Grant Summary
$300,000 over 36 months. The collaborative aims to develop assessment methods that will provide a rich source of insight into the mechanics of student instruction and motivation at the level of the small liberal arts college. The project will begin with sharing information gleaned from all four institutions' use of the National Survey of Student Engagement and the Collegiate Learning Assessment instruments. Moving into the heart of the project, each school will take the lead in developing and implementing assessment efforts in one of four major areas: undergraduate research (Furman), study abroad (Austin, in consultation with the Associated Colleges of the South), ethics (Washington & Lee), and collaborative learning (Juniata). Through this collaboration, the colleges aim to go beyond what can be learned by NSSE and CLA alone; while such instruments are integral parts of any assessment, they cannot capture the diverse and creative programs that evolve at individual campuses. Nor do such instruments offer critiques as to the effectiveness of specific programs. Sharing strategies for program assessment along with results measurement among the participating institutions provides such an opportunity.