building a culture of assessment: case study of johnson c. smith university stephen c. ehrmann,...

Building a Culture of Building a Culture of Assessment: Assessment: Case Study of Case Study of

Johnson C. Smith UniversityJohnson C. Smith University

Building a Culture of Building a Culture of Assessment: Assessment: Case Study of Case Study of

Johnson C. Smith UniversityJohnson C. Smith University

Stephen C. Ehrmann, Ph.D.Stephen C. Ehrmann, Ph.D.

Director, The Flashlight Program and Director, The Flashlight Program and Vice President, The TLT GroupVice President, The TLT Group

Stephen C. Ehrmann, Ph.D.Stephen C. Ehrmann, Ph.D.

Director, The Flashlight Program and Director, The Flashlight Program and Vice President, The TLT GroupVice President, The TLT Group

[email protected]@tltgroup.org [email protected]@tltgroup.org2

Thanks!Thanks!Thanks!Thanks!

120+ institutional subscribers to 120+ institutional subscribers to TLT Group services, including TLT Group services, including Johnson C. SmithJohnson C. Smith

EDUCAUSE/NLII, CNI and WSUEDUCAUSE/NLII, CNI and WSU TLT Group Founding SponsorsTLT Group Founding Sponsors

Blackboard, Compaq, Blackboard, Compaq, Microsoft, SCT, WebCTMicrosoft, SCT, WebCT


Johnson C. Smith- Johnson C. Smith- BackgroundBackgroundJohnson C. Smith- Johnson C. Smith- BackgroundBackground HBCU (founded 1867)HBCU (founded 1867) 1500 students1500 students Endowment $30MEndowment $30M First HBCU laptop university First HBCU laptop university

(2000)(2000) US NewsUS News Best Values - Ranked Best Values - Ranked

2nd among comprehensive 2nd among comprehensive colleges in the South (2004)colleges in the South (2004)


The Usual PressuresThe Usual PressuresThe Usual PressuresThe Usual Pressures

Tight budgetsTight budgets Accreditors such as SACS, Accreditors such as SACS,

NCATE, emphasizing the NCATE, emphasizing the importance of using data to importance of using data to guide improvementguide improvement


Unusual ResponseUnusual ResponseUnusual ResponseUnusual Response

LeadershipLeadershipPresident Dorothy YancyPresident Dorothy YancyCoordinated, shared effort from Coordinated, shared effort from

Dir. of Information Services, Dir. Dir. of Information Services, Dir. of Faculty Development, Dir. Of of Faculty Development, Dir. Of IR, and othersIR, and others


SupportSupportSupportSupport

Series of mini-grants for facultySeries of mini-grants for faculty

Required training in assessment Required training in assessment (including Flashlight Online), doing (including Flashlight Online), doing assessment, and interpreting results assessment, and interpreting results in exchange for moneyin exchange for money

Faculty often had to work together, Faculty often had to work together, share datashare data

Faculty lead the assessment trainingFaculty lead the assessment trainingFunds from UNCF, Bush, Hewlett…Funds from UNCF, Bush, Hewlett…


Persistence and PatiencePersistence and PatiencePersistence and PatiencePersistence and Patience

4 years of effort, with little to 4 years of effort, with little to show in first year or twoshow in first year or two

Faculty often had to create 2-3 Faculty often had to create 2-3 surveys before focusing surveys before focusing enough to uncover useful enough to uncover useful findings.findings.


ResultsResultsResultsResults

Over half the faculty are doing Over half the faculty are doing studies regularlystudies regularlyDon Mager (English) learned how to Don Mager (English) learned how to

improve his strategies for moderating improve his strategies for moderating student discussionstudent discussion

Sociology Dept is going to study Sociology Dept is going to study changes in informal student changes in informal student interaction, communityinteraction, community

Gene Hermitte (history) got useful Gene Hermitte (history) got useful feedback on his use of concept mapsfeedback on his use of concept maps

Joe Turner, Maria Papanikolaou Joe Turner, Maria Papanikolaou (English) are studying how their (English) are studying how their students develop information literacystudents develop information literacy


Full TextFull TextFull TextFull Text

Case study on JCSU is on the Case study on JCSU is on the web at web at http://www.tltgroup.org/resourcehttp://www.tltgroup.org/resources/F_Eval_Cases/JCSU_Assess.htms/F_Eval_Cases/JCSU_Assess.htm

building a culture of assessment: case study of johnson c. smith university stephen c. ehrmann,...

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