The Office of Assessment and Institutional Effectiveness (OAIE) held the 7th Annual University Assessment Forum, where attendees gathered virtually to discuss assessment progress across Cal State Fullerton. The Forum’s primary goal is to provide a collaborative space to discuss assessment challenges and share best assessment practices within the campus community. To accomplish this goal, one of the main events in the Assessment Forum is the breakout sessions. Attendees were provided with five breakout sessions listed below:
• Re-Engage with Assessment
• Assessment in the Virtual World
• Equitable Assessment
• Enhancing Assessment Validity and Reliability
• Tracking Post-Graduate Outcomes
Each session was facilitated by a pair of campus assessment leaders including Assessment Liaisons, representatives from colleges and departments across campus who lead assessment within their areas. This year’s wonderful facilitators were Ioakim Boutakidis, Greg Childers, Yessica De La Torre Roman, James Hussar, Christina Kim, Carrie Lane, Debra Noble, Gina Park, Carter Rakovski, and Su Swarat.
In addition to the breakout sessions, Dr. Su Swarat, Associate Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness, shared the 2020-2021 university assessment results. Dr. Swarat shared that 95% of the university were engaged in assessment despite additional challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Carolyn Thomas, the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, also attended the Forum and presented opening remarks, reminding and thanking attendees for the critical work they do with assessment. More updates on CSUF’s assessment efforts can be found in the 2020-2021 University Assessment Report
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Another key event in the Assessment Forum is the presentation of the Assessment Inquiry Grant (AIG) findings. The OAIE offers the AIG every fall semester, a campus-wide assessment resource for those interested in deepening their unit’s assessment efforts. Four AIGs were awarded for the 2021-2022 academic year:
Graduate Studies Assessment in Anthropology
Project Leads: Dr. Ahmed Afzal, Dr. Brenda Bowser, and Dr. Elizabeth Pillsworth
Examining the Impacts of MPA Core Courses and Class Activities on MPA Student Learning Outcomes
Project Lead: Dr. Myungjung Kwon
Examining the Role of Major Advising in Student Success
Project Leads: Dr.Anthony S. Alvarez and Dr. Devon Thacker Thomas
Assessing Student Learning in Corequisite Calculus Courses
Project Leads: Dr. Adam Glesser, Dr. Cherie Ichinose, and Dr. Amelia Stone-Johnstone
A majority of respondents (89%) found this year’s Forum to be useful or very useful for increasing their understanding of the state of assessment on campus, and 79% indicated that the forum was effective in increasing their knowledge of effective assessment practices. Dr. Yessica De La Torre Roman, Associate Director for Assessment, shared, “My hope is for attendees to engage in the assessment conversation, share assessment struggles, and discover new practices to implement.” Dr. De La Torre Roman added, “Cal State Fullerton has made great strides in assessment, but there are always areas to improve, and the Assessment Forum is a great venue to continue reflecting on our practices and their impact on the CSUF experience.”
The University Assessment Forum is held every Spring and is open to all campus faculty and staff. For more information about assessment at CSUF, visit the OAIE Assessment website or email data@fullerton.edu.