THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT ASHEVILLE

FACULTY SENATE

Senate Document Number 2612S

Date of Senate Approval 02/09/12

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Statement of Faculty Senate Action:

FWDC 7: Proposal to establish the Institutional Effectiveness Committee (IEC) as a Standing Committee (Faculty Handbook Section 10.3)

Effective date: Immediately

Rationale:

In Fall of 2010 an ad hoc committee was formed by the Provost to oversee a revitalization of the institutional effectiveness process. The ad hoc committee is made up of 2 representatives from the Chancellor’s division, 2 from Finance and Operations, 2 from Student Affairs, the Provost, the Director of Academic Assessment, and the Director of Institutional Effectiveness. Since its formation, the ad hoc committee has met monthly, the Institutional Effectiveness Manual has been significantly revised, and an assessment management software (TracDat) has been implemented on campus. As a result of the committee’s guidance and the work of many people across campus, all units (including administrative units outside academic affairs) have completed at least once cycle of outcomes assessment. In early fall 2011 the committee has reviewed IE plans from across campus and supervisors are providing feedback to units about their most recent IE work.

The committee feels that, with the maturing of UNC Asheville’s institutional effectiveness process, a standing committee composed of members directly involved with the effectiveness process in their Vice Chancellor area along with faculty involved in assessment would function more efficiently and effectively. In particular, the addition of faculty to the committee will give faculty a larger voice in the institutional effectiveness process.

As described below, the new committee would continue to function in an advisory and coordinating capacity; however, the responsibility for the quality of information included in institutional effectiveness reports and the appropriateness of goals, measures, and resulting planning actions lies within the reporting lines of the university. IEC encourages each Vice Chancellor to develop a smaller committee within his/her division to review and discuss goals, assessment, and planning within the division.

Add: In the Faculty Handbook, Section 10.3:

Institutional Effectiveness Committee

The Institutional Effectiveness Committee serves as an advisory group for UNC Asheville's Institutional Effectiveness process. Its duties include:

· The periodic review and, if necessary, revision of the Institutional Effectiveness process, procedures and reporting format, to include the Institutional Effectiveness Manual.

· Raising campus consciousness about the importance of assessment and providing a forum for the sharing of assessment techniques and practices.

· Review of and feedback on unit Institutional Effectiveness reports.

· Review of divisional summary reports, University Student Learning Outcome summary reports, and Strategic Plan summary reports and identify institutional level issues which need to be brought to the University Planning Council.

· Review of institutional level data collected by Institutional Research and identify institutional level issues which need to be brought to the University Planning Council.

· The Institutional Effectiveness Committee shall submit a written report to the Faculty Senate at the first Faculty Senate meeting of the academic year to report on its activities.

Membership

The committee will be composed of eleven members, three of whom will be permanent based upon their positions and regular duties in connection to assessment efforts. The members are as follows:

· Provost

· Director of Institutional Effectiveness

· Director of Academic Assessment

· Administrative representative appointed by Vice Chancellor for Finance and Operations

· Administrative representative appointed by Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs

· Administrative representative appointed from the Chancellor’s Division by the Chief of Staff

· Administrative Representative from the Deans

· Three faculty members, appointed by the Senate from a list of candidates provided by FWDC, balanced by Program Area.

Membership Terms:

• The Provost, Director of Institutional Effectiveness, and Director of Academic Assessment are ex-officio members of the committee.
• Administrative representatives are appointed for staggered three-year terms.
• The Faculty members are appointed for two year terms.

Reports to: Provost and VCAA