Roles of Key Participants

Provost
The College Provost provides the leadership necessary to create a culture that values and promotes student learning assessment within the context of the institutional mission and the Comprehensive College Plan. Other responsibilities of the Provost related to assessment are to:

• communicate with SUNY System Administration regarding its assessment expectations;
• make decisions with respect to the College’s application and maintenance of all program accreditations, including the assessment of student learning as required by the the Middle States Commission on Higher Education;
• determine the level of resources that must be committed to the campus’ assessment efforts; and
• sponsor activities that involve faculty, staff, and students in ongoing efforts to enhance teaching and learning.

The Provost also provides a clear charge to the Academic Program Assessment Committee (APAC) with the goal of communicating expectations for assessment.

Academic Deans
The Deans of the College’s academic divisions involve faculty and other appropriate groups in understanding the value of outcomes assessment. Additionally, they facilitate faculty efforts to: 

• identify the learning goals that are most important to their students;
• assess outcomes; and
• analyze and use the results.

The Deans initiate public recognition of faculty members’ ongoing efforts and accomplishments regarding the assessment of student learning as one means of demonstrating the College’s commitment to a culture that values the enhancement of student learning.

Associate Provost for Institutional Assessment & Effectiveness
The Associate Provost for Institutional Assessment & Effectiveness serves as a resource for all assessment activities on campus, including the assessment of student learning, and helps ensure that these activities are coordinated and contribute to the institution’s overall effectiveness.  The Associate Provost works with senior level administrators, faculty, and staff to evaluate how well the College is meetings its goals and objectives as derived from the Comprehensive College Plan and institutional mission.  Other responsibilities are as follows:

• to participate in planning, problem solving, resource allocation, and consultation with respect to all areas in Academic Affairs, including program review and accreditation;
• to design and administer surveys and analyze data;
• to provide training in the effective planning and implementation of assessment;
• to identify professional development activities for faculty and assessment related to assessment; and
• to provide leadership in institutional assessment.

Department Chairs/Program Directors
Department Chairs/Program Directors provide leadership and organization for the assessment of student learning and academic programs for which they are responsible. This leadership includes:

• accessing appropriate informational sources and identifying resources to provide appropriate training and assistance for faculty involved in assessing student learning and academic programs;
• leading efforts to organize and assure completion at specified intervals the assessment of student learning as well as the assessment of academic programs;
• leading efforts to organize and assure completion at specified intervals the assessment of academic programs housed in the department;; and
• guiding faculty’s use of assessment results to improve teaching and learning as well as the quality and effectiveness of academic programs.