Assessment for Advancing Equity Grants

I am pleased to announce the 2021-22 Assessment for Advancing Equity Grants. Assessment is a valuable practice that enables faculty to plan and implement program improvements and support student success. Curriculum-based assessment offers a powerful lever for advancing equity in the major. Also called program learning outcomes assessment, this method of self-study shifts focus away from student performance and onto the effectiveness of our course and program designs. Collecting and disaggregating outcomes data, this type of assessment asks how effective the program is not on average, but specifically for students of distinct racial, economic, social, and educational backgrounds. Promoting student success and addressing opportunity gaps is vital to campus growth, and we hope that units take advantage of the assessment platforms that have been put in place. Academic units can request up to $10,000 for one academic year to support faculty assessment projects.

We encourage academic units to apply for funds to enable faculty to participate in the assessment process. In order to apply, units need to complete the following:

An application cover sheet
An assessment proposal
A letter of endorsement from the program or department chair

Academic programs are encouraged to submit compelling proposals for using learning outcomes assessment to advance equity. Proposals should include a clear rationale and implementation strategy for carrying out the assessment. Proposals should also articulate how the assessment activity contributes to the campus-wide Strategic Plan for Inclusive Excellence, which is focused on commitments to Access and Success, Climate, and Accountability. It should also be noted that Faculty who develop these proposals, and are awarded funding, will be designated as Equity Assessment Fellows. Applications open in January 2022. For additional guidance on the application and awardee expectations, please visit the Assessment for Advancing Equity site.

Application Criteria:
Proposals should clearly describe how assessing learning within the curriculum will serve to inform questions of equity in student outcomes and experience. The proposal should also present a compelling case for how the findings will be used to introduce change to interrupt patterns of inequity. Proposals will be reviewed for the following:

Learning Outcomes
Proposal addresses a specific learning outcome and explains why examining it is valuable to the program.
Alignment to Strategic Plan for Inclusive Excellence
Proposal shows clear alignment between proposed assessment and Strategic Plan focus on Access & Success, Climate, and Accountability.
Feasibility
Proposal specifies a clear work plan that is well suited to completing the work according to the timeline provided.
Methods
Proposed methods are clear, aligned with outcome(s), and well suited for this project.
Impact
Proposal clearly describes next steps and links project to past and future efforts by the unit.
Student Engagement
Student voice is considered at various points in the proposal with a plan to engage students or incorporate their voice in clear ways.
Sustainability
Proposal is contextualized within an articulated process by which the unit engages with assessment findings and rotates roles for undertaking assessment work.

Proposals will be reviewed on a quarterly basis, based on available funds; please submit proposals by week six. The Executive Vice Chancellor will make final allocation decisions.

Elizabeth H. Simmons
Executive Vice Chancellor

John C. Moore
Dean of Undergraduate Education