Call for GE Assessment

Call for Proposals

California State University, Fullerton

Assessment of General Education Goals for Student Learning

The General Education (GE) Committee seeks proposals from faculty members, departments and colleges to develop or refine assessment strategies to measure student learning in the GE Program: across the GE program; within specific GE categories and sub-categories; or across multi-section General Education courses. 

The GE Committee encourages proposals that will gather evidence to answer questions such as but not limited to these:

• How well are our students achieving the Goals for Student Learning in General Education (as specified in UPS 411.201)? 
  
  
• To what extent are our students mastering the core competencies and skills that are woven across the GE program? (e.g., critical thinking, written communication, quantitative reasoning, oral communication)
  
  
• Have our students acquired the knowledge and skills that are embedded in specific GE categories and sub-categories? 
  
  
• Within large, multi-section General Education courses are there common learning experiences and outcomes?
  
  
• What modifications should we consider making to our GE Program, its categories, or statements of student learning to improve the quality of the program and enhance student learning? 

The GE Committee does not expect to receive proposals that will assess the GE program as a whole.  Instead, the GE Committee seeks proposals for developing or adapting means of assessing a subset of the knowledge and skills that comprise the GE program. The emphasis of the assessment proposals should be on assessing how well the General Education Program accomplishes its learning goals and objectives. Assessment proposals should not focus on an individual section of a GE course.

Frequently used tools to assess student learning in academic programs, or component of them, include:

• Embedded assignments, papers, projects, and performances
• Use of common scoring rubrics
• Portfolios
• Reflective essays
• Capstone seminars
• Common examinations across multi-section courses
• Comprehensive examinations
• Standardized achievement tests
• Focus groups, interviews and surveys of students, faculty, alumni, or employers
• Case studies
• Observations
• Transcript analysis

Incentives for Participation

Beyond the intrinsic rewards associated with collaboration among colleagues to improve student learning in a very important component of our students’ undergraduate experience, modest support for the costs of carrying out experiments in assessment is available. We anticipate funding 5- 8 proposals this year, with awards ranging from $4,000-$10,000 based on the number, depth of scope, and quality of the proposals received.   

Awards can be used for stipends for intersession or summer work on the project, supplies, books and materials, travel, research assistance, external consultants, or other operating expenses directly related to the assessment project. 

Larger awards, including, but not limited to, support for released time may be provided for projects that involve an entire category of GE or that will make an especially significant contribution to ensuring that the GE program achieves the goals for student learning summarized in UPS 411.201.  Proposals seeking release time or larger amounts of funding will normally also involve financial support from sponsoring departments, colleges, or other sources. 

Proposal Requirements:

The following information must be submitted:

1.  Name and the department/program and college of the proposer(s).  Clearly identify the one person who will be responsible for the oversight and implementation of the project.

2.  Brief summary of assessment project (150 words)

3.  The proposal narrative must address each of the following questions in clearly identified sections in this order: (2-3 pages)

A.   What is the desired outcome of the proposed assessment project?

B.   What will be assessed, who will be assessed, and what assessment strategies or tools will be employed?   

C.  Describe how participants will be identified and recruited.  Note that recruiting students to participate in assessment projects can prove challenging, unless the assessment is embedded in a course.   

D.  How could the evidence that results from the proposed assessment be useful for improving the effectiveness of the GE program?

E.  Include a tentative work plan and timeline of activities to be undertaken as part of the project.

4.  Provide a detailed budget with explanation of each item. Include any matching funds provided by program/department or college and any support from other sources.

5.  Signatures of department chair/program coordinator and college dean indicating approval of the proposal.

Cycle and Reporting Requirements

Faculty who are awarded funds are encouraged to initiate their project activities in Spring 2006 and they have until June 2007 to complete the entire project.  A progress report will be due by December 2006 and a final report will be due by June 2007.  Grant recipients will receive 50% of the awarded funds in advance and the remaining balance will be distributed with the final report and a detailed list of committed/expended funds. Grant recipients will be encouraged to share their experiences at campus events such as the Faculty Affairs Forum.

Proposal Submission and Due Date

Faculty members (individuals or groups) may submit proposals.  The support of a department/program and a college is essential.  Proposals are due in the Academic Programs Office, MH-111, by 5 p.m. on Friday March 10, 2006.  Please submit one paper copy of the proposal with the required signatures and an electronic copy as an e-mail attachment to Ms. Linda Cooper, Academic Programs, lcooper@fullerton.edu.   Proposals will be reviewed and announcement of awards made by mid-April 2006.

Proposal Assistance

Prospective applicants interested in learning more about this call for assessment proposals and/or getting feedback on preliminary ideas or proposals are invited to attend an information session to be held on Thursday, February 23, 2006 from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. in MH 141.

Questions

Questions should be directed to Dr. Sylvia A. Alva, Associate Vice President for Undergraduate Programs, extension 4586 or salva@fullerton.edu.

Thank you.