The Department of Art and Art History received the 2007 Assessment Excellence Award for its assessment of the Studio Art program. The award was conferred at the Founders’ Day Faculty Recognition Luncheon in June. This is the second year the award has been presented.

The award was established in the fall 2005 by Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Virinder Moudgil to recognize a program that models the North Central Association’s culture of assessment goal by integrating assessment findings with program revisions.

Studio art is a four-year-old degree program. According to Andrea Eis, chair of Art and Art History, the program assesses the students’ progress at the 200 level and the 400 level. At the 200 level, they look for skill-based comprehension. At the 400-level the faculty look for more of a conceptual understanding and the students assess how they have leaned and help identify where the department is doing well and where there are areas for growth.

“Through our assessment, we learned that students needed more of a progression from assignment-based work to the senior thesis project, which is based on their own ideas,” said Eis. The department is looking for ways to help students make the transition.

Eis said while the program is still new, the department has always had this type of assessment model in place for students in art.

“We assess constantly. We are always talking to the students about what is working and what isn’t,” Eis said.

Eis added she is pleased with the students’ serious and thoughtful feedback that helps the program grow and serve the students better.

The Department of Art and Art History received $5,000 for their efforts and is encouraged to use the money to fund enhancements to the assessment process. Additionally, the department is named on an Assessment Excellence Award plaque displayed in the Kresge Library lobby.

The inaugural award, given in 2006, was awarded to the Department of Psychology.

For more information on the Assessment of Excellence Award, visit the Assessment of Student Learning Web site.