Guidelines for Completing Annual Assessment Report for Upper Division Writing Requirement

St. Cloud State University

Spring 2007

General information

Ø This form should be used to report assessment activity for the 2006-07 academic year for upper division writing. Submit one form per major program. For example, a department with three undergraduate major programs would submit three forms. If no assessment of upper division writing has taken place in the past year for a program, a form should still be submitted. 

Ø Forms should be submitted electronically (as e-mail attachments) to your college assessment director.

Ø Reports are primarily for the use of the program. They should be disseminated among and discussed by program faculty in an effort to identify ways to improve student writing in the program and to improve assessment methods. College assessment directors will provide summary information from the reports to the University Assessment Director, who will use this information in preparing the annual institutional assessment report. Assessment reports will be kept on file by the Assessment Office. It will use these reports in two ways: (1) as data to be analyzed for the purpose of improving assessment and assessment reporting at SCSU and (2) as an archive to preserve for the program and its reviewers a record of assessment methods, tools, findings, and uses.  

Ø If you have questions, please contact the SCSU Assessment office at 80133 or 96590.

Information pertaining to specific parts of the form

Ø Academic program – Type in the full name of the program. Complete one form for each program.

Ø Assessment methods and tools – Describe the writing assignments, tools, or rubrics used to assess the criteria.

Ø Key assessment findings – Describe the results of the assessment activities. How well are the writing criteria being met? Do the findings raise questions that should be addressed by program faculty? If you have data summaries (graphs, charts, tables), please attach them. (These do not count toward the word limit.)

Ø Use of assessment results – (1) Describe the meetings in which program faculty discussed assessment findings. (Who met? How often? How long? What was discussed? What decisions were made?) (2) Describe any efforts by program faculty this year to improve student writing or to improve the assessment of student writing based on assessment activities. For example, have you changed criteria, strengthened criteria, or developed a rubric to assist with assessment?

Ø Planning for the next academic year – Do you anticipate any changes to assessment of upper division writing in the coming year? If so, which changes do you anticipate making? For example, will you be changing your criteria, strengthening your assignments, or developing a rubric?