Module 2 - Activity 1

Directions

Read about the mission, vision, and values statements from The Adaptive University Strategic Plan 2015-2025, and the excerpt from the Student Learning Improvement Plan. The entire strategic plan is available on the university's website, linked in the institutional effectiveness website, and integrated into the student learning improvement plan. When you are familiar with the information presented below, click on the "Continue to Activity 1 Quiz" button at the bottom of the page. This Learning Quiz activity is worth 20 points toward completing the orientation and is your grade for Module 2 Activity 1. You may take the quiz as many times as you like to improve your score.

The Adaptive University 2015-2025 (ESU Website)

The adaptive university is responsive and will engage faculty, students, and staff to be responsive to the unique challenges of a dynamic society. Students’ success in that endeavor will require not only the foundations of the major program of study, but the exercise of adaptive leadership skills through broad involvement for the common good. Adaptive leadership is polyarchic (“by the many for the many”), in contrast to oligarchic decision-making authority.

Values

The university has four core values: excellence, respect, responsibility, and service.

With excellence, the university values intellectual challenges, problem solving, and creative and critical thinking.

With respect, the university values integrity, collaboration, diversity, freedom of thought, freedom of inquiry, and freedom of expression.

With responsibility, the university values accountability and stewardship of the institution, the environment, human resources, and personal well-being.

With service, the university values engagement in leadership and community that positively impacts our global society.

Vision

Changing lives for the common good.

The focus of the plan is rooted in the vision of addressing “the common good.” The common good is attentive to the interests and well-being of others. “Communities” represent a social context for the individual to contribute to the common good.

Mission

Preparing students for lifelong learning, rewarding careers, and adaptive leadership.

Formal education provides the basis for the continued pursuit of knowledge to enrich one’s personal and professional life, independent of time and place. Adaptive — collegial — leadership recognizes the many contributions of individuals toward society’s common interests and aspirations.

Culture

The Culture of Assessment is captured in the Student Learning Improvement Plan. An excerpt from the plan is provided for your review.

The purpose of the Student Learning Improvement Plan (SLIP) is to engage the campus community in assessment practices to improve student learning across all operational environments. Formally, the plan provides the structure for departments and units to continuously pursue adaptive strategies for improving student learning at the program, course, and activity levels. These assessment strategies are based on best practices with influences from authors and experts in the field of assessment and student learning (Allen, M. J. (2004 and 2006); Angelo, T. A. and Cross, K. P. (1993); Banta, T., Lund, J., Black, K., and Oblander, F. (1996); Banta, T. and Palomba, C. (2015); Keeling, R., Wall, A., Underhile, R., and Dungy, G., (2008); Kuh, G., Ikenberry, S., Jankowski, N., Cain, T., Ewell, P., Hutchings, P., and Kinzie, J. (2015), Stevens, D. and Levi, A. (2005); Suskie, L. (2009 and 2015); and Woolvard, B. (2010).

Rather than developing a plan that is highly prescriptive and inflexible, the Student Learning Improvement Plan (SLIP) embraces the uniqueness of the disciplines, recognizes the influences of specialized accreditations, and focuses faculty assessment efforts on improving program curricula and currency, and student learning experiences. The assessment of student learning comprehensively involves student affairs, academic affairs, and all operational units that serve supportive roles.

The SLIP places the assessment work of the faculty and staff at the course and activity levels as a priority in recognizing that the greatest breadth of impact occurs with the accumulation of individual efforts to improve student learning. Each academic year begins with the department faculty and unit staff identifying and prioritizing assessment strategies for the upcoming academic year. Subsequently, the department and unit level strategies are updated based on the outcomes of the strategies from the previous year. The work is ongoing, the outcomes of the work are measurable, and the work is meaningful.