Engaging Faculty with the Assessment of Liberal Education Outcomes

With support from the Teagle Foundation, the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) is developing plans to support selected colleges and universities working on assessment of liberal education outcomes. Six consortia of colleges and universities, chosen by the foundation in May 2005, have received grants for six different projects, many featuring "value-added" assessment as part of their proposed assessment strategy.

• Augustana College, Alma College, Gustavus Adolphus College, Illinois Wesleyan University, Luther College, and Wittenberg University
  Measuring Intellectual Development and Civic Engagement through Value-Added Assessment
• Bates College, Amherst College, Bowdoin College, Colby College, Smith College, Trinity College, Wellesley College, and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges
  Assessment of Educational Practices and Student Learning in Selective Liberal Arts Colleges
• Carleton College, Grinnell College, Macalester College, and St. Olaf College
  An I-35 Consortium: A Collaborative Effort in Value Added Assessment of Student Learning
• Furman University, Austin College, Juniata College, and Washington and Lee University
  Value-Added Assessment of Student Learning in the Liberal Arts: Assessing the Impact of Engaged Learning
• Hampshire College, Allegheny College, Bard College, Center of Inquiry in the Liberal Arts at Wabash College, Hamilton College, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Hope College, and Vassar College
  Improving Teaching and Learning in the Liberal Arts
• Kalamazoo College, Colorado College, and Earlham College
  A Catalyst for Cognizance and Change

More information on the six consortia and descriptions of their projects can be found on the Teagle Foundation Web site.

AAC&U will support the consortia in several ways including a working conference for all six consortia, suggesting consultants to work with consortia on individual projects, and in general by offering assistance with planning, implementation, and capacity building as they develop models of value-added and direct assessment of student learning.

An important goal of AAC&U's participation is to foster faculty responsibility for the totality of undergraduate education and to do so in ways that allow for transparent assessment of important learning outcomes. A related goal is to provide national leadership for the liberal arts community on ways to assess student learning and achievement.

Teagle awarded grants to five additional consortia of campuses ("first-step" grants) to assist them as they begin working on their own projects. AAC&U also plans to assist those campuses when possible.

More information on faculty and assessment issues are available on our resources pages.