|
Assessment
Reports, 2002-2003
For reasons explained in the statements of rationale for
Core Requirement 5
and Comprehensive
Standard M16, The Citadel's assessment activity is decentralized;
that is, it is carried out primarily at secondary levels rather than by
a separate, college-level office. In this system, each budgeted department
is asked to submit an annual report that explains its assessment activity
for that fiscal year. Furthermore, although the departments are asked
to follow the same format
in presenting the report, they are also encouraged to match their assessment
activities to the needs and the organizational structure of their particular
departments. For this reason, the reports linked below differ in at least
two ways:
1. While some major divisions of the college (the Commandant's Department
and the Department of Athletics, for example) choose to assess and report
their activity at the vice-presidential level, other divisions (most
notably the academic schools and departments) choose to delegate assessment
and reporting to lower-level departments within their divisions. Generally
speaking, the divisions whose activities are more closely related choose
the former approach; those that are responsible for a number of diverse
activities quite naturally choose the latter.
2. The depth and complexity of the assessment efforts vary from department
to department not only because of the nature of the departmental mission
and the extent of the efforts and cost required to assess a particular
activity, but also from year to year within the same department because
of immediate needs. Therefore, in any given year, an assessment effort
may be complex and costly or simple and short.
Two budgeted units did not prepare assessment reports; reports from two
other units have not yet been received; and reports from two more units
are incomplete:
• Two units (the President's support staff and the
Provost's Office) are not expected to carry out assessment in this way.
The performance of the President's support staff is evaluated through
the President's annual reports to the Board of Visitors and to the South
Carolina Office of Human Resources; and the Provost's Office is assessed
through the cumulative assessment reports of the units answering to
it as well as by regular, formal reviews by the President.
• The reports for two units (Admissions and Recruiting,
and Alumni Affairs) were not finalized by the time of the Compliance
Audit; however, these reports are forthcoming.
• The report from the Department of Health, Exercise,
and Sports Science is incomplete due to the late and sudden resignation
of the department head, and the "assessment results" and "resources
needed" sections of the assessment report from the Honors Program
are pending.
The Citadel believes that in spite of the exceptions, its performance
in the area of assessment is thorough and effective.
|
