institutional-research

Administrative Assessment

UBalt is committed to continuous improvement in its administrative work.  Each administrative unit completes its assessment through the support of the Administrative Core Assessment Team, a collaborative community of practice for assessment liaisons.  Assessment results are joined with the academic assessment, coordinated by the Academic Core Assessment Team, in an annual report out to the University Community.   Please contact the Office of Institutional Effectiveness (assessment@ubalt.edu) if your unit would like assistance in developing or modifying your plan or with any questions about assessment. 

The Administrative Core Assessment Team (ADCAT) is a vital component of UBalt's institutional effectiveness framework, working in parallel with the Academic Assessment Team (ACAT) to ensure comprehensive institutional assessment

 

Failing at assessment myth

 

In accordance with the standards for conducting and documenting assessments by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the University of Baltimore ensures that assessment processes, findings and interventions are housed centrally within SharePoint sites under appropirate security.  Sharepoint is used to collect and manage data in the following areas for each of the administrative units: 

  • Mission
  • Goals
  • Map to Strategic Plan
  • Assessment Cycle
  • Assessmnt Findings with action plan
  • Closing the loop
Mission and outcomes (whether program SLOs or unit goals) are generally stable over a 3-year period. Assessment activities for outcomes vary by year. One outcome (e.g., one goal) might be measured for the first time in the cycle, while another may be implementing an intervention designed in the prior assessment cycle. All unit goals should be reviewed on a regular cycle. The data are reviewed periodically by the core assessment teams (ACAT and ADCAT). This ensures that the University of Baltimore is continually monitoring, assessing, and improving the institution as a whole. 

To assist each unit with recording their assessment,  we have: 

  1. developed the role of Administrative Assessment Liaison to serve as the crucial bridge between the ADministrative Core Assessment Team and individual administrative units within each division, ensuring effective assessment practices and continuous improvement.
  2. developed an assessment documentation log to help the various units report out in a consise format to the ADCAT.

The assessment cycle is a process for continuously inquiring about the university is doing. 

Whether one is assessing outcomes for an external entitity or for the division, it is important to remember that assessment is an iterative process, intended to provide useful feedback about what and how well we are acomplishing our goals. When developing an assessment plan, it is essential to think through all of the steps of the cycle. Assessment is an ongoing process of planning, doing, checking, and acting. 

  1. Plan  Set learning Goals.  Establish clear, measurable expected goals
  2. Assess  Develop and implement assessment strategies.  
  3. Analyze  Review assessment data.  Gather, evaluate, and then discuss the results of the assessment instruments to see what evidence they provide.
  4. Improve  Create an action plan.  Discuss the results and decide how to address any issues raised.  Then determine if the action helped.
  5. Close the Loop  Reflect on assessment and action outcomes.

As assessment reports are generated they will be housed in Sharepoint and an executive summary will be shared with the Executive Team and the UBalt community once a year.