Academic Assessment Council

Responsibilities

The purpose of the Academic Assessment Council shall be to provide guidance, structure, and support for the assessment of student learning and institutional effectiveness throughout the institution. Assessment is the ongoing process of establishing clear, measurable expected outcomes; systematically gathering, analyzing, and interpreting evidence to determine how well perform­ance matches those expectations; and using the resulting information to understand and improve student learning as well as measure the effectiveness of Towson University in meeting student learning and institutional outcomes. Student learning includes the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and personal development attained through curricular, co-curricular, and out-of-class learning experiences.

  1. To serve in an advisory capacity to the Academic Senate, the Office of Assessment and the Office of the Provost regarding assessment of student learning.
  2. To analyze assessment trends and practices in support of evidence-based decision-making.
  3. To participate in and support institutional accreditation activities.
  4. The faculty members in elected positions representing their colleges shall seek the input of their respective colleges on matters of assessment policy and practice, bring that input to the attention of AAC, and report to their respective college on the work of the AAC.
  5. To participate in initiatives that support the institutionalization of assessment, including faculty mentoring and professional development, that support and foster a positive culture of effective assessment at TU.
  6. To provide an annual report to the Academic Senate.
  7. The Chairperson and the Secretary shall be responsible for preparing and distributing the agenda and the minutes of the meetings, and for maintaining the records of the Council.

Membership

The Academic Assessment Council (AAC) shall be composed of one elected tenured faculty member from each college, including the Library; two elected at large tenured faculty members from any college, but not from the same college; a representative of the Honors College; a Graduate Program Director appointed by the Office of Graduate Studies; one full-time undergraduate student appointed by the SGA for a one year term; one full-time graduate student appointed by the GSA for a one year term; the Chair of the Subcommittee on Student Learning Assessment; a representative from the Council of Chairs; the individual appointed in the Office of the Provost serving as the Middle States Liaison Officer ex officio and voting; and the Director of Academic Assessment ex officio and voting; one full-time undergraduate student appointed by the SGA for a one year term, non-voting; one full-time graduate student appointed by the GSA for a one year term, non-voting; an Associate Dean representative elected from among the Associate Deans to a three year term, ex officio and non-voting; one Dean representative appointed to a three-year term and on a rotating basis by the Deans’ Council, ex officio and non-voting; Chair of the Core Curriculum Reporting Committee, ex-officio and non-voting; a representative from the Office of Inclusion and Institutional Equity, non-voting; and the Assistant Director of Academic Assessment ex officio and non-voting.

Meetings

The Academic Assessment Council meets on the first Tuesday of each month at 2:30 PM.

The SSLA Subcommittee meets on the first Tuesday of each month from 12:30-2:00 PM.

Subcommittee on Student Learning Assessment (SSLA)

The Subcommittee on Student Learning Assessment (SSLA) shall consist of two representatives (referred to as Assessment Leaders) from each college; a single representative for the Library, a single representative for Graduate Studies, and a single representative for the Honors College.  Representatives shall be selected by the respective colleges based on their assessment expertise and/or experience.  The Director of Academic Assessment; the Assessment Coordinator and a representative of the University CORE Committee or their designee will as serve as ex-officio non-voting members of the subcommittee.