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I. Introduction
Though nearly one-half of all political science programs in the U.S. were involved
in formulating or administering a program of student learning assessment in the major as
of 2000 (Kelly and Klunk 2003), many political scientists continue to resist assessment as
a response to external mandates, threat to academic freedom, and/or a waste of time
(Alter et. al. 2004; Deardorff 2004).
One approach to making outcomes assessment programs more meaningful to
faculty is to embed assessment in a broader enterprise of departmental strategic planning.
When assessing student learning is linked to a process of determining a department’s
mission, market position, and strategies for securing resources necessary for realizing
departmental objectives, faculty have increased commitment to the program’s success.
This presentation will describe how a political science department at a small
college in Pennsylvania used a strategic planning framework to develop its assessment
program, and how the program fostered an ethic and practice of continuous improvement.
The model presented involves several stages:
1. Development of departmental mission and vision statements, connected to the
institution’s mission and the department’s appraisal of how it can provide a high-
quality, distinctive educational program in a competitive marketplace.
2. Formulation of content and skill-based learning objectives for students and
revision of faculty performance expectations, derived from the goals of
scholarship, leadership and civic involvement.
3. Revision of the department’s learning program, including course offerings, major
requirements, advising, and the co-curriculum.
Convention