Learning Assessment at BU asks the fundamental question: does the curriculum we have designed (i.e. the collection of courses we require for the degree as a whole) add up to what we intend? In other words, at the end of a degree program, do our students have the knowledge and skills we want them to have as a result of our program? While program assessment has necessary implications for course goals and should be articulated with them, our assessment efforts focus on the program (major) as a whole and is a faculty-led effort, just as the curriculum belongs to the faculty. Assessment should promote ongoing conversation among the faculty about the curriculum, teaching, and their improvement.
Good assessment is simple and efficient, makes use of existing structures of evaluation, and over time, should result in changes (perhaps small, perhaps large) to the curriculum and/or its component courses.
The three Assessment Working Groups (Undergraduate; PhD; Other Graduate and Graduate Professional Degrees) provide the opportunity for sharing best practices and responding to the results of assessment across colleges. The Working Groups are chaired by Gillian Pierce, Assistant Provost for Academic Assessment.
Assessment Working Group Members:
- One representative from each school/college, 3 from CAS (one per disciplinary area), 3 from CFA (one per school);
- Must be faculty members with knowledge of/responsibility for curriculum;
- Are the designated leaders of the assessment effort in their colleges;
- Work both with each other and with the faculty in their schools/colleges to shape appropriate approaches to assessment at the department, college and university level, and to ensure that assessment is a useful, simple, well-informed, and coordinated faculty undertaking;
- Report annually to the Office of the Provost the assessment results for the programs in their schools/colleges;
- May serve on more than one Working Group.
The Undergraduate Working Group will also include a representative from Athletics and one from Student Affairs. All Working Groups include a representative from Study Abroad/Global Programs.