The College-Wide Assessment Committee (CWAC) was established by President Miller in January 2005. Its charge was to immediately begin constructing a comprehensive College-wide Assessment Plan, integrating institutional assessment and assessment of student-learning, through curricular and co-curricular area plans; identifying “best practices” and employing principles of good assessment as laid out by the Middle States Commission. CWAC completed its original charge in the spring of 2006 when it delivered The College-Wide Assessment Plan to the President and the campus community. The Plan was subsequently reviewed and endorsed by key campus constituencies in the spring of 2006. In fall 2007, in recognition of the need for CWAC to become more of a leader in the development of a culture of assessment, the Committee was reestablished and delivered with a new charge . CWAC spent the entire AY 2007-08 reviewing the College-Wide Assessment Plan and other documents to assess the current comprehensiveness and integration of the college’s assessment initiatives. In the fall of 2008, President Drugovich revised the charge and membership to represent a broader institutional constituency and new support offered by the Assessment Support Coordinator. Then, in 2011, the Committee was reformed as the Periodic Review Report Committee. This temporary change in its charge was a reflection of the prominence that the Committee had reached. In addition, a new position was created, the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Assessment, to further support CWAC and assessment at the college.
The Director of Institutional Research and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Assessment are standing members of the committee to assist CWAC in fulfilling its purpose and charge.
II. Philosophy of Assessment
The College-Wide Assessment Committee views assessment as a student-centered, generative and responsive process driven by the mission of the institution. The Committee believes that the assessment process should be ongoing, dynamic and transparent, integrating information and contributions from all constituencies of the college community.
III. CWAC Mission Statement
The College-Wide Assessment committee serves to support, promote, integrate, and coordinate assessment efforts within the college community.
IV. CWAC Core Values
We value:
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The Committee values consensus, collaboration, and inclusion in the development of a culture of assessment at Hartwick College.
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The Committee encourages the integration and use of assessment results in institutional planning and decision making.
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The Committee honors the use of appropriate methodologies for assessment, including the use of both qualitative and quantitative data.
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The Committee values assessment that is “smarter not harder,” i.e., the use of methods and strategies that inform our institutional and student-centered efforts and that are simple, effective, sustainable, and iterative.
- The Committee values the clear and transparent communication of assessment results.
CWAC Membership List
Alanna Adams ’07, Operations Manager & Executive Assistant to the Vice President for College Advancement
Mary Allen, Professor of Biology
JR Bjerklie, Director of Institutional Research and Effectiveness
Colleen Bunn, Director of Residential Life and Housing
James Clar, Head Women’s Volleyball Coach
Tim Ecklund, Assistant Vice President for Student Success
Amy Forster Rothbart, Associate Professor and Department Chair of Political Science and Chair of the First-Year Experience
Megan Gray, Assistant Vice President for Alumni Relations and Career Development
Matt Sanford, Registrar and Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs
Judith Walsh, Institutional Research Analyst
Tom Warger, Interim Executive Director of Information Technology