1. Who Can I Contact for Help? 

• Planning Your Assessment and Collecting Data: 

  • • Lisa Wiehle, Manager of Outcomes Assessment, lwiehle@elgin.edu, 847-214-7714

    • Your department's assigned faculty Assessment Liaison, refer to list here (link)

    • Your department's Instructional Coordinator/Director

• Using the D2L Standards Tool:

  • • To load your course's learning outcomes and discuss project parameters: Lisa Wiehle, Manager of Outcomes Assessment, lwiehle@elgin.edu, 847-214-7714

    • To learn about the tool, receive detailed instructions, and plan for multi-faculty use: Tammy Ray

• Navigating Tableau to Visualize Assessment Data: 

  • • Lisa Wiehle, Manager of Outcomes Assessment, lwiehle@elgin.edu, 847-214-7714

    • Your department's assigned faculty Assessment Liaison, refer to list here (link)

    • Dave Rudden

• Interpreting Data: 

  • • Lisa Wiehle, Manager of Outcomes Assessment, lwiehle@elgin.edu, 847-214-7714

    • Your department's assigned faculty Assessment Liaison, refer to list here (link)

• Determining How to Respond to the Data:  

  • • Lisa Wiehle, Manager of Outcomes Assessment, lwiehle@elgin.edu, 847-214-7714

    • Your department's assigned faculty Assessment Liaison, refer to list here (link)

    • Tyler Roeger

• Completing the Learning Improvement Report (LIR):  

  • • Lisa Wiehle, Manager of Outcomes Assessment, lwiehle@elgin.edu, 847-214-7714

    • Your department's assigned faculty Assessment Liaison, refer to list here (link)

2. What is Due When? 

   • For assessment projects conducted in Summer or Fall terms: 

     • • Complete Section 1 (the plan) of the LIR by May 15

       • Complete remainder of the LIR (the report) by the following May 15

   • For assessment projects conducted in Spring terms:

     • • Complete Section 1 of the LIR (the plan) by December 15

       • Complete remainder of the LIR (the report) by May 15

3. How Do I Submit the Learning Improvement Report? 

Does collecting student IDs with student work pose any challenges to student confidentiality under FERPA? 

Three Administrative Procedures, all written in consideration of FERPA, provide guidance. Per the administrative procedures aligned with FERPA, ECC employees are permitted access to education records with identifiable student information when those employees are working within their roles to improve the quality of academic programs, which is the goal of student learning assessment.

•  Administrative Procedure 3.905:  Data Privacy Policy. This procedure puts forth that students personal data may be collected “To create and improve the quality of academic programs and educational services,” the main goal of our assessment endeavors.

• Administrative Procedure 4.103:  Student Academic Records. This procedure includes details on FERPA and clarifies that “School officials with a legitimate educational interest may have access to protected information within the scope of performing their job duties” including to “perform a supervisory or instructional task directly related to the student’s education.”

• Administrative Procedure 3.103:  Data Collection Involving People at Elgin Community College. This procedure outlines the college’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) process which ensures data derived from human participants is collected and used appropriately. Typical projects to assess student learning fall into the Exempt category as “research involving commonly accepted educational practices… to include student research assignments, papers and projects; surveys, … conducted by ECC departments as part of routine operations.”

Lastly, personnel within the offices of Assessment and Institutional Research conduct their work in accordance with the Statement of Ethical Principles put forth by the Association of Institutional Research. This statement includes details about data privacy and confidentiality, and describes the professional role as being “responsible data stewards.” 

For further questions or discussion, feel free to contact Lisa Wiehle, Manager of Outcomes Assessment.