OVERVIEW

1. Take Action • Departments articulate goals and objectives; develop and implement action plans. TAKING THE PULSE: A CERTIFICATION PROGRAM FOR VISION & CHANGE RECOMMENDATIONS Sandra Romano, Karen Aguirre, Teri Balser, Thomas Jack, Kate Marley, Kathryn Miller, Marcy Osgood, and Pamela Pape-Lindstrom University of the Virgin Islands, Coastal Carolina University, University of Florida, DartmouthCollege, Doane College, Washington University in St. Louis, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Everett Community College OVERVIEW The certification program described here is designed to help departments/institutions use existing & new assessment evidence to evaluate progress in departmental/institutional efforts to implement V&C recommendations. It is for departments that aspire to meet the V&C goals of a transformed undergraduate experience in the life sciences. The program will provide incentives & rewards for departments to adopt V&C recommendations and will serve as a self assessment tool for departments to evaluate which recommendations they are succeeding in implementing & which recommendations need further development. • FIVE RUBRICS • 1. Curriculum alignment rubric (11 criteria) • integration of V&Ccore concepts & competenciesthroughout the curriculum • 2. Assessment rubric (12 criteria) • correlation between student learning outcomes & assessments • degree of usage of pre & post assessments • utilization of common assessment tools • information on program-level assessment • 3. Faculty Practice/Faculty Support rubric (22 criteria) • level of student-centered pedagogy • exposure to inquiry in labs • access to authentic research for students • development activities for faculty • 4. Infrastructure rubric (12 criteria) determines • access to flexible reconfigurable teaching spaces • access to cutting-edge IT infrastructure • access to well-designed laboratory space • 5. Climate for Change (12 criteria) • institutional & administrative vision • attitudes, effectiveness of communication, & support for the development, enactment & maintenance of changes in policies & practice • PILOT PHASE I AY 2013-14 • Online information & application on PULSE website www.pulsecommunity.org • Two test cases from each institution type • two-year or community colleges • four-year liberal arts colleges • regional comprehensive institutions • research (R1) institutions • Institutional self-study using rubrics & resources available on the PULSE website • Institution formally applies for certification • Site visit by Certification Review Team • Certification feedback report submitted to institution within two weeks • Institution has 45 days to respond to certification feedback report • Certification working group will develop a Final Certification Report to be used to determine certification level • CERTIFICATION LEVELS • Certification not granted - reapplication after at least one year • Certification subject to minor amendments, with time-line & re-check deadline submitted • Certification for five years at specific level (bronze, silver, gold, platinum) • A MODEL DEPARTMENT • Active student-focused curriculum • Inquiry-based courses that incoporate authentic research experiences • Concepts emphasized rather than voluminous content • Frequent feedback on student progress • Scientifically-based course design to enhance student learning • Engaged students and faculty ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS TtPacknowledges the vision and financial investment from HHMI, NSF, and NIGMS to the PULSE Project. A workshop to draft the rubrcs was supported by NSF grant 1323223. Pilot Program Phase I will be supported by NSF EAGER funding. We also thank our PULSE Leadership Fellow Liaisons Judy Awong-Taylor, Nitya Jacob, and JoAnne Powell-Coffman for their valuable input to our activities.