Creating A Culture Of Academic Assessment And Excellence Via Shared Governance

Abstract

When a recent accreditation review report and an assessment consultant report both identified issues with assessment and shared governance, the three faculty governing bodies of National University met with the Provost and President to brainstorm and discuss a shared governance action plan to address these issues.  As a result of this meeting, the Faculty Senate, Graduate Council, Undergraduate Council, and the Council of Chairs (not a governing body) representatives made a presentation to the Provost and President to improve the academic assessment process at the University by implementing a shared governance plan that would revitalize the faculty and move both the faculty and the administration toward a culture of academic assessment and excellence.  The President concurred with the shared governance assessment plan approach proposed by the faculty governing bodies and approved implementation of the plan.  This paper explores relevant research on this subject and provides a chronology of the events that comprised the efforts to improve shared governance between the faculty and the administration at National University in order to achieve academic assessment and learning excellence.