| The purpose was to produce a grounded theory on how instructional assessments inform policy with an explanation of what undergraduates learn and can do. By 1989, higher education in the United States received a mandate from the accrediting agencies to assess in undergraduate education. The Secretary of Education demanded the mandate and associated accreditation with federal funding decisions.; For Objective 1, a purposeful selection of 22 reported experiences from doctorate granting or masters' 1 comprehensive institutions in the north and central states was useful for producing the grounded theory. For Objective 2, a purposeful selection of two Midwest documents was useful for discovering the place for instructional assessment from the assessment plan and support for instructional assessments from the strategic planning policy of Quality. For Objective 3, a random selection of 21 undergraduate chairs for interviews at Midwest was useful for discovering their perspectives on assessment. Those chairs consented to interview.; The grounded theory revealed that administrators, chairs, and faculty were "Talking through Change" to produce explanations on what undergraduates learn and can do. When "Talking about", chairs along with faculty were initiating and influencing the uses of instructional assessments. When "Talking over", chairs along with faculty were organizing and controlling the uses of instructional assessment. When "Talking against", chairs along with faculty were debating and conflicting on the uses of instructional assessment. When "Talking for", chairs along with faculty were assisting with and cultivating the uses of instructional assessment. When "Talking with", chairs along with faculty were cooperating and benefiting with the uses of instructional assessment. When "Talking through Change", administration ought to (re) design policy to recognize instructional assessments. At Midwest, the document analysis revealed that chairs planned instructional assessments and received recognition when asking the assessment committee for advice, and the transcript analysis revealed that administration should recognize faculty assessments.; In conclusion, instructional assessments inform policy on undergraduate learning and skill development when administrators, chairs, and faculty (re) design a policy to recognize assessment efforts. Recognition requires an assessment committee or coordinator and the use of assessment results for curriculum, program reviews, campus newsletters, workshops, and workbooks. |
