The Office of Academic Programs and Planning (APP) is seeking a Faculty Lead for the DEI Core Competency Assessment project to begin this academic year.
Cal Poly’s university-wide assessment efforts examine six core competencies: written communication; oral communication; quantitative reasoning; information literacy; critical thinking; and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
Typically, each competency undergoes a three-phase cycle of research, evaluation and improvement based on data collected in General Education (GE) and/or discipline-specific courses.
Overall, the assessment process provides an important measurement of student learning and helps to ensure that degree programs comply with standards set by WSCUC, our institutional accreditor.
Within the current WSCUC accreditation cycle, DEI learning will be assessed beginning in academic year (AY) 2024-25 and culminating in AY 2026-27. During this three-year period, a working group will study student artifacts across course levels and contexts with an aim toward
articulating the various ways that students develop knowledge of DEI matters while at Cal Poly.
Consistent with prior campuswide assessment efforts, the overarching goal of this project is to yield valid and reliable data that can be used to enhance the student learning experience. At the conclusion of this assessment cycle, we aim to establish benchmarks that may be used as a tool to
help the campus community better understand, map and evaluate student understanding of topics related to diversity, equity and inclusion. Additionally, this assessment project will apply equitable assessment strategies and promote meaningful faculty development in line with Cal Poly’s
commitment to inclusive pedagogies.
APP is seeking a Faculty Lead for DEI Assessment to begin this academic year. The faculty lead will earn 4 units of assigned time for the academic year (utilized in winter and/or spring 2025, but not summer 2025), with duties and responsibilities outlined below. The anticipated time commitment for this role is approximately six hours each week over the winter and spring 2025 quarters. There is a possibility of renewal of the assigned time for 2025-26. The faculty lead will:
- Under the direction of the Associate Vice President for DEI Academic Initiatives (OUDI), work closely with APP, the Academic Assessment Council, the Associate Deans for Diversity, and faculty assessment leaders to plan and facilitate assessment activities.
- Plan and lead DEI assessment work group meetings.
- Provide direction and engage with the assessment team in problem-solving throughout the assessment process.
- Help to create and document assessment activities.
- Organize and maintain an online archive of assessment materials.
- Engage in professional development around equitable assessment strategies, including gathering resources to share with work group members.
To apply for the Faculty Lead for DEI Core Competency Assessment position, please submit a
CV along with a statement of interest (maximum two pages) addressing the following:
- In which areas of DEI do you have specific expertise, and how to date have you integrated DEI topics into the curriculum?
- What demonstrated experience do you have with conducting equitable assessment?
- How is serving as the faculty lead for DEI assessment in line with your own goals for professional development as a teacher-scholar?
- What prior experiences do you have with DEI assessment, program assessment, leadership, and/or core competency assessment? How might those experiences inform your approach to this role?
Application materials should be submitted to Program Improvement Coordinator Jolene Girten (jgirten@calpoly.edu) in APP no later than Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. Interviews will be scheduled during finals week of fall quarter.
