MINUTES

COUNCIL FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING

May 13, 1999

I. PRELIMINARIES

A. Attending: Belzer, Mullin, Hjelm, Jones, Pehrsson, Sirotnak, Thackray, Bain

Excused: Das, Fisher, Jones, Nitse, Wabrek, Westphal

Absent: Bosworth, DeJesus, Enos, Johannsen, Paulson

B. Minutes. MSC to approve CTL Minutes for 4/29/99

II. BUSINESS

A. Location and staffing for the Teaching and Learning Resource Center: Input for Dr. Lawson: Three major issues were discussed regarding the location and staffing for the Teaching and Learning Resource Center. The first issue involved providing a "stable" home for the Center. The second involved providing a positive attitude towards assessment on campus and the third issue centered on the responsibilities of the Center other than assessment. Following discussion of Council members, the following items were agreed to be presented to Dr. Lawson:

1. That the Teaching and Learning Resource Center be administered by a faculty member appointed to a permanent half-time position reporting to the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

2. That the Teaching and Learning Resource Center be located in the Office of Institutional Research.

3. That the faculty internship position be maintained and that overlap of terms for the incoming intern with the outgoing intern be considered.

4. That the position of Assistant to the Director of Institutional Research be reinstated.

5. That additional clerical support be provided as needed to the Center.

Anne Mullin agreed to draft a response to Dr. Lawson and to circulate the draft via e-mail to Council members and obtain input. Letter sent to Dr. Lawson is attached.

B. Draft of Policy Statement on Assessment: The draft of Policy Statement on Assessment was discussed and revised as follows:

The Council for Teaching and Learning believes that a primary focus for assessment projects ought to be the enhancement of teaching and learning and acknowledges the fact that assessment activities at Idaho State University must be conducted regularly in accordance with requirements from various accreditation agencies and other external authorities. Therefore, in accordance with the practice of the past nine years, the Council for Teaching and Learning recommends that the design and implementation of assessment of academic programs should be determined by faculty in the departments and/or programs being assessed, with assistance from the Council for Teaching and Learning and/or the Teaching and Learning Resource Center as appropriate.

B. Update on Goal 9 Assessment: John Jones conducted two focus groups with students enrolled in Goal 9 courses this semester. In general, the students reported that they gained a broader of understanding of history and context. A summary of the focus groups will be included in the assessment report. A draft of the assessment report for Goal 9 will be written this summer. Input will be obtained from the Goal 9 Task Force members and from faculty members in the History department and American Studies program for revisions. An effort will be made to circulate the report to members of the Council of Teaching and Learning and shared with the Faculty Senate Chair before the report is sent to the State Board of Education as mandated.

C. Student Senate: No report.

D. Update on Discussion groups: Summary reports:

1. Academic freedom versus curriculum dictation: MSC to accept with thanks the summary report submitted by Barb Bain and Bob Pehrsson. See attached. CTL members agreed that this topic should remain available for future discussion, as necessary.

2. Assessing student learning: MSC to accept with thanks the summary report submitted by Barb Bain and Dave Sorensen as revised. See attached. The discussion group developed an evaluation of student learning form. The use of the evaluation of student learning is optional. Departments desiring alternative ways of obtaining student evaluation information may be interested in using the form in future semesters. Perhaps some departments might be interested in administering concurrently the form currently used and the newly developed form to students in order to assess the validity of the new form.

E. Setting a Standing Meeting Time: Fridays at 1:30 were selected as a regular meeting time for the Council. The first meeting will be on September 3, 1999.

F. Other:

1. The faculty internship was discussed. Some members thought a two year term might be useful. Others thought that a two year period would remove a faculty member from a department for too long of a time period. Overlap of terms for the incoming intern with the outgoing intern was suggested. Barbara Bain's term will expire in January 2000 and she will then be on sabbatical. She will be willing to orient the new intern during January. John Jones and Barbara will advertise the intern position and solicit names of interested faculty. These persons will be encouraged to apply for the position.

IV. ADJOURNMENT: 2:30 p.m.

Approved: September 3, 1999