Engaging Undergraduate Researchers in the Assessment of Communication across the Curriculum Courses

This article describes an assessment project that analyzed syllabi approved for a communication intensive (CI) requirement in a general education program. As such, it is a first step in a more comprehensive assessment. The article suggests that it is important to ensure that inputs are evaluated prior to an evaluation of outcomes. The assessment itself was undertaken by a team of undergraduates enrolled in a research methods course. This is a group that has an important stake in the delivery of communication across the curriculum (CxC) courses as more often than not, it is these students and their writing that are being assessed. We turn the tables and make them the assessors and lay out the process of conducting such an assessment using novice researchers, noting the benefits and risks involved.