campus partner(s)

Associated Colleges of the South

Associated Colleges of the Midwest

and the Great Lakes College Association

state(s)

GA, IL, MI

amount

$300,000

initiative

Fresh Thinking

award date

11.2005

project director

Wayne Anderson

Associated Colleges of the South

Grant Summary

$300,000 over 24 months. Developed with the support of the $60,000 planning grant from the Teagle Foundation, this proposal builds on what the consortia have learned about the imbrication of liberal education goals, international education goals, and study abroad goals, as well as about the range of programs in which their students enroll. In 2002-03, 3,958 students were enrolled in 734 separate programs. The consortia have moved forward with categorizing these programs (by provider, region, cumulative enrollment, language of the host country), and are now ready to systematically assess their accomplishments. The work plan involves:

  • Learning more about which program characteristics advance key liberal education outcomes, as they emerge through conversations with students, faculty, and leaders on consortium campuses;
 
  • Using the results of those conversations to produce trial assessment topics and items, and draft the processes and instruments needed to conduct the assessments;
 
  • Engaging the partner colleges to pilot test the instruments, refine them based on the results of the pilot tests, and produce assessment instruments all consortium members and others can use.

The work will be led by a steering committee consisting of the president, international programs director (or other designated staff member), and one leader or faculty member from an institution in each consortium. An outside consultant with experience in designing as well as implementing assessment programs and instruments will work with the group.