Academic Affairs Faculty Forum to Focus on Evaluation of Student Learning Outcomes
The Faculty Senate Executive Committee and Provost Jeff Hecker are pleased to invite members of the university community to participate in the second Academic Affairs Faculty Forum of the year. The open forum, focusing on evaluation of student learning outcomes in foundational areas, will be held from 3–4:40 p.m., Feb. 4, in the Bangor Room, Memorial Union.
The meeting will continue the dialogue started at the Faculty Forum on Oct. 6, 2014 focused on “Foundational Competencies for the 21st Century.” In that forum, a panel of faculty members discussed the learning outcomes identified through the LEAP Initiative of the AAC&U. A sense emerged at the forum that the LEAP outcomes have value and that, while we think UMaine is doing well providing our students the opportunities to develop these competencies, we need to assess more effectively.
Subsequent to the Oct. 6 forum, Brian Doore, director of assessment, and Kirsten Jacobsen, associate professor of philosophy, attended a meeting regarding the Multi-State Collaborative (MSC), an agreement among signatory states to work together on a pilot project to test a process for learning outcomes assessment based on the LEAP VALUE rubrics. UMaine has now been invited to join the MSC. The Feb. 4 forum will focus on what this means for UMaine and how interested faculty can get involved.
You can find relevant background materials, including video of the Oct. 4 forum, linked on the Provost’s Web page.
Forum participants are encouraged to look over some of the background information prior to the forum. Additional information, including a link to a video of the forum and a summary of key topics discussed, will be added after the meeting. There will be a space where faculty members can submit reactions, comments or questions.