Academic Effectiveness Program Committee

ACADEMIC EFFECTIVENESS PROGRAM AND COMMITTEE

As Adopted by the Faculty Assembly, April 1, 2011

Charge Academic Year 2010 - 2011: Through September 2011, the Academic Effectiveness Committee, through the review of evidence and ongoing assessments, shall respond to SACS Standard 3.3.1.1. The Committee shall also address a plan of action for Academic Effectiveness and the Academic Effectiveness Committee subsequent to the Interim Review.

Charge: September 2011 and forward The Academic Effectiveness Committee shall create, implement, evaluate and enhance a comprehensive program of institutional effectiveness that assesses student learning outcomes continuously at the program level, the Wesleyan Seminars, and educational support services. The Committee will collect, assess, analyze, and evaluate evidence in order to improve student learning and educational support services.

Academic Effectiveness Program

Purpose: In order to ensure ongoing demonstration of student learning as well as continuous improvement in the curriculum and educational support services, Virginia Wesleyan University will annually collect, assess, analyze, evaluate, and report on program-specific student learning outcomes, core competencies, the Wesleyan Seminars, institutional success measures, and educational support services. The Academic Effectiveness Program includes ongoing faculty development initiatives and will foster the improvement of teaching and learning, and the use of assessment to validate that improvement, as a valid University activity in research and scholarship.

The core emphases of the Virginia Wesleyan University Academic Effectiveness Program are: 1. Continuous improvement in student learning across the curriculum; 2. Ongoing demonstration of student learning at the programlevel; 3. Ongoing demonstration of student learning relative to all General Studies Competencies; 4. Ongoing demonstration of student learning relative to all Wesleyan Seminars; 5. Fostering the improvement of teaching and learning as a valid University activity in research and scholarship

As the Chief Academic Officer, the VPAA, is uniquely accountable to ensure that the Institutional Effectiveness Program for Academic Assessment—to be known as Academic Effectiveness—is comprehensive and rigorous, and that the stated learning outcomes at the institutional and program level are being accomplished continuously.

The Academic Effectiveness Committee

Purpose: The Academic Effectiveness Committee will guide the Academic Effectiveness Program for all educational programs and educational support services at Virginia Wesleyan University.

The University will use a variety of both direct and indirect measures to assess and evaluate student learning outcomes at the program level, in the core General Studies competencies, and in the Wesleyan Seminars. Simultaneously, it will assess educational support services and collaborate with an administrative team to ensure that the Institution is engaged in a

Structure: The Academic Effectiveness Committee will act on behalf of the VPAA to ensure that an ongoing comprehensive program of academic assessment is integrated across the curriculum. Because the curriculum and student learning are overwhelmingly the purview of the faculty and academic affairs, committee membership is primarily faculty and, as such, is faculty driven. Given current accreditation standards and to ensure appropriate levels of administrative support, the Director of Academic Effectiveness will be shared collaboratively between an appointed faculty member and the Director for Institutional Research and Effectiveness or a comparable staff member appointed by the VPAA.

Objectives: Using multiple methods, the Academic Effectiveness Committee will annuallycollect, assess, analyze, evaluate, and report on program-specific student learning outcomes, core competencies, the General Studies Frames of Reference, institutional success measures, and educational supportservices.

Members: The following represent the minimum membership that should serve on the Academic Effectiveness Committee: Director of Academic Effectiveness: to be appointed by the VPAA Administrative Co-Chair: Chief Assessment Administrator for Academic Programs Elected Tenured Faculty Member, Humanities: Three Year Term Elected Tenured Faculty Member, Natural Sciences & Mathematics: Three Year Term Elected Tenured Faculty Member, Social Sciences: Three Year Term Elected Tenured Faculty Member, Professional Studies: Three Year Term Three faculty elected at large: Three Year Terms One Faculty Member: Representing Programs Earning Specialized Accreditation Librarian

Election: Faculty elected to the Academic Effectiveness Committee will serve three year terms. The election should provide for one tenured representative for each school and three faculty elected at large for a total of six faculty elected by the schools/faculty assembly. Additionally, programs that have earned a specialized accreditation or state approval will elect one faculty representative for their programs combined. That term shall also be for three years and will rotate across the programs. Elections will occur at the first Faculty Assembly meeting in April.

Committee Service: All faculty service and participation on the Academic Effectiveness Committee 1) shall be recognized and credited as service applicable for promotion and tenure; and/or 2) is to be recognized as fulfilling a faculty obligation that is comparable to service on a faculty commission. Members are expected to be active participants in Academic Effectiveness meetings, planning, and implementation.