General Education Assessment Advisory Council (GEAAC)

The General Education Assessment Advisory Council (GEAAC) was established in 2018 to provide guidance and support to RIT’s general education assessment processes and practices.

RIT’s general education curriculum is an essential learning experience, and the framework articulates the student learning outcomes that complement more specialized learning in the degree programs and help prepare students for successful careers and lives of purpose.

A faculty driven assessment model lies at the heart of RIT’s high quality assessment practices, and faculty engagement is critical to the success of improving teaching and learning and ensuring that the process is meaningful. The council consists of a cross- disciplinary team all with a vested interest in student’s achievement of RIT’s general education student learning outcomes.  

Charge

RIT’s general education assessment practices have expanded significantly over the last ten years. GEAAC will serve in an advisory capacity to the Office of Educational Effectiveness Assessment (EEA) to support and enhance the general education assessment processes with a goal of improving student learning and teaching

Council members will provide guidance related to aspects of assessment practices including: sampling methods, data analysis, faculty recruitment and development, faculty resources, university-wide communication, and the use of results to improve student learning. The GEAAC co-chairs will provide an annual update to the General Education Committee.

Goals

  • Collaborate on ways to share the value and benefits of the assessment process.
  • Provide advisement on scaling-up and implementing RIT’s General Education Assessment Plan (including international locations) with a focus on meaningful, manageable, and sustainable assessment practices.
  • Provide recommendations to improve sampling methodology, data collection procedures, faculty recruitment, and assessment resources.
  • Provide recommendations on using data to demonstrate student learning and achievement of the outcomes and improve aspects of pedagogy.

Council Members 

The following members provide expertise and are involved in some aspect of general education assessment:

  • Leah Bradley (Co-Chair), Interim Director, Educational Effectiveness Assessment
  • Kirsten Condry, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, CLA
  • Elizabeth Hane (Co-Chair), Associate Professor, Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences, COS, General Education Faculty Associate
  • Matthew Houdek, Lecturer, University Writing Program
  • Jakob Patekar, Lecturer, RIT Croatia
  • Elizabeth Reeves O'Connor, Principal Lecturer, School of Communication, CLA
  • Jennifer Schneider, Professor, CAST, Eugene H. Fram Chair in Applied Critical Thinking
  • Sarah Thompson, Associate Professor, School of Art, CIAS