In January of 2013, Lindenwood University’s Deans Council and Faculty Council approved the following statement expressing our institutional commitment to assessment and continuous improvement. This "Commitment to Assessment" statement, along with its accompanying "Culture of Continuous Improvement" document described below, serves as a guiding framework for all of our assessment work:
Commitment to Assessment
The faculty, administration, and staff of Lindenwood University are dedicated to sustaining excellent educational programs and learning environments. Therefore, we are also committed to mission- based, comprehensive, and data-driven assessment for the purpose of continuous institutional improvement and effectiveness. (Statement on assessment approved by the Deans Council and Faculty Council – January, 2013).
This commitment statement is published in all university catalogs and on the university website.
In 2015, the following “Culture of Continuous Improvement” document was approved as a logical extension of the earlier “Commitment to Assessment” statement. The “Culture” document reads as follows:
Given the above commitment, the “Culture of Continuous Improvement” statement below serves as a “compass” in guiding our assessment and continuous improvement efforts. The statement describes the type of institutional culture that is needed to live out that commitment.
A Culture of Continuous Improvement:
Defining Characteristics
- The institution publicly affirms its commitment to effectiveness and continuous improvement and, in so doing, recognizes the need for accountability to its stakeholders.
- The institution values effectiveness and continuous improvement in all facets and levels of its operations (e.g., individual professional development, classroom teaching and learning, program review, measurement of graduate success, student and employee satisfaction, governance).
- Comprehensive and integrative assessment is conducted for the purpose of continuous improvement.
- The leadership of the institution understands, values, and provides strong support for efforts related to assessment and continuous improvement.
- Assessment for learning and of learning is valued, supported, and recognized.
- Efforts to improve teaching are valued, supported, and recognized.
- All aspects of the assessment process are conducted with a spirit of collaboration among colleagues within all programs and departments. There is collective investment in the commitment to effective teaching and learning and overall institutional effectiveness.
- Both faculty and staff value inquiry and the important role of evidence in the decision-making processes associated with continuous improvement. Multiple forms of direct and indirect evidence are used to make decisions annually.
- Assessment processes and results are integrated within the institution’s planning and budgeting processes – the institution commits the necessary resources to support its assessment program, and assessment results inform both planning and budgeting.
- The institution understands the critical importance of sustainable and transparent assessment practices, including documenting and sharing intended outcomes and objectives, appropriate methods of assessment, the results of assessment, and initiatives to “close the loop” wherein the results are used for continuous improvement.
Document approved/endorsed by the Assessment Committee (Feb. 23, 2015), the Deans Council (Feb. 24, 2015), the President’s Council (Feb. 25, 2015), the Faculty Council (March 5, 2015), and the Staff Council (March 12, 2015)
As an accompanying document to the Commitment to Assessment statement, the Culture of Continuous Improvement document is published in all university catalogs and on the university website.
