One University Assessment Celebration

The fifth annual One University Assessment Celebration was held on Friday, April 26, 2024, to recognize faculty and staff for their efforts to examine and enhance learning and operational success. We celebrated the meaningful and sustainable practices with which they engage to provide students with an unsurpassed learning experience.

“Assessment plays a critical role in our effort to fulfill our goal of providing the best possible academic experience for our students. I look forward to celebrating the many ways in which faculty, staff, and students are participating in assessment practices that illuminate our strengths and enact our commitment to consistent improvement.”

Lois Agnew, Associate Provost for Academic Programs

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The One University Assessment Celebration showcased great work going on across campus to enhance teaching, learning, operations, and the student experience. Assessment awards included: 

• Champions for Assessment and Shared Competencies
• Outstanding Assessment in Academic, Co-Curricular, and Functional Programs/Units
• Faculty, Staff, and Student Engagement
• Best Use of Results

• Collaborative Inquiry and Action

Posters highlighting the work of 2023 Assessment Leadership Institute participants and 2023-24 recipients of the Student Engagement in Assessment grant were presented.

Event Photos

2024 Award Recipients, Event Program, and Slides (includes a description of each award, the recipient, and a description of their efforts)

• 2024 Award Recipients

• Event Program (*pdf)

• 2024 One University Assessment Celebration Slides (*pdf)

Poster Presentations

2023 Assessment Leadership Institute Participants

2023-24 Student Engagement Grant Recipients

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“It is nice to be able to gather in person this year to celebrate everyone’s work and achievements. We are grateful to all of you for your continued work related to assessment. We are impressed on how assessment and your work to improve our programs and services evolved since 2014.”

Jerry Edmonds, Senior Assistant Provost, Academic Affairs

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Prior Assessment Events

2023 One University Assessment Celebration

“Every year I see this culture growing stronger and smarter as innovators like you all find new ways to do assessment and new ways to use assessment results to improve your operations and programs. These awards are meant to recognize that innovation and the effort behind it.”

Chris Johnson, Former Associate Provost for Academic Affairs

The One University Assessment Celebration, hosted by Academic Affairs and Institutional Effectiveness on April 28, 2023, recognized outstanding achievements in assessment with the presentation of 12 awards. The event also featured poster presentations created by participants of the 2022 Assessment Leadership Institute, highlighting their work over the past academic year.

Over 65 individuals from various departments across the campus attended the event. Access to event slides, photos, program, and posters can be found below.

Event Photos

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Event Program and Slides (includes a description of each award, the recipient, and a description of their efforts)

• Event Program
• 2023 One University Assessment Celebration Slides

2022 Assessment Leadership Institute Posters

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2022 One University Assessment Celebration

On April 29, 2022, Academic Affairs and Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment hosted the One University Assessment Celebration. During the celebration, 23 awards were given, showcasing excellent work in assessment.

The event was attended by more than 50 people from across campus. Event pictures, program and slides used during the event can be accessed below.

Event Pictures

Event Program and Slides (includes a description of each award, the recipient, and a description of their efforts)

• Event Program
• 2022 One University Assessment Celebration Slides

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2021 One University Virtual Assessment Celebration

On May 7, 2021, the Institutional Effectiveness (IE) celebrated and recognized the efforts of faculty and staff who delivered learning experiences and services through innovative modalities and reflected on learning and operations in their 2019-20 assessment and action plans. We commend faculty and staff efforts to study student learning and operations in order to provide students with an unsurpassed learning experience. The event was held virtually and was attended by more than 80 people from across campus. Event recording and slides used during the event can be accessed below.

Event Recording

Event Slides (includes a description of each award, the recipient, and a description of their efforts)

• 2021 One University Virtual Assessment Celebration slides (*.pdf)

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2019 One University Assessment Poster Session

On April 5, 2019, our campus community engaged in assessment activities to support student learning and enhance campus operations. This inaugural event, which was held at the Peter Graham Scholarly Commons, 114 Bird Library, showcased and celebrated these efforts!

Event Pictures

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Poster Award Winners

Award Category	Presenter (s)	Poster Abstract	Link to Posters (*.pdf)
Best Faculty Engagement Strategies	Anne Mosher, Chair | Citizenship and Civic Engagement, Maxwell School	Citizenship and Civic Engagement created a set of program learning outcome statements in 2016. After two assessment cycles, we find that these statements are vague and do not properly reflect the learning that takes place within our program. We have been attempting to improve them by “mapping” them onto Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy. This has involved a three-step process: 1. Mapping program learning outcomes onto the taxonomy, 2. Mapping course learning outcomes onto the taxonomy, 3. Comparing the map patterns produced–both visually and statistically. This technique has allowed us to see what knowledge and cognitive process dimensions our program learning outcomes statements hit and miss. It also helps us compare our learning outcomes (“ideals”) to what students are actually asked to do in our courses (the “reality”). In this poster, we focus on a single program learning outcome, the beginning course in the program that introduces this outcome, and three reinforcing assignments. The maps produced have allowed us to develop more appropriate learning outcomes statements for this course and for the program as well.	Improving Learning Outcome Statements: How to Use Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy as a Base Map
Best Staff Engagement Strategies	Colleen Cicotta, Associate Director Sierra Eastman ’20, Shaw Center Leadership Intern | Mary Ann Shaw Center for Public and Community Service	During the 2017-18 academic year, the Mary Ann Shaw Center for Public and Community Service assessed the impact of community engaged work on the development of critical career skills. Shaw Center staff also assessed our use of reflection as a tool for meeting other stated learning outcomes and our ability to meet operational goals for transportation. Overall findings indicate that Shaw Center initiatives are successful in supporting student development of critical career skills and other stated learning outcomes. Operational assessment indicated that changes to our transportation system have increased capacity to accommodate students who are doing community engaged work for academic purposes.	Community Engaged Learning Outcomes
Best Use of Results	Kimberley Salanger, Accreditation/Assessment Coordinator/Functional Business Analyst, Dean’s Office Jason Curry, Assistant Teaching Professor/AAQEP Coordinator, Instructional Design, Development & Evaluation | School of Education	The School of Education Unit for Preparing School Professionals has a strong history of engaging with assessment processes as demonstrated by numerous and successful accreditation visits and national program recognitions. SOE believes in data-driven decision making noting that no one event can dictate programmatic changes. This faculty-driven process is supported by an accreditation coordinator and assessment coordinator who oversee seamless collection, analysis and reporting of data from multiple-measures and varying perspectives. The data are organized by candidate, program, and Unit to facilitate sound programmatic changes.	Data Driven Decision Making: This Is What We Are All About!
Best Poster Design	Eunjoo Jung, Associate Professor, Undergraduate Director Ambika Krishnakumar, Professor, Chair Rachel Razza, Associate Professor | Human development and Family Science, Falk College	The Department of Human Development and Family Science’s assessments are geared toward ensuring the high quality of our students’ education while also meeting the program’s commitment to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Our assessment efforts include identifying and systematically evaluating student learning outcomes through curriculum mapping, course-embedded assignments, capstone experiences, and exit surveys. Assessment results inform evidence-based decision-making and practices to advance student scholarship, career preparedness, and curriculum development. Our direct and indirect assessment efforts indicate that we are successfully meeting requirements for and improving student learning outcomes. HDFS is committed to making student learning outcomes assessment an ongoing and critical part of students’ success.	Development of Young Scholars and their Career-Preparedness: HDFS Assessment Report
People’s Choice	Kal Srinivas, Director for Retention Hopeton Smalling, Functional Business Analyst | Academic Affairs / Enrollment and the Student Experience	Managing change and culture within a large private university is daunting, but can be done by diagnosing what areas need alignment. More importantly, sustaining institutional change in higher education is possible with a strategic approach. This session will provide examples of how adoption of Orange Success was promoted strategically through the lens of “One University.” We will share how our thinking shifted from focus on departments to an all university view to successfully embed/anchor the change. Lessons learned include the many reactive changes that were unforeseen, or were simply more difficult to influence from the start.	Orange SUccess – Managing Change, People, Technology, and Process

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Thank you to all of our poster presenters

Presenter (s)	Poster Abstract	Link to Posters (*.pdf)
Pun To (Douglas) Yung, Assistant Teaching Professor | Biomedical and Chemical Engineering, ECS	Curriculum evaluation and revision are often driven by student comments and satisfaction, but they may not reflect the attainment of learning outcomes, impact on educational objectives or long-term knowledge retainment. This poster uses a number of direct and indirect assessment on student learning outcomes to holistically revamp individual courses and as a yardstick for curriculum evaluation and revision. Assessment plays an integral role in shaping behavior and values. Some of the assessment strategies include course-based assessment activities, closing the feedback loop, developing course portfolios, and connecting the gaps between formative and summative evaluations.	A Model for Curriculum Evaluation and Revision in Bioengineering
Pun To (Douglas) Yung, Assistant Teaching Professor | Biomedical and Chemical Engineering, ECS	Typical engineering curricula culminate in a senior capstone design course. At Syracuse University, the bioengineering capstone project is designed to provide students with a relevant and realistic client-based design experience through hands-on projects. It is not uncommon to have a few high-achieving teams and the rest of the class with varying degrees of success. A virtual internship model has been adopted in this course to emulate a real-world environment that entry-level engineers experience. Different project management techniques are introduced to assess and maximize success in this course.	A Virtual Internship Model to Assess and Maximize Success in Bioengineering Senior Capstone Design (*.pdf unavailable)
Maureen Thompson, Associate Professor | Public Health, Falk College	Service learning and community engagement are cornerstones of public health education at Syracuse University. By purposefully integrating classroom instruction with hands-on opportunities, longstanding faculty-agency collaborations locally and globally allow us to enhance student learning while helping to address health needs of the community. We utilize an academic service-learning approach to integrate community-based learning opportunities with classroom instruction. This presentation will outline our model of academic service learning, learning outcomes, and assessment approaches.	Assessing Experiential Learning
Peter D. Verheyen, Librarian, Research and Emerging Issues Analyst Amanda Page, Open Publishing and Copyright Librarian John Stawarz, Online Instruction Librarian Deirdre Joyce, Metadata Services Librarian | Syracuse University Libraries	Using three examples, this poster illustrates the state of the Libraries’ assessment process. Included is an overview of the Libraries’ rationale for selecting goals, why these are important, and expressions of successes, challenges, and lessons learned. Examples include the Digital Library Program, support for Open Access and Open Publishing, and Online Instruction.	Assessment Activities at the Libraries
Bill Coplin, Director and Professor of Policy Studies Isabella Baglietto, Student Presenter Whitney Wertheimer, Student Presenter | Policy Studies Program, Maxwell School	The Policy Studies undergraduate major has conducted senior exit surveys for the past 20 years. The survey questions are connected to the major learning objectives for the Program, in course syllabi, and to course evaluations. The data from the survey are used for formative purposes by the faculty, staff and students. The primary value of having senior exit surveys be the primary data source over a long period of time and connected to course materials and evaluation is that it focuses our evaluations on our customers, and it provides a stable set of data. Difficulties in implementing the survey are mostly related to getting a high response rate. We have averaged about 70% year in and year out. The poster will describe the tactics we used to get a high response as well as show how the results have been used.	Assessment Must Start with the Students: Senior Exit Surveys
Peggy M. Takach, Director, Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning & Adjunct Faculty Margaret Craft, Academic Operations Analyst | iSchool	The iSchool prides itself in its collaborative, supportive community of faculty and staff as a School of One, and we have made great strides in establishing a culture of assessment as we improve our programs and experiences for our students. The iSchool developed and implemented a new assessment process over the past year. This poster will include detailed levels and components of the iSchool process and samples of some of their new elements: four-year cycle plan with timeline and criteria for assessing core classes, 18-month cycle plan, assessment task force and their new syllabus certification.	Building a Community of Assessment
Fresenai Afeworki, Research and Assessment Intern Laura Harrington, Associate Director Amanda Johnson Sanguiliano, Assessment Associate | Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment	Over the past four years, Syracuse University has been involved in a campus-wide assessment initiative with the goal of enhancing student learning and University operations through evidence-based decision-making. At the academic program level and in co-curricular and functional areas, faculty, staff, and school/college leadership are studying how well student learning outcomes, goals, and operational outcomes/objectives are being attained. A variety of actions are being taken or considered based on evidence they have collected. This poster provides an overview and initial findings from the Assessment Working Team’s study on the University’s engagement in the assessment process. Overall, the findings indicate that there is increasing faculty engagement in the assessment process of academic programs.	Engagement in Syracuse University’s Assessment Process
Christina Huerta, International Student Advisor David Lind, Director Olga Oganesyan, Assistant Director | English Language Institute	The English Language Institute focuses on pre-academic training programs which prepares international students, including Fulbright scholars, to succeed in undergraduate and graduate degree programs at Syracuse University and universities across the United States. Student learning outcomes include both language acquisition and intercultural competence, leading to better academic performance in their degree programs. The ELI specializes in both EAP (English for Academic Purposes) and ESP (English for Specific Purposes) programs, designed in partnership with graduate programs at the university. The ELI works collaboratively with partners both on and off campus to support the University’s internationalization efforts.	English Language Institute
Margaret Usdansky, Director Rich Granato, Academic Learning Specialist | Center for Learning and Student Success	The Center for Learning and Student Success (CLASS) strives to offer comprehensive, high-quality academic support services for students. These include group and one-on-one tutoring, academic coaching, workshops, and academic integrity education and case management. This poster describes program growth and expansion since the founding of CLASS in 2017 as well as the ongoing assessment of CLASS programming. Special attention is paid to CLASS’s newest program – academic coaching – designed to help students build confidence and competence in using research-based learning strategies to improve their study skills and academic success. Coaching is a CLASS research and evaluation project with faculty in Maxwell and Falk. Participating students are randomly assigned to the 8-hour, 4-week in-person program with peer coaches or to online coaching resources.	Helping Students Become Expert Independent Learners
Kelly Delevan, Information Literacy Librarian | Syracuse University Libraries	SU Libraries are developing a programmatic approach to information literacy. By aligning SUL’s information literacy student learning outcomes with relevant outcomes in academic programs, the information literacy librarian can be strategic in moving the program forward. The alignment was completed by analyzing all program learning outcomes in Tk20 for themes related to information literacy knowledge practices and dispositions articulated by the SU Libraries Information Literacy program.	Information Literacy is Everywhere! Strategic alignment of SU Libraries learning outcomes with Academic Programs
Kal Srinivas, Director for Retention Hopeton Smalling, Functional Business Analyst | Academic Affairs / Enrollment and the Student Experience	Syracuse University has significantly advanced its technology resources in alignment with the 2015 Academic Strategic Plan, in support of student success. The plan integrated campus efforts and resources to improve outcomes. High-tech vendors deliver applications to HED through cloud-based services that mostly depend on web browsers as the primary user interface. Orange SUccess, a web based advising tool was rolled out in spring 2016 and accessibility issues occurred after the contract had been signed. This session will present how a campus-wide initiative managed the expectations of users and vendors, through collaboration, while maintaining compliance. Learn about the challenges we face and how we overcome them.	Orange SUccess – Ensuring Accessibility through Collaboration
Austin Zwick, Assistant Teaching Professor of Policy Studies Morgan Laucius, Student Presenter Julia Howard-Flanders, Student Presenter | Policy Studies Program, Maxwell School	In Fall 2018, the Policy Studies department had a Benchmarking class where five students were tasked with writing the Program Review for the department overseen by Professor Zwick. The review focused on (1) the four dimensions specified by Middle States (Quality, Demand, Cost Effectiveness, and Centrality to Mission), and (2) how the Policy Studies Major fulfills the strategic plan of the College of Arts and Sciences and the Maxwell School. The team analyzed data from (1) department records, (2) Senior Exit Surveys, (3) Course Evaluations, and (4) Office of Institutional Research and Assessment. This poster presentation overviews the work done by these students, presents findings, and encourages other departments to use students in their program reviews.	Student Authored Program Review
Roderick M Martinez, Associate Professor & Program Head | Communications Design/School of Design, VPA	Snapshot – A Program of Assessment is a view of the assessment processes created and implemented by the program of Communications Design / School of Design / College of Visual and Performing Arts. This poster features a series of information graphics that illustrate how this program conducts assessment of learning outcomes and forms the overall teaching and learning experience. The program has over a quarter of a century invested in student assessment and this “snapshot” is an attempt to share this knowledge with interested colleagues and others in the academic community.	Snapshot
Aileen Gallagher, Associate Professor and Director of Assessment and Program Review Laura Harrington, Associate Director for Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment | Newhouse	During its last ACEJMC accreditation review in 2015, Newhouse was advised to 1. Create a formal, school-wide process that 2. Assessed programs, not classes. The school appointed a faculty member as assessment director and created a school-wide standing committee on assessment. The committee reviewed self-studies and site-visit reports to learn how other accredited programs approach assessment. Going forward, Newhouse will assess student learning (and subsequent job readiness) through direct measures such as capstone projects, portfolios, and internship evaluations. Indirect measures will include exit surveys and alumni surveys, and tracking of student awards.	Viewing Program-Level Assessment Through a Professional Lens

Acknowledgements 

• Chris Johnson, Associate Provost for Academic Affairs
• Carol Faulkner, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Maxwell School, Award Judge
• Ralph Lorenz, Senior Associate Dean, VPA, Award Judge
• Sarah Smith, Research Associate, Office of Institutional Research, Award Judge
• Bruce Carlson, Facilities Manager, ECS
• Monica Stitt-Bergh, University of Hawaii at Minoa Assessment Office
• Syracuse University Libraries

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