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Minnesota State University, Mankato
Minnesota State University, Mankato

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Assessment Process

Page address: https://web.mnsu.edu/assessment/assessmentprocess.html
General education assessment is conducted through a joint effort of the General Education and Diversity Committee, departments offering general education courses, and General Education Curriculum Instructor Groups (GECIG’s). 
A department offering a general education course is responsible for determining the assignment(s) and/or activities within a general education course that best demonstrate the General Education Curriculum Goal being assessed. The department is responsible for using the identified assignment(s) and/or activities to assess the achievement of learning outcomes using the rubric(s) and sampling guidelines established by the General Education and Diversity Committee for the goal area being assessed. 
It is recognized that a general education course is only required to address a majority of the general education outcomes established within a goal area. Therefore, it is not expected that all learning outcomes within a goal area will be assessed within each general education course, only the outcomes from the goal area that are relevant to the course.
A department may assess the General Education student learning outcomes within a General Education course at any point in time utilizing the rubric(s) and the sampling guidelines established by the General Education and Diversity Committee. However, a department is required to report assessment results (less than five years old) for each General Education course prior to the scheduled GECIG review of the General Education curriculum goal to which the course belongs.
A department offering a general education course is responsible for submitting the student learning assessment results via an online form to allow the results to be collected across all courses within a goal area. The student learning assessment results collected for all general education courses within a goal area using the rubric(s) established by the General Education and Diversity Committee is aggregated by learning outcome in preparation for General Education Curriculum goal review.
A GECIG is established for each General Education Curriculum goal being reviewed. Each GECIG will be comprised of five faculty members. The GECIGs primary function within the assessment process is to review and analyze the collected assessment results for each learning outcome for the General Education goal being reviewed. The GECIG is responsible for completing the General Education curriculum goal assessment process (review and analyze assessment results, provide interpretation of results, and establish recommendations) and submitting a report to the General Education and Diversity Committee. 
The General Education and Diversity Committee is responsible for reviewing the GECIG report and preparing a response. The General Education and Diversity Committee will submit a copy of each GECIG’s report and the Committee’s response to the General Education and Diversity Sub-Meet, the Office of the Provost, Assessment and Evaluation Sub-Meet, Council of Deans, Departments with courses within the general education curriculum, and the University community. The General Education and Diversity Sub-Meet will convene a General Education Curriculum Goal Forum to discuss the review findings and recommendations with the Departments and respective Deans offering courses within the goal areas that was assessed. 
The General Education and Diversity Sub-Meet will convene a General Education Curriculum Goal Forum to discuss the assessment findings and recommendations with the Departments and respective Deans offering courses within the General Education curriculum goal reviewed. As a part of the forum, strategies to advance student learning in light of the assessment findings will be discussed.
During the General Education Curriculum Goal Forum convened by the General Education and Diversity Sub-Meet, feedback on the goal area outcomes, the shared rubric(s) used to conduct the assessment, and the established sampling guidelines will be collected. At the completion of each five-year general education assessment cycle the General Education and Diversity Committee will review the assessment process.
As shown in Table A, General Education assessment is conducted through a joint effort by the General Education and Diversity Committee, departments offering General Education courses, and General Education Curriculum Instructor Groups (GECIGs). 
 
 Table A
 
General Education Assessment Process
 

 

When
What
Who
September
GECIG Established by General Education and Diversity Committee
General Education and Diversity Committee
By October 15
Final opportunity for Departments to submit assessment results for General Education Curriculum Goal under review
Departments with General Education courses from General Education Curriculum Goal under review
October
Assessment results submitted by Departments aggregated and prepared for GECIG
Institutional Research, Planning and Assessment; University Assessment Coordinator
November-February
GECIG reviews and analyzes assessment results submitted by Departments, interprets results, establishes recommendations, and submits report to the General Education and Diversity Committee
GECIG
March
General Education and Diversity Committee reviews GECIG report and prepares response
General Education and Diversity Committee
April-May
General Education Curriculum Goal Forum
Gen Ed and Diversity Committee with Departments and Deans