Minutes of the
Academic Achievement Assessment Committee
February 8 , 2008

The Academic Achievement Assessment Committee met on Friday, Feb. 8, 2008, at noon in Molinaro 275A.  Members present were William Blanchard, Bob Canary (chair),
Theresa Castor, Linda Crafton,  Chi-Wing Fok, and Vera Kolb.  The minutes of the previous meeting were approved as distributed with some editorial corrections.

Members who were present for the planning subcommittee on the Voluntary System of
Accountability indicated that it looked like the main agenda for this spring would be
choosing among the three approved tests for measuring general skills like critical
thinking.

The committee discussed possible changes to its charge, including possible specified
representation from CAP and General Education, the roles of Director of Assessment and
Director of General Education (if those roles are ever filled), and streamlining of the
listed functions.  The committee will discuss drafts at its next meeting.

The committee hopes to make its annual report an over-view of assessment on campus,
identifying strengths and weaknesses.  The SWOT approach was suggested as a possibility.  The committee will look again at the draft assessment plan circulated last fall as a possible starting point.  The committee will explore ways of gathering information on departmental assessment efforts and their use, trying to do so without adding to the
paperwork of departmental chairs.

The committee will meet again on Friday March 7 at noon unless a further review of
member's schedules uncovers some less inconvenient time.

Respectfully submitted,
Bob Canary