I still have your message from last Fall on my "to do" pile - not because I am not interested, but simply because I have not had the time to deal with it.

I am the Program Director of Academic Assessment at Jefferson Community College in Steubenville.  I have released time equivalent to teaching of one class per semester, but this activity takes up far more of my time than teaching a class!!   My CAP team and I have been working hard to develop an institutional program, and so far have accomplished the following: 1.development of data collection forms for each program; 
2.development of college-wide outcomes that have been promoted through the faculty;
3.development of a core curriculum course to achieve college-wide outcomes, set up in such a way as to accommodate technical programs; 
4. two hour assessment workshops each semester for faculty; 
5. the complilation of a "best practices" handbook ;
6.attendance at workshops outside those on campus;
7.development of an assessment component in program directors reports;
8.development of assessment component in deans's reports to the vice-president of academic affairs;
9. development of a local test consisting of gen. ed. questions to assess general knowledge and critical thinking (still in draft stage.)

These are just 'off the top of my head."  We are planning to present our program at the next meeting of the Ohio Assessment Forum and we are planning to present our Core Curriculum Course plan (now approved by our Curriculum Committee) at OATYC.

I am pressed for time because Humanities and Social Sciences have not had a dean for months, most of these courses are taught by adjunct faculty. I am one of two full-time English teachers. We have a full-time Speech teacher and that's it. No other liberal arts classes are taught by full-time faculty.  I am also the co-advisor to the Fine Arts Clubs which produces a magazine, has a Writer's club, puts on a Mystery Dinner Theatre production, and has an Artist's Group - so I simply have few hours left to communicate what we are doing with assessment.  Right now it is the last week of class and I have portfolios, research papers, and final projects to evaluate and grade. 

I am attaching forms/plans that relate to the above list - but again hurriedly and not in any particular order.  If you reply with some specific questions, I will reply next week after classes and finals are over.  We do have an active and viable program here, and will be glad to share with others.

Bonita M. Schaffner
English Professor
Jefferson Community College
Steubenville, OH