General Summary of Conclusions and Suggestions
Self-Study 2012
- Executive Summary
- Introduction
- History and Overview of the University of Pittsburgh
- Summary of Major Accomplishments
- Challenges and Opportunities
- Why The University Chose the Topic of Assessment
- Assessment as a Strategic Tool to Advance the University
- Leadership in Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes
- Expected Outcomes of the Self Study
- Description of the Self-Study Process
- General Summary of Conclusions and Suggestions
- Using Assessment to Improve Institutional Effectiveness
- Introduction
- Using Assessment in University-level Planning and Budgeting, Annual Planning, and Benchmarking
- Using Assessment in Unit-level PLanning and Budgeting,Annual Planning, and Benchmarking, Selected Schools
- Using Assessment to Improve Institution-wide Infrastructure Investment
- Summary of Findings and Suggestions
- Using Assessment to Improve the Student Experience
- Introduction
- Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes
- Introduction
- Structure of Assessment of Student Learning Process at Pitt
- Building a Culture of Assessment
- Documentation of Assessment of Student Learning
- Examples of Developing a Culture of Assessment
- Examples of How Assessment of Student Learning Is Leading to Curricular Change
- General Education
- Examples of General Education Assessment
- How Assessment Is Used to Make Changes and Drive Progress
- Assessment of Student Retention, Satisfaction, and Graduation
- Assessment of Undergraduate Recruitment and Admissions
- Summary of Conclusions and Findings
- Appendices
In general, the working groups report the evolution of a culture of assessment that has resulted in ongoing improvements and advancement of the University of Pittsburgh. The working group reports—Using Assessment to Improve Institutional Effectiveness and Using Assessment to Improve the Student Experience—both include a section on findings that are summarized at the end of the two main chapters in this self-study document and in a final section that reiterates all conclusions. Some broad suggestions are recounted below:
Timeliness of Benchmarking Information
For some schools and departments, the Kenneth P. DietrichSchool of Arts and Sciences in particular, it has been traditionally difficult to get peer institution data in a timely fashion. Recent initiatives by the Office of the Provost to deal with the situation include becoming engaged through a consortium to obtain access to Student Experience in the Research University (SERU) data and providing extensive, detailed information on a departmental basis through the purchase of a program called Academic Analytics, a comprehensive and well-tested method for the assessment of faculty productivity. The University intends to continue to identify additional solutions of this type to deliver more timely information.
Making Information More Widely Available
The Office of the Provost—which already runs a number of student surveys, including the Senior Survey, Student Satisfaction Survey, and Freshman Survey—intends to put more processes in place to distribute that information more broadly and in more meaningful ways. The creation of the data warehouse and the Management Information Center intranet are two successful examples of this more expansive distribution. This information, in turn, can be used more widely in planning and assessment.
The University is finding new ways to access its own internal data that will enable individual units to do ongoing assessment. Recent examples include incorporating such solutions as the PeopleSoft Student Information System and purchasing Dashboard tools, looking at more userfriendly approaches such as Cognos interface and portal communities, and making regular reports to key groups such as the Enrollment Management Committee.
Continuing to Focus on Outcomes
Because assessment is an ongoing process that should lead to continuous improvement, the annual plans will become even more streamlined in the future, facilitating more focused goals tied to results against which progress can be more easily measured. The University also will review the timing cycle of planning to determine if it is appropriately synchronized with the availability of data.