representative quotes:
• "Student - focused! We always put the needs of the students first and it's good form to take a fresh look at what we are doing and could do better."
• "For me, I take 'student-centered' as literally as possible and think that CID has helped me promote specific practices to that end."
• "CI day does a good job of ensuring all faculty spend some time focused on student outcomes, which is fundamental to being a 'student-centered' university, in my opinion."
• "I am restructuring my primary course to better meet the needs of the bottom third of the class."
• "My overall pedagogy focuses on student-centered teaching and learning, so I am always looking for new ways to update each class day's materials to lessen focus on lecture and devise new activities or prompts to center of student learning in an active, rather than passive way."
Key takeaway: Faculty overwhelmingly see CI Day as directly supporting TU's student-centered mission by requiring structured attention to student outcomes, needs, and learning experiences. The focus on assessment data ensures that faculty decisions are driven by evidence of student performance rather than assumptions.
One-third of faculty identified "explore complex ideas" as a mission element supported by CI Day, making it the second most frequently mentioned element.
Key characteristics of responses that fit this theme include the following:
• Assessing complexity of work - Evaluating whether courses adequately challenge students
• Complex ideas in course objectives - Ensuring learning outcomes address sophisticated concepts
• Critical thinking development - Fostering analytical skills and intellectual curiosity
• Rigorous analysis across disciplines - Interdisciplinary complexity
• Evaluating pedagogical approaches - Assessing whether teaching methods support complex thinking
Representative quotes:
• "We have course objectives that assess complexity of work, design projects which introduce new knowledge."
• "Our assessment activities are designed to support the exploration of complex ideas and the advancement of new research, aligning with our mission's emphasis on interconnected learning and free inquiry."
• "The assessment activities of Continuous Improvement Day support the mission of exploring complex ideas by evaluating the success of pedagogical approaches within selected courses."
• "By evaluating student outcomes, we ensure that our curriculum fosters critical thinking, intellectual curiosity, and rigorous analysis across disciplines."
• "Through these efforts, we empower students to engage deeply with challenging questions and contribute to the creation of new knowledge."
Key takeaway: Faculty connect CI Day to intellectual rigor by ensuring that courses challenge students appropriately and that assessment measures capture students' ability to engage with sophisticated, complex concepts across disciplines.
"BY REVIEWING AND SETTING AN ASSESSMENT SCHEDULE FOR THESE LEARNING OUTCOMES, WE EXPLORE AND ASSESS THE COMPLEXITY OF KNOWLEDGE THAT WE TEACH OUR STUDENTS."
One-quarter of responses identified the mission element of preparing students to make meaningful contributions to campus, community, and the world.
Key characteristics of responses that fit this theme include the following:
• Professional preparation - Ensuring students have skills needed for careers
• Real-world connections - Linking coursework to practical applications
• Community engagement - Connecting academic work to community needs
• Marketability - Preparing students for their professions
• Applied knowledge - Practical and ethical challenges
• Campus and community contributions - Department impact beyond classroom
Representative quotes:
• "The assessment activities on Continuous Improvement Day support the preparation of our students to make meaningful contributions to the community and the world. Students who are prepared to make meaningful contributions understand substantive and procedural law; are competent in legal research, analysis, reasoning and problem-solving; are competent in written and oral communication; are competent in professional lawyering skills, and are competent in professionalism, cross-cultural competency and ethics."
• "The items used in my assessment tie directly to the projects for the course and to real-world project activities."
• "My assignments also work to create connections between academia and student's lives in the community and broader world."
• "CID activities allows us to reflect and evaluate our program. This helps us to ensure we are addressing the needs of our students and providing a curriculum that will make them marketable in their future professions."
Key takeaway: Faculty see CI Day as ensuring that coursework prepares students not just academically but for meaningful professional and civic engagement, connecting classroom learning to real-world impact.
Nearly one-quarter of responses identified "interconnected learning experiences" as a mission element supported by CI Day.
Key characteristics of responses that fit this theme include the following:
• Cross-course coordination - Understanding performance across all courses
• Experiential learning - Considering hands-on and practical experiences
• Mentorship opportunities - One-on-one and small group interactions
• Interdisciplinary connections - Multiple fields and perspectives
• Programmatic coherence - Seeing courses as connected system
• Faculty collaboration - Discussions across program Representative quotes:
• "Faculty gain an understanding of the level of performance across all courses and as a whole promotes interconnected experience."
• "Every course I teach is interdisciplinary, a term that is central in Intro to Media Studies, to help students understand how and why the insights of multiple fields is so valuable."
• "By evaluating student outcomes, we ensure that our curriculum fosters critical thinking, intellectual curiosity, and rigorous analysis across disciplines."
Key Takeaway: Faculty recognize that CI Day helps them see their courses as part of an interconnected system, promoting coordination across courses, experiential learning beyond the classroom, and interdisciplinary connections.
Nearly one-fifth of responses mentioned the mission element of creating new knowledge, often connected to research.
Key characteristics of responses that fit this theme include the following:
• Research opportunities - Student-led research and scholarship
• Design projects - Creating new solutions and products
• Innovative scholarship - Supporting original work
• Advancement of research - Faculty and student contributions
• New outcome measures - Developing new assessment approaches
Representative quotes:
• "Our assessment activities are designed to support the exploration of complex ideas and the advancement of new research, aligning with our mission's emphasis on interconnected learning and free inquiry."
• "We have course objectives that assess complexity of work, design projects which introduce new knowledge."
Key Takeaway: While less frequently mentioned than student-centeredness or complex ideas, faculty recognize that CI Day supports the research mission by ensuring courses develop students' capacity to conduct research and create new knowledge, particularly through student-led projects and scholarship.
"OUR COMMITMENT TO MEANINGFUL ASSESSMENT ALLOWS US TO REFINE OUR TEACHING STRATEGIES, CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENT - LED RESEARCH, AND CULTIVATE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE OPEN DIALOGUE AND INNOVATIVE SCHOLARSHIP THRIVE."
Three responses mentioned diversity, equity, or inclusive learning environments, making this the least mentioned core mission element.
Key characteristics of responses that fit this theme include the following:
• Appears in comprehensive lists of mission elements
• Not discussed as a focal point or explained in depth
• Included alongside other values as part of overall pedagogical commitment
Representative quotes:
• "Student-centeredness, interconnected learning experience, explore complex ideas, spirit of free inquiry, and diversity and equity. Our pedagogy reflects these values. CID helps us remember and reaffirm our commitment to these values on both theoretical and practical levels."
• "Continuous Improvement Day enables us to align our courses, programs, and teaching methods with our mission. The outcome will be a student-centered, inclusive learning environment that fosters intellectual curiosity and community engagement and prepares students to contribute meaningfully to the world."
Key Takeaway: Diversity and equity are significantly underrepresented in faculty discussions of CI Day's mission support. While some faculty mention these values as part of their pedagogical commitment, there is limited articulation of specific connections between CI Day activities and diversity/equity mission elements.
The greatest area of mission alignment with CI Day activities was being student-centered (n=22) with 56.4% of responses addressing this (Figure 2). Faculty valued the opportunity to focus on student outcomes, analyze student performance, and ensure student success. Approximately 33% of faculty responses (n=13) indicated strong alignment between CI Day activities and exploring complex ideas. Making meaningful contributions to the campus, community, and/or the world (n=10) was a theme reflected in 26% of responses, which emphasized that ensuring professional preparation and making real-world connections was supported by CI Day. Interconnected learning experiences (n=9) and creating new knowledge (n=7) also were reflected in faculty responses fairly frequently. The alignment with diversity and equity (n=3) was the lowest mentioned, with only 7.7%of faculty identifying this as a CI Day alignment with the mission.
This thematic analysis examines 28 faculty responses to the question: "What part of Continuous Improvement Day did you find to be most valuable? Were there any key takeaways?"
The analysis reveals that collaboration and peer exchange emerged as the most dominant theme, with 50% of respondents highlighting the value of collegial interaction. Overall, faculty found CI Day to be a valuable opportunity for departmental connection, pedagogical reflection, and data-driven improvement planning.
The most prominent theme across all responses related to collaboration and peer exchange. Faculty consistently valued the opportunity to interact with colleagues, share experiences, and learn from one another.
Key characteristics of responses that fit this theme include the following:
• Exchange of ideas, strategies, and best practices
• Consulting with colleagues on course improvement
• Department-wide discussions and sharing sessions
• Collective problem-solving and brainstorming
Representative quotes:
• "Collaboration with our colleagues and sharing of knowledge and experience is always the most valuable part of Continuous Improvement Day."
• "The most valuable experience was to exchange ideas and insights among the instructors."
• "Discussion among peers - i.e. iron sharpening iron."
Key takeaway: CI Day serves as a critical platform for building collaborative teaching communities and fostering collective pedagogical development.
"THE HIGHLIGHT OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT DAY WAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONSULT WITH COLLEAGUES WHO ARE DEEPLY COMMITTED TO STUDENT SUCCESS."
Faculty appreciated the structured opportunity to assess and enhance their courses and curricula through systematic evaluation.
Key characteristics of responses that fit this theme include the following:
• Identifying specific areas for improvement
• Assessing courses collectively as a department
• Generating ideas for course enhancement
• Developing improvement plans based on feedback
Representative quotes:
• "Assessing our courses together as a department helps improve the process, gives you ideas how to improve your course and help the students better."
• "I found it most helpful to consult with colleagues about how to improve the quality of our courses and measure such improvements reliably."
Key takeaway: CI Day provides actionable insights that translate directly into course improvements and enhanced student support.
Faculty valued the opportunity to review and understand student achievement data across different levels and contexts.
Key characteristics of responses that fit this theme include the following:
• Gaining perspective on student performance across levels
• Reviewing concrete achievement data
• Confirming that learning goals are being met
• Identifying students who need additional support
Representative quotes:
• "Having an overview of students' performances at different levels"
• "Gaining a broader perspective of student performance is the most valuable. Having the tangible confirmation of meeting goals is rewarding."
Key takeaway: Data review provides validation of teaching effectiveness and helps identify areas where students need additional support.
"SEEING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT IN TERMS OF RAW NUMBERS IS THE MOST VALUABLE. MOSTLY, IT REASSURES ME THAT WE ARE FULFILLING OUR MISSION AND 'CLOSING THE CIRCLE' ON WHAT WE SAY WE ARE DELIVERING TO STUDENTS."
Faculty found value in discussions around aligning coursework with departmental missions, learning outcomes, and accreditation standards.
Key characteristics of responses that fit this theme include the following:
• Discussion of learning outcomes/objectives
• Aligning courses with department mission
• Connecting outcomes across the curriculum
• Meeting accreditation standards
Representative quotes:
• "CI day was a good opportunity to have deep discussions with the others in my department, which lets us come up with ideas about how to align our various coursework to align with our department's mission and student outcome goals."
• This is especially important as we are collectively working to link the learning objectives and outcomes in our Intro course and the Senior Project course, which form bookends to the major."
Some faculty particularly valued CI Day as a rare opportunity for entire departments to convene.
Key characteristics of responses that fit this theme include the following:
• Bringing the whole department together
• Creating space for department-wide reflection
• Building departmental community
Representative quotes:
• "It's one of the only times during the semester when everybody from the whole department meets to share reflections and feedback and ideas for the future of our department."
• "I appreciate that it's a department-wide activity."
Key takeaway: CID addresses the challenge of fragmented faculty schedules by creating dedicated time for collective engagement.
CI Day addresses the challenge of fragmented faculty schedules by creating dedicated time for collective engagement.
Key characteristics of responses that fit this theme include the following:
• Learning about the impact of specific changes
• Understanding timing of interventions
• Identifying emerging needs (e.g., AI literacy)
• Gaining pedagogical insights through brainstorming
Representative quotes:
• "The discussion of specific changes implemented during this cycle led to key insights into how changing course assignments early in a semester can lead to better outcomes later in the term."
• "Key takeaways were needing to implement AI knowledge and skills."
• "Brainstorming moments are always the most valuable to gain pedagogical insights."
Key takeaways: CID generates concrete, implementable strategies that can improve teaching effectiveness.
Some respondents appreciated the flexibility in timing and format, though others noted challenges with the fall timing.
Key characteristics of responses that fit this theme include the following:
• Appreciation for flexibility in meeting mode
• Challenges with fall timing for some programs
• Need for spring-only assessment in certain contexts
Representative quotes:
• "The flexibility of timing and mode of meeting. It was nice to take a moment to touch base with each other and to remember our emphases for the year."
• "Because we are a certificate program spread across multiple departments and buildings, and because we only have 2 learning outcomes, we have always done CID in the spring only, assessing artifacts from both semesters."
Key takeaway: While flexibility is valued, some programs face structural challenges with the current CID timing model.
One respondent valued knowing that faculty feedback is acknowledged at the institutional level.
Representative quote:
• "Knowing that our feedback is actually noted, and that the University is involved in what we teach."
Key Takeaway: Faculty appreciate institutional engagement with their teaching practices.
A small minority expressed that CI DAY was not valuable or faced logistical challenges.
Key characteristics of responses that fit this theme include the following:
• One respondent found nothing valuable
• One noted administrative timing conflicts with other priorities
Key takeaway: While the vast majority found CID valuable, there are isolated cases of dissatisfaction or structural incompatibility.
Collaboration and peer exchange (n=14) was the most valued aspect of CI Day with 50% of responses addressing this (See Figure 3). Faculty valued the opportunity to discuss teaching with colleagues, share best practice, and engage in problem solving. With 36% of faculty respondents addressing course and curriculum improvement (n=10), faculty appreciation for the structured opportunity to identify areas for improvement and develop action plans was clearly evident. Student performance assessment (n=25) was a theme reflected in 25% of responses, which emphasized that reviewing student achievement data provided both validation of teaching effectiveness and identification of areas needing improvement. Faculty also valued discussions which helped align courses with departmental missions and ensure curriculum coherence, which was observed in 21% of responses addressing learning objectives and alignment
Overwhelmingly, most faculty responses indicated a positive value to CI Day (n=26) with 93% of responses fitting into themes that indicated positive outcomes and takeaways. Negative responses (n=2) only comprised 7% of those responses collected.
The three analyses reveal that Continuous Improvement Day is successfully operationalizing the University of Tulsa's commitment to evidence-based, student-centered teaching improvement. With 75-92% of faculty reporting positive impact, CI Day provides:
1. Valuable collaborative reflection time that faculty cite as most the beneficial aspect
2. Evidence-based focus on student outcomes that operationalizes student-centeredness
3. Multiple pathways for improvement in courses, pedagogy, and assessment
4. Strong connection to learning-focused mission elements
5. Concrete plans for enhancement that many faculty intend to implement However, significant opportunities exist to strengthen CI Day's impact:
1. Integrate equity though the language of the mission has been adjusted slightly to better reflect the institutional culture
• Promote disaggregated data examination to reveal learning gaps of specific student populations
2. Support implementation
• Refine assessment templates to more clearly identify implemented changes
• Address importance of follow-up on implemented changes on demonstrating improvement of student outcomes
3. Broaden mission alignment to encompass all elements, not just learning-focused ones
• Share examples of comprehensive alignment
• Incorporate mission commitment to service and belonging
4. Address needs to reduce the disengaged minority
• Refine process elements based on feedback
• Build on and share success stories
The quality assurance project suggests that building on the strong foundation of peer collaboration and student-centeredness, we can address gaps in learning achievement, implementation support, and comprehensive mission alignment. With targeted enhancements, CI Day can more fully realize its potential as the cornerstone of institutional commitment to teaching excellence and mission fulfillment. The high engagement rates and positive impact already evident indicate that faculty are ready partners in the work to make transformative improvements for student learning.