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Staff and Faculty Participate in Assessment Summit

Assessment Day

  Palo Alto University (PAU) faculty and staff gathered on Friday, March 3rd, to discuss the utilization of assessment at the 3rd Annual University Assessment Summit. The assessment summit was led by faculty members Kelly Coker, PhD, and Rowena Gomez, PhD, Co-chairs and Faculty Directors of Assessment and Student Learning Outcomes for the PAU Assessment Committee.    The half-day summit began with an overview of assessment and its importance in supporting student success and overall institutional effectiveness. As a group, participants (both online and in person) discussed the importance of assessment in identifying goals and how gathering and analyzing data can be helpful in adjusting or modifying goals. The group also discussed how assessment could improve clarity and transparency of expectations, improve the efficiency and effectiveness of individual work, and how good assessment can inform improvements, resource requests, and other key changes.   Provost and Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs, Erika Cameron shared, “Developing a culture of assessment across the University is a top priority at PAU. The Assessment Summit brings together our community of faculty and staff to engage in conversations around assessment and the benefits for both academic and non-academic departments. The continued discussion and ideas generated around assessment will help us navigate and measure our progress to fullfilling our strategic goals and priorities. ”     Midway through the day, participants broke into two groups (faculty and staff) to discuss using assessment in their specific departments. In the breakout rooms, staff and faculty addressed questions geared toward thinking more deeply about assessment. The use of reliable data and the advent of Chat GPT were among the numerous topics that arose in these guided conversations. In addition, participants were able to earn CE credits through PAU’s Division of Continuing and Professional Studies (CAPS).   By the end of the assessment summit, participants felt inspired to use assessment and took away practical examples of how they can improve overall effectiveness in their role and the institution.