Institutional and Program Assessment Council-(IPAC) effective fall 2023

effective fall 2023

Charge

This policy was recommended by the Academic Senate on September 15, 2022, and approved by the President on September 28, 2022.

The Institutional and Program Assessment Council (IPAC) shall serve as the primary advisory body to the Academic Senate and University administration on matters relating to the assessment and periodic program review of degree-granting programs and academic support units. The Council will serve the same function for institutional assessment, including assessment of Institutional Outcomes related to the University’s Strategic Planning Process. IPAC is subordinate to the Academic Senate, and, for that reason, all policies and regulations recommended by IPAC shall be presented to the Academic Senate for approval, except for those matters specifically delegated to the Council itself.

The Institutional and Program Assessment Council shall:

  1. Implement the University’s Academic Senate policy on the annual assessment of degree- granting programs and academic support units (Program Assessment Subcommittee);
  2. Implement the University’s Academic Senate policy on the annual assessment of Institutional Outcomes (IOs) (Institutional Assessment Subcommittee);
  3. Implement the University’s Academic Senate policy on the periodic program review of degree granting programs and academic support units;
  4. Recommend changes to University’s Academic Senate policies on annual assessment and program review to the Academic Senate.

Upon request of the Academic Senate or University administration, the Council shall nominate members to serve on committees that require the particular expertise of its membership.

Membership of IPAC shall consist of

  1. Four (4) T/TT or lecturer faculty from the College of Liberal Arts, two (2) from each of the other Colleges, one (1) from the University Library, elected by the entire faculty (T/TT and lecturer faculty) of their respective Colleges
  2. Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs (or designee)
  3. Vice President for Administration and Finance (or designee)
  4. Vice President for Student Affairs (or designee)
  5. Director for Institutional Research & Analytics (or designee)
  6. Director of Institutional Assessment
  7. Coordinator for Program Review and Assessment
  8. Dean of CPaCE (or designee)
  9. One (1) student member, selected by Associated Students, Inc.

Faculty members shall serve staggered, three-year terms to ensure continuity. Members may serve consecutive terms.

Subcommittees

The Steering Committee (see below) will split college and other members into two subcommittees based on experience and training: 1) the Program Assessment Subcommittee and 2) the Institutional Assessment Subcommittee. Each subcommittee shall elect a Chair.

  1. Members of the Program Assessment Subcommittee will provide support to Colleges and Departments with annual assessment and periodic program review.
     
  2. Members of the Institutional Assessment Subcommittee will conduct Institutional Assessment. To be a member of this committee, members must have first served on the Program Assessment Subcommittee or on the former Program Assessment and Review Council. In addition, they must have completed the Faculty/Staff Learning Community for Assessment.

Officers

The chairs of the subcommittees shall be the Co-Chairs of IPAC. One of the Co-Chairs of IPAC, chosen between the two, shall serve as an ex officio voting member of the Campus Planning Committee and the Resource Planning Process Task Force.

The Council shall select a Council liaison who will attend Academic Senate meetings and report back to the Council. The Council liaison should be an Academic Senator if possible; if not, the Council shall appoint a member who will attend meetings of the Academic Senate without voting rights.

Steering Committee

The Council shall establish a Steering Committee composed of the Chair of the Program Assessment Subcommittee, the Chair of the Institutional Assessment Subcommittee, the Vice Chair of IPAC, the Secretary of IPAC, the Director of Institutional Assessment, the Coordinator for Program Review & Assessment, and the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs (or designee).

The Steering Committee shall be responsible for planning and scheduling meetings, setting the agenda, and transmitting items to the Academic Senate. The Steering Committee shall also make appointments to IPAC subcommittees and ad hoc committees, subject to provisions of the policy on program review.