Charter for The

By-laws for the Northern Arizona University Assessment Committee (Updated and Approved: May, 2009)

The Assessment Committee of Northern Arizona University was established by the Faculty Senate as an Advisory Committee in 2002. It is an elected body comprised of faculty, students, and professional staff from throughout the University. It replaces and expands upon the role played by the NAU Assessment Council originally appointed in 1998. It should be noted that the University Assessment Committee and the University Program Review Committee carry out separate and distinct functions for the Senate. The UAC is responsible for providing oversight for the development and implementation of student learning assessment; the UPRC is responsible for providing oversight for each academic unit’s seven-year review, which includes student learning assessment, but encompasses the total operation of each unit including teaching, research, service and administration of the unit.

I. NAME

The name of this committee shall be the Northern Arizona University Assessment Committee.

II. MISSION

The charge of the Committee is to ensure that the assessment of educational (student learning) outcomes offers NAU an opportunity for strengthening the University and enhancing its accountability. In keeping with shared governance, the Committee will provide as needed, the University-wide perspective on student assessment as carried out in undergraduate and graduate programs delivered on the Mountain Campus as well as through Extended Campuses of Northern Arizona University (formerly Distance Learning). The UAC serves all undergraduate and graduate programs including Liberal Studies and Honors, which are required to submit an assessment plan and annual reports on student assessment.

The Committee will provide oversight, identify key issues, develop recommendations, and develop policies with respect to institution-wide assessment of student learning. It will also identify gaps in assessment information; recommend changes in assessment processes; review the usefulness of assessment strategies, reporting strategies and feedback processes; and ensure that assessment data are used to inform decision-making at NAU. In addition, the UAC reviews assessment plans and reports, and provides feedback to academic units based on criteria that were developed to match NCA requirements regarding assessment of student learning, and as mandated by NAU policy. This feedback takes the forms of letters and a rubric sent to each unit and the OAA in a timely fashion after the submission and review of the plans or reports.

The Assessment Committee reports to the Office of the Faculty Senate and Office of the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, and focuses on all aspects of academic assessment. The Committee advises and coordinates its activities with the Office of Academic Assessment and appropriate NAU administrative bodies. The Office of Academic Assessment serves as the administrative unit that supports the Committee and the campus in development and implementation of assessment efforts.

The Committee maintains close communications with the Faculty Senate, the Office of Academic Assessment, and other appropriate NAU committees, administrative bodies, and academic units through meetings, telephone conversations, e-mails, memos, reports and other media as needed. The Committee provides an annual activity report to the Faculty Senate and updates the Faculty Senate on assessment issues and concerns.

The objectives of the Assessment Committee include:

1) Review, development and recommendation of institutional assessment procedures and policies. 2) Development of mechanisms for using assessment data in decision-making. 3) Review of the usefulness of assessment strategies, reporting strategies and feedback processes. 4) Review of the place of pre-assessment models at NAU. 5) Work in cooperation with the Office of Academic Assessment to assist in: o familiarizing NAU faculty with the uses of assessment to strengthen student learning o familiarizing NAU with issues and strategies of assessment o interpreting assessment data for decision-makers o facilitating periodic evaluation of the academic assessment effort at NAU o soliciting proposals and awarding funding, as available, for programmatic and department assessment activities and initiatives. 6) To carry out other duties as charged.

III. MEMBERSHIP

Voting members of the Committee shall be elected by their units. Membership of the Committee consists of:

 Two full-time faculty members from each of the following academic units: o College of Engineering, Forestry and Natural Sciences o College of Arts and Letters o College of Health and Human Services o W.A. Franke College of Business o College of Education o College of Social and Behavioral Sciences  One representative from NAU Yuma  One representative from the Faculty Senate  One representative from Cline Library  One representative from E-Learning Center  One representative from Extended Campuses  One representative from Student Affairs  An undergraduate and a graduate student representative elected by the student organizations  Ex-officio members of the Office of Academic Assessment

Terms of the Members: Terms begin in the Fall Semester, and members serve three-year rotating terms. The exception to this is for the Faculty Senate Representative and the student representatives where the appointment is for one year.

IV. OFFICER DUTIES

CHAIRPERSON: The Chair will be elected by the Committee and will have the following duties:  Preside at all meetings (at least two meetings per semester) of the committee and ensure that minutes are taken  Appoint subcommittees as necessary  Coordinate the writing of reports  Report significant results to the President, Provost, Faculty Senate, and University Community  Develop an agenda for each meeting in consultation with technical and ex-officio members

VICE-CHAIR: The Vice-Chair will be identified by the Committee Chair and will perform the duties of the chair in the event that the designated chair is unable to serve.

V. SUBCOMMITTEES

The Chair will convene subcommittees on an ad hoc basis to address issues considered as being within the purview of the Committee.

Subcommittees may include members who are not members of the committee, although subcommittees must be chaired by a committee member (voting or non-voting). The findings of any subcommittee must receive the approval of full committee before they may be reported outside of the committee.

VI. MEETINGS

A voting quorum will consist of fifty percent plus one member of the voting membership. An electronic vote requires an affirmative vote of a majority of the voting members of the committee.

Minutes of the meeting and reports will be distributed to the membership, President, Provost, and members of the University Community requesting to be informed about the committee.

VII. AMENDMENTS

This Charter may be amended by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the voting UAC membership, and approval by the Faculty Senate.