Drake Curriculum Analysis Committee

The Drake Curriculum Analysis Committee (DCAC; formerly the Drake Curriculum Analysis and Planning Committee) is responsible for assessing achievement of the student learning outcomes drawn from the Drake Mission, and evaluating the effectiveness of the Drake Curriculum and related experiential and co-curricular programs in contributing to the achievement of those outcomes. DCAC will provide regular summaries of the student learning data to the Faculty Senate, University Curriculum Committee, and the Provost, and make recommendations as appropriate for ongoing improvement of the general education curriculum and related programs.

Specific responsibilities of the committee include:

• Work with the Director of Assessment and the Director of Institutional Research to
• develop a rolling plan for assessment of learning outcomes drawn from the mission explication and the Drake Curriculum
• evaluate the data for evidence of student learning and make recommendations for program improvement to the University Curriculum Committee and other bodies as appropriate
• evaluate the effectiveness of the assessment instruments and procedures and revise the assessment plan accordingly.
• Encourage participation by faculty, staff, and students in assessment procedures.
• Report assessment results on a regular basis to the Faculty Senate, the University Curriculum Committee, the Provost, and other groups on campus as needed.
• Consult with the Associate Provost for Curriculum and Assessment regarding faculty and staff development programs on teaching and assessing the essential skills and knowledge needed to achieve Drake Curriculum outcomes.
• Liaise with the colleges and schools to share general education and program assessment data that is useful to each.

Membership:

• Six faculty members are appointed by the Faculty Senate Executive Committee to three-year terms. The faculty representatives will include one each from the Colleges of Business, Journalism, Education, Arts and Sciences (including the School of Fine Arts), and Pharmacy, and one representing Cowles Library.
• 1 representative drawn from the University Curriculum Committee– normally the vice chair – one-year term
• Director of Assessment (ex officio)
• Deputy Provost (ex officio)
• Assistant Dean of Students (ex officio)
• Director of Client Services (ex officio)

The committee will be chaired by a faculty member holding the rank of associate or full professor, the term to last for one year; after the first year of DCAC’s existence, any faculty member appointed to the chair’s position must previously have served on the committee for a minimum of one year.

In appointing faculty, the Senate Executive Committee should give consideration to the level of involvement of individual faculty members with the Drake Curriculum (such as past participation in teaching FYS or AOIs) or with college, school, or program assessment.

Initial terms will be staggered so that committee openings occur on a three-year rotating basis. Two representatives will be appointed for each term of service, paired as follows: Business and Education, Pharmacy and Cowles Library, and Arts and Sciences and Journalism.

Note: Historically, the Student Senate has appointed a representative to DCAP, often the chair of the Student Senate’s Academic Affairs Committee. We suggest that this student might be better placed on the University Curriculum Committee than on the newly constituted DCAC, as the UCC’s mandate to review Drake Curriculum courses and cross-college programs aligns more closely with academic affairs decisions directly affecting students.

Membership