Paper Defining the Roles of College and District Researchers and Faculty

Spring
2010
Resolution Number
02.01
 
Assigned to
Accreditation Committee
Category
Accreditation
Status
Completed
Status Report

It was determined that we did not need a separate paper on the roles of researchers and faculty. Rather, good practices were outlined in the ASCCC paper, Guiding Principles for SLO Assessment, which was adopted at Fall 2010 plenary session. Additionally, a breakout session was held at Fall 2010 plenary and a Rostrum article was published in March 2011.

Whereas, Faculty have primacy in crafting student learning outcomes (SLOs), selecting the means of assessing these outcomes, and interpreting these assessment results to improve teaching and learning, such as is explained in the Academic Senate’s 2007 paper Agents of Change: Examining the Role of Student Learning Outcomes and Assessment Coordinators in California Community Colleges, which emphasizes faculty’s central role “to create and assess outcomes (utilizing both quantitative and qualitative measures) and analyze that evidence to improve student learning and teaching”;

Whereas, Faculty are discipline experts and have expertise in SLOs and specific skills that indicate SLO attainment;

Whereas, College and district researchers have expertise in determining research protocols, data analysis, and research parameters and therefore have a role in assisting faculty in determining legitimate assessment techniques for student learning outcomes; and

Whereas, Faculty have expressed growing concerns that researchers on some college and district campuses are increasingly determining the means of assessment of student learning outcomes;

Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges seek collaboration with the Research and Planning Group to develop a document that distinguishes the roles that college and district faculty and researchers play in Student Learning Outcomes assessment.

MSC Disposition: Local Senates, Research and Planning Group