In February 1999, a revised graduate/professional assessment process with draft copies of forms was introduced to departmental chairpersons and directors of graduate studies after receiving an approval “in concept” by the Graduate Faculty Senate. The process and revised forms have been reviewed by departments, staff in the Graduate School and provost’s office, and have been approved by the Graduate Faculty Senate. There are three forms that make up the graduate/professional assessment process.
A few words of explanation about the three forms.
1. Graduate/Professional Program Assessment Plan Form (Word Doc)
This is an assessment plan form that can be used by all departments. It allows for the inclusion of specific departmental/unit objectives you may want to add, and it allows for the exclusion of outcome measures you believe are not applicable to some/any of your degree programs. At the bottom of the form is a list of measures to be provided by MU’s Office of Institutional Research.
There should be one form on file for each graduate/professional degree program offered by your department. Simply complete the top portion of the form, attach any additional objectives used and/or outcomes measures deemed not applicable, and submit the form to the Graduate School no later than July 31. This form is only to be resubmitted if a department decides to change its assessment plan.
2. Graduate/Professional Program Annual Data Form
This form is used to collect annual data for each of your graduate degree programs. A form is completed for each degree program offered by your department/unit. Data is collected for summer session, fall semester, and winter semester of each year. One copy of this form is mailed to the academic unit dean (Arts & Science, Journalism, etc.), two copies are mailed to the Graduate School, and one copy is kept by the department.
3. Graduate Professional Program Five-Year Assessment Report Form (Word Doc)
This form is to be used as a cover sheet for a concise (five to eight-page) report which is to include information on all graduate degrees offered by your department/unit. Five-year reports are to be submitted no later than July 31 of the year a department/unit has its five-year review.
One copy is submitted to your academic unit dean, two copies are submitted to the Graduate School, and one copy is retained in the department/unit. The form provides an outline of what is to be included in the report.
Use of the enclosed three forms will provide a general consistency across campus for planning and evaluating graduate/professional assessment at MU. At the same time, departments may expand on their assessment plans and omit certain outcome measures that may not be applicable to their degree programs.
Please note
July 31 is the deadline for submitting an annual assessment report for each degree program. It is also the deadline to submit a copy of new plans for each degree program to the Graduate School.