Gen Ed Assessment 2024-25
Overview
In consultation with the Office of the Provost, SBU Assessment Council, and General Education Advisory Committee the Office of Educational Effectiveness will continue to facilitate the assessment of the SBC general education curriculum.
This assessment will focus on a subset of SBC categories, including undergraduate general education courses certified in the SBS, QPS, ESI, SPK, and HFA+ categories. Guided assessment conversations will take place in the Spring as a reflection on completed Fall SBC courses. This will be supplemented by faculty and student focus groups to gain deeper insight into the campus community's perceptions of the general education curriculum.
Process & Timeline
Date |
Action Item |
|
September 2024 |
OEE will provide assessment coordinators with a list of select instructors teaching SBS, QPS, ESI, SPK, and HFA+ general education courses during the Fall 2024 semester. Assessment coordinators will be asked to review the list and notify OEE of any questions or concerns by 10/1/24. |
|
October 2024 |
Assessment Coordinators will notify OEE of the faculty members selected to participate in the SBC assessment. OEE will contact identified instructors to provide them with an overview of the SBC assessment process. |
|
November - December 2024 |
OEE will send periodic reminders and logistical details to instructors participating in the SBC assessment. OEE will also host general education focus groups with current students. |
|
January 2025 |
OEE will contact instructors participating in the SBC assessment to schedule a mutually convenient meeting time for the guided assessment conversation. |
|
February - March 2025 |
OEE staff will meet with participating instructors for a 45-minute guided assessment conversation by email or zoom. After participating in the assessment meeting, faculty will receive a copy of their individual assessment reports for verification. Data will be reported in aggregate at the level of the SBC. Instructor- and course-level data will be kept confidential. |
Methodology
Following the Stony Brook University enrollment census date (September 18, 2024), the Office of Educational Effectiveness (OEE) identified all Fall 2024 courses certified in the assessed SBC categories: SBS, QPS, ESI, SPK, and HFA+ (n = 401). To ensure a consistent assessment sample, OEE excluded courses that met one or more of the following criteria:
- Enrolled fewer than 10 students (n = 84)
- Certified in more than one assessed SBC category (n = 21)
- Designated as Tutorials (n = 7) or Supervisions (n = 1)
- Designated at the 300- or 400-level, with the exception of HFA+ courses (n = 100)
Upper-division courses were generally excluded because they are more likely to serve major-specific learning outcomes than general education outcomes. HFA+ courses were exempt from this criterion because the "plus" designation emphasizes advanced application of concepts, and most HFA+ offerings occur at the 300- and 400-level. After applying these criteria, the eligible assessment population included 188 courses.
To determine the assessment sample, OEE built on its 2023 process, which included approximately 10 faculty participants per SBC category, and expanded its target to a minimum of 15 faculty participants per category. Sampling was conducted as follows:
- ESI (n = 13) and SPK (n = 16): All eligible courses were included because of their smaller populations.
- SBS (n = 41), QPS (n = 37), and HFA+ (n = 81): Approximately half of the eligible courses were selected using random sampling.
This process produced a requested sample of 107 courses, representing 57% of the eligible population. Following sample selection, OEE shared the course list with assessment coordinators and instructors and adjusted the sample as needed to account for faculty availability (e.g., sabbaticals or leaves) and instructor eligibility (e.g., graduate assistants or adjunct faculty unavailable for retrospective assessment). The final number of courses assessed was dependent on faculty participation in guided assessment consultations conducted during Spring 2025. Final adjustments for instructor availability and suitability yielded 95 course sections.
Results
Review the final report from this assessment.