DIRECTIONS FOR FILING ASSESSMENT PLANS ON-LINE

The following steps outline the main elements of the on-line Assessment Plan development process. If you need technical assistance, please contact Eric Wolfe in Information Technology. You can reach Eric by      e-mail ( eric.wolfe@wku.edu ) or by calling 5-7000. If you have questions about content or the assessment process contact Dennis George ( dennis.george@wku.edu , 5-8723).

Important Note: The online assessment forms archive information into a dynamic database to which you may add, delete, or update information at any time. It is designed such that you may enter and leave at your leisure, each time finding information just as you've left it from the previous session. However, each time an addition or edit is made, it is essential that you click the button directly below the box into which changes were made. This button will typically be titled “Next” or “Submit.” If you click on the “Back” button before the “Next” or “Submit” buttons, whatever entries or changes you've made in the box will be lost. We are currently in the process of changing the title of the buttons to “Save Changes” which will hopefully make this clearer.

1) The on-line assessment forms should be accessed using Internet Explorer as the browser. Enter http://forms1.wku.edu/assessment / in the browser's address window.

2) At the Login page, enter your WKU e-mail user name (e.g., dennis.george) and your WKU e-mail password. This will take you to the home page for your department/unit. If you are unable to login, you will need to contact Eric Wolfe, the technical person in charge of this project.

NOTE: Initial login to a department's or unit's assessment page is limited to the head or director of that department or unit or individuals previously granted access by the department head/director. As #3 (below) indicates, the department head or director may add the WKU user name of other individuals who will be granted access to that department's assessment forms. In a few cases, individuals have responsibility for more than one department or unit. In those cases, a drop-down box at the login allows them to select either department.

3) ADDING/DELETING USERS. If you select “Departmental Users” from the menu on the left, you will be taken to the “User's Page.” Here, you as the administrator in charge of this department or unit, may add WKU e-mail user names of other individuals whom you want to be able to enter information and make changes in your department's Assessment Plans. This is your option. You may also delete current user access by clicking on the red X to the far right of the individual's name. Once a person is entered as a user, they may log in and perform any operation to the assessment plan other than adding/deleting a new user, program, or unit.

4) ADDING/DELETING PROGRAMS OR UNITS. By selecting “Enter Assessment” from the left-hand menu, you will get to a page to select the year for which plans are to be entered (e.g. August 2004-May 2005). Clicking “Next” takes you to the page where you sequentially add each program/unit in your department to the 2004/05 assessment database and identify a contact person. To do this click on “Add New Program” (for academic programs) or “Add New Support Units” (for administrative units). Note: Every program or unit must be added to the database every year. Even if you are the only program or unit in you division, you still must go through the process of adding your program or unit.

5) Once you have added each program or unit, you are ready to begin the Assessment Plan entry process. Clicking on “ Enter Assessment ” (at the top of the page) will open up the assessment plan form in a page format . By clicking on the red “Add” or “Edit” you can enter data/information directly into the appropriate boxes. The stepwise data entry process is also still available as it was last year for those who prefer this method.

Assessment Plans consist of the following elements:

       •  Link to the Institutional Mission and Strategic Goals

 Note: Outcomes and Means of Assessment and Criteria for Success will be entered in the October 1 assessment plans. The Summary of Assessment Data Collected and the Use of Results to Improve the Academic Program/Unit Effectiveness (i.e. “closing the loop”) will be entered after assessment process is conducted over the coming academic year.

NOTES:

•  You can use “Enter Assessment” at any time to view the entire Assessment Plan report in its most current form.

•  You can cut and paste from a Word document into the on-line assessment forms. This allows for you to use spell-check. There is no spell-check on the online forms.

6) You may review your report (or that of any other unit) in either html or pdf format by clicking on “Reports” in the menu on the left hand side and selecting the appropriate year.

Directions for Reviewing Assessment Plans On-line

After assessment plans are entered and edited into a form ready for review by the University Outcomes Assessment Committee, the Department Head or Administrator in charge indicates his or her approval by simply doing the following:

1) Clicking on “Reviews” in the menu and selecting the appropriate year.

2) Selecting the program to be reviewed from the list and clicking “Review Report.”

3) Checking the box under Department Head Approval that states “ I have Reviewed this Program/Support Unit and it is ready for committee ” and clicking “Submit.”

Thanks for your participation and patience with this process. Again, if you need assistance, contact:

•  Content or general process: Dennis George at 5-8723 or dennis.george@wku.edu