In an effort to create more effective teaching and learning at the University, the Commission for Undergraduate Education is assessing current education techniques.

Commission subcommittees are working with the Office of Undergraduate Education to provide guidance and to set context and guidelines to assess student learning, said Madlyn Hanes, commission chairwoman.

A steering group is working with academic and administrative departments to review current assessment methods. The group will use 20 working principles to lay out guidelines -- such as focus and responsibility -- to implement University-wide, Hanes said.

Assessment should lead to more effective teaching and learning, help units accomplish goals, evaluate achievement of goals and improve overall educational quality, Hanes added.

To fine tune teaching and improve learning, it is necessary to know whether the University's education techniques are up to standard, said C. Gregory Knight, vice provost and dean for undergraduate education. Regional accreditors evaluate the University's academic progress, he said.

A subcommittee is working on the evaluation, documentation and support of teaching to find alternate methods for tenure, promotion and annual reviews, Hanes said.

"The commission hopes to see a dynamic teaching culture emerge University-wide," Hanes said.

The commission also plans to improve curricular relevance and coherence to challenge personal life assumptions, help students relate to the outside world and interrelate content in all departments, Hanes said.

Commission member Nicole Gardner (junior-world literature) said that goal is important because students and faculty are unhappy with the current general education system.

"I think it's good that we have to take general education classes because it makes you more well-rounded," said Rina Sohn (junior-administration of justice), adding that classes do not help students understand how they apply to the "real world."

Frontloading -- faculty teaching freshmen and sophomores in smaller classes --is one way the commission plans to provide students more faculty access, Hanes said.

To improve academic advising, the commission plans to evaluate surveys conducted by the Undergraduate Student Government and the Council of Commonwealth Student Governments, Hanes said.