Moving Forward or Holding Back? Creating a Culture of Academic Assessment

Abstract

This article analyzes data from a survey on faculty perceptions of a newly instituted assessment process at a small liberal arts campus in Canada. The survey results are compared with an analysis of the reports submitted to the assessment committee over a four-year period in order to determine whether a culture of assessment centred on students’ academic skills rather than compliance had been achieved. Although there is evidence of resistance and skepticism from a subset of faculty, we argue that overall a faculty driven process of assessment provided the space for the creation of a culture of assessment based on the explicit evaluation of identified academic skills. Our analysis examines faculty perceptions of assessment and its impact, the materials and methods of assessment used, and the overall impact of assessment on teaching on the campus.