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Development of Assessment Procedures for Academic Activities Within the Context of a Departmental Continuous Quality Improvement Policy

Albert B. Grubbs Jr. Michael R. Kozak

University of North Texas

Abstract

The success that companies achieved using Total Quality Management (TQM) or Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) to improve quality and productivity is well documented. Representatives from industry serving on accreditation boards and commissions suggested that the same practices should be adopted to affect quality improvements in academia. The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) considered their suggestions with the result that its accreditation criteria requires programs to implement, utilize, and document improvements as a result of a CQI program.

Academic departments are required to produce results in several different but complementary areas. Activities are categorized in three broad areas of teaching, scholarly, and service. ABET criteria is focused on the academic area of the departments in undergraduate programs. However, departments must also engage in other activities that must also be included in a total quality improvement (TQI) system. Those activities include responsibilities such as administrative activities, graduate programs, faculty development and retention, staff development, advising, student recruiting, research administration, and resource development.

The focus of this paper is on that portion of TQI related to the delivery of the academic programs. Course objectives and learning outcomes are indexed to departmental, college, and university college missions to insure homogeneity in activities, i.e. marching to the same drummer. A description of the process used to develop the system, difficulties in achieving the desired time line for completion of the project, level of achievement in the first phase of implementation, and anticipated activities required to achieve a complete TQI process for every facet of the departmental activities is described. A detailed example of one course is presented to provide a detailed illustration of the system.

Introduction

Southern Association accreditation! ABET assessment! Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board program objectives. Mission of the University! Vision of the University! Goals of the College! Department Objectives! Program Objectives! Exemplary Educational Objectives! Course Objectives! Learning Objectives! Performance-based Outcomes! Learning Objectives! Student Learning Outcomes! Measurable, Specific Outcome Competencies! Sound familiar? Where will it end?

Continuous Quality Improvement should be the result of goals/objectives analyses based on change justification utilizing learning outcomes. This is only one, but an important one, of many aspects of total program evaluation. An adequate CGI program can be equally applied to

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Kozak, M. (2003, June), Development Of Assessment Procedures For Academic Activities Within Engineering Technology Paper presented at 2003 Annual Conference, Nashville, Tennessee. 10.18260/1-2--12553