UNDER REVIEW
The mission of Continuing Education [CE] reflects The University of Montana’s commitment to provide high quality, innovative outreach programs that serve the lifelong learning needs of the citizens of Montana and beyond. CE is an integral part of Academic Affairs and collaboration with the academic units is central to its mission. This linkage ensures the academic integrity of the programs that are offered through CE on this campus, in Missoula and beyond. Our mission is achieved through offering a wide array of credit and non-credit programs; working with academic units and external agencies to develop relevant programs and courses; writing grant and contract proposals for external funding; offering focused training programs that contribute to the economic development of Montana; using a variety of delivery formats including technology assisted teaching and learning methods that provide access to education.
The academic units, in all cases, are responsible for assessing the cognitive levels of learning for all of the credit courses and programs offered through CE. Academic assessment within Continuing Education is collaborative and the results related to any academic matters such as teaching and content are sent directly to each faculty member, department, school or college, whichever is appropriate. The purpose of assessment within CE is:
- To identify the factors that enhance or impair academic progress within the educational activities offered through CE at UM-M.
- To strengthen the enhancing factors, and to address the limiting factors to the extent possible.
- To improve the delivery systems and student services for off-campus students.
The goals of the assessment plan are to:
- Identify the demographic and academic characteristics of CE’s off-campus distance education students as well as those on-campus students participating in our programs.
- Determine how CE’s on- and off-campus distance education students learn about our programs and services.
- Assess CE’s on- and off-campus distance education students’ preferences for mode of delivery of education programs.
- Measure the overall and service-specific satisfaction with CE’s and UM-M’s student services.
- Determine to what extent CE’s on- and off-campus distance education programs and services are meeting students’ educational goals and needs.
- Evaluate CE’s on- and off-campus student satisfaction level for services provided by university student service units outside of CE, for example admissions, registration, Mansfield Library.
- Solicit subjective comments and feedback from on- and off-campus distance education students on the strengths and weaknesses of the university’s distance education programs by educational objective (i.e., by program of study).
- Evaluate the effectiveness of UM-M’s communications, scheduling, registration, textbook distribution and service delivery.
Methods Of Assessment
Continuing Education Student Satisfaction Surveys
The assessment methods used by UM-M’s Continuing Education consist primarily of satisfaction surveys following each academic course, program or workshop event. For instance we have separate surveys for students registered in credit programs during Summer Semester; Wintersession and UMOnline semester course offerings. There is a standardized format for assessing non-credit activities and workshops. In all cases, questions are asked about content, instruction, delivery methodology, satisfaction with services, as well as demographic data. These surveys were approved by UM’s Institutional Review Board [IRB]. At the end of each event, questionnaires are collected, collated and analyzed. The results inform the CE dean and staff members about positive and negative areas, and findings are used to institute change in practice and procedures over things that CE can control. Generally, CE surveys consist of similar characteristics:
- Demographic and Academic Characteristics of Respondents
- Distance Education Program Awareness, Delivery and Plans
- Reasons for Choosing The University of Montana-Missoula
- Overall satisfaction with Continuing Education and the university
In addition to the objective questions of the survey, on- and off-campus distance education students are given the opportunity to provide open-ended responses regarding the strengths and weaknesses of UM-M’s distance education programs and services. Students are also asked to make additional comments concerning their studies.
For more information related to assessment at The University of Montana, please go to http://www.umt.edu/provost/assessment/
Dean Sharon E. Alexander, Continuing Education
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