Description of the Self-Study Process
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
A 20-person steering committee—which included faculty, senior administrators, staff, and students—and two working groups reporting to the steering committee examined assessment practices at the University, and their reports form the basis of this self-study. A third group was formed to demonstrate compliance with those standards and fundamental elements not covered in this self-study by developing the Document Road Map (Appendix A4).
Working Group I—Using Assessment to Improve the Student Experience—was charged with examining the extent to which assessment of programs, activities, and plans has assisted the institution in improving the student experience, both within and outside the classroom, on all five campuses.
Working Group II—Using Assessment to Improve Institutional Effectiveness—was charged with examining the extent to which assessment of programs, activities, plans, and processes has contributed to the advancement of the University’s academic goals.
Working Group III was to prepare a document road map that listed all the primary supporting documentation and an annotation for each standard.
Different approaches were taken by the three working groups. The group on institutional effectiveness interviewed the key leaders in each review area. In the student experience group, the composition of the committee itself was designed to include the necessary expertise on the topic. The third group’s members were chosen based on their experience with specialized accreditations that gave them familiarity with the process but not necessarily the University of Pittsburgh approach.
The working groups met numerous times over the course of a year and prepared detailed reports of their findings and recommendations, providing the basis for the final development of the self-study, which was overseen by the steering committee. During the extended period of the development of the self-study, a number of presentations were made and discussions were held with a variety of University groups and organizations, including the Council of Deans, Faculty Assembly, University Senate Educational Policies Committee, Academic Affairs and Libraries Committee of the Board of Trustees, and various Boards of Visitors.
In the fall of 2011, the leaders of constituency groups—including faculty, staff, and students as well as senior administrators—were sent a draft of the self-study, asked to share the document with appropriate members of their units, and asked to submit comments and revisions. The self-study was made available in January 2012 to the entire University community on all campuses through the University portal in the self-study community prior to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education visitation. Several articles in the University Times and the Pitt Chronicle covered accreditation during this period (Appendix A5).