Mason Academic Assessment Council (MAAC)

Mission

The Mason Academic Assessment Council (MAAC) is a university-wide committee dedicated to advancing systematic and best assessment practices. Led by, and working with the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Planning (OIEP), council members promote and support effective assessment of academic programs and administrative units.

Vision

Cognizant of the need for program flexibility, the MAAC will:

• promote a culture of reflective assessment that advances the goals of the university;
• provide meaningful, accessible, and responsive support to its constituents;
• help guide Mason in its role as a leading educational institution;
• work with university units to communicate the value of assessment;
• assist in the training of new faculty and staff in their critical role in participating in the process;
• connect student learning with faculty development opportunities;
• work with OIEP in determining the best tools and processes (ranging from the electronic collection of information to the use of basic tools such as rubrics);
• advance campus knowledge of how assessment is a base whereby student learning outcomes contribute to program review, accreditation and the strategic goals of the university;
• advance process efficiency to minimize the administrative burdens of assessment reviews;
• improve the seamless incorporation of external accreditation reviews to minimize duplication of effort.

Annual Assessment Feedback

In an effort to support continuous improvement, OIEP in collaboration with MAAC has implemented a holistic review process of annual assessment submissions in Tk20. This peer-driven process was initiated with 2019-2020 academic annual assessments. MAAC members provide formative feedback on each element of academic annual assessment submissions: the mission, curriculum map(s), student learning outcomes, measures, results, and improvements.

View this slideshow to learn more about the annual assessment feedback process for academic units.

Membership

Appointed by leadership from within each academic college or school, the university library, and the honors college, member responsibilities include acting as ambassadors to the larger university, providing purpose and instruction as to the critical nature of assessment. MAAC is chaired by Matthew DeSantis, Executive Director of Institutional Effectiveness in OIEP.