Mānoa Faculty Senate Assessment Committee
Minutes of October 12, 2009

Members Present: Paul Brandon, Erica Clayton, Jon Goss, Wayne Iwaoka, Jim Wills, Amy Schiffner

Members Excused: Linda Krieger, Phillip Ooi

Ex officio Members: Paul Adams (Director, Assessment Office), Halina Zaleski (SEC Representative)

Guests: Marlene Lowe and Monica Stitt-Bergh (Assessment Office)

Call to Order: 12:35 p.m.

Minutes of 31 August, 2009, meeting reviewed and accepted.

I.       Assessment Office updates—Director’s report (Paul Adams)

A)  As a result of budget cuts in the VCAA’s Office, Reed Dasenbrock announced that the Assessment Office Director’s position will be left vacant after December, 2009, perhaps for 18 months; unclear implications for the AO, MAC (sets up different model for faculty oversight), and what this decision says about Manoa priorities, especially in regard to upcoming WASC visit.

B)  Paul Brandon will draft a memo to the OVCAA to indicate that MAC believes that (a) a Director of the Assessment Office is necessary for the effectiveness of Manoa academic programs and continued faculty support of assessment, (b) it is organizationally unsound for a faculty committee to be acting in an administrative role, (c) it might appear to WASC that the OVCAA is maintaining the director’s position for the appearance purposes during the WASC visit, only to temporarily eliminate it shortly after, and (d) it is questionable why the assessment directorship will be vacated when funds are available for another assistant vice-chancellor to be hired. MAC members will review and edit the memo and vote on whether to approve it via email poll.

C)  The MoU describing the relationship between AO, MAC, SEC, and the OVCAA is still under review by SEC; lines of reporting may need to be revised because of the temporary elimination of the director’s position.

D)  Annual Assessment Updates

due this Friday (16 October)

1)      review process for 100+ reports is still under development (i.e. how are assessments assessed?)

2)      discussion of various approaches including use of UHM Gen Ed model that establishes subcommittees to solicit feedback for all reports with formative suggestions for improvements

3)      discussion of possible next steps, resources; proposed “congress of assessment coordinators” soon after reports are submitted

4)      departments may be able to apply for funding for improvements, although these funds may be lacking at present

II.    Current and anticipated charges to the MAC to date (Paul Brandon)

A)    MAC apparently has been charged with reviewing the Senate’s Student Learning Outcomes resolution requiring UHM-1 and UHM-2 forms to contain SLOs; Paul Brandon will review the Senate minutes to find the charge.

B)     Note October 26 MAC meeting on WASC as requested by the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

C)    VCAA has conveyed the Manoa Undergraduate Student Learning Outcomes (MUGLOs)to the Faculty Senate; Jon and Paul B. will check w/CAPP about authorization to move ahead with review of MUGLOs

Next meeting: 19 October, 2009, HAW 208. Purposes: To review the SLO resolution and discuss the status of the MUGLOs

Adjournment 1:55 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Cindy Hunter, Rotating secretary