KU Core Review Instruction
Overview
The University Core Curriculum Committee (UCCC) is responsible for recertifying all KU Core courses. In order to achieve this goal, the UCCC asks all departments and programs that offer KU Core courses to submit a report for each course and goal/learning outcome. In the case of a course approved for more than one goal/learning outcome, departments and programs will make separate submissions for each KU Core goal/learning outcome. The UCCC will review courses on a 6-year cycle, grouped by KU Core Goal/learning outcome, as follows:
- 2015-2016: Goal 1.1 + Goal 1.2 (Goal 1 Review Forms)
- 2016-2017: Goal 2.1 + Goal 2.2 + Goal 3 (Arts & Humanities) (Goal 2 Review Forms, Goal 3H Form)
- 2017-2018: Goal 4.1 + Goal 3 (Natural Sciences) (Goal 3N Form, Goal 4.1 Form)
- 2018-2019: Goal 4.2
- 2019-2020: Goal 5 + Goal 3 (Social Sciences)
- 2020-2021: Goal 6
Data Collection
Departments should collect data on achievement of the learning outcome each semester/year that the course is offered. The most efficient way to complete this task is to agree as a department to include an assignment in each course that covers the dimensions of the learning outcome that the department wishes to collectively assess, and to grade at least those dimensions by a common rubric. (See the First Year Seminar assessment of Goal 1.1 for an example of how this can be done while allowing for variability in content and teaching style across a common course.)
KU Core Review Outline
The KU Core Course Review consists of two parts:
- Part 1: Recertification is a self-report by the department or program offering the course certifying that the course complies with the required criteria of the KU Core Goal and Learning Outcome for which it has been approved.
- Part 2: Assessment is a self-report by the department or program offering the course of measured student achievement of the learning outcome. The report describes how course assessment items align to dimensions of the learning outcome, a report of the measurements taken on those items across a representative sample of students, a descriptive analysis of the data, and finally, a description of changes those data suggest in order to improve student achievement of the learning outcome.
Reporting Process
Departments will submit reports in September for each of their courses that fulfills a learning outcome that is due for review that academic year. KU Core Review Forms for 2017-2018 are due September 15, 2017. Reports should be submitted through Assessment System Online. The system provides prompts the user with the appropriate question for each goal/learning outcome, and the user can easily cut and paste from a Word document answers to questions requiring narrative response. Instructions for completing the forms are available both through the ASO homepage and here as a download. As with Degree-Level Assessment, only designated department users (Chairs, Associate Chairs and Undergrad Program Directors/Coordinators will have access by default) may submit the materials.
Note: If you need to add department users to the ASO system, please send your request to Joshua Potter in the CTE at joshuadpotter@ku.edu.
UCCC Review
The UCCC will evaluate each report and provide written feedback to departments. In some cases the Committee may require additional information or data in order to recertify the course. The goal of the review is to motivate and document continuous, evidence-based improvement of student learning outcomes.
