The Fairness and Equity in Assessment Task Force is a group of faculty, staff, students, and administrators from across the university who were nominated by their peers to address the development of guidelines and models of fairness and equity in assessment for the University of Florida. The Task Force consists of 33 members plus three co-chairs. The co-chairs are Dr. David Miller, College of Education, Dr. Teresa Mutahi, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Dr. Corinne Huggins-Manley, College of Education.
The co-chairs have defined fairness and equity in assessment as follows:
Fairness and equity in assessment refer to the process of measurement (e.g., through surveys, batteries, scales, rubrics, tests) such that the interpretations and uses of scores are based on the construct, indicator, or learning outcomes being measured and not the characteristics of the examinee (e.g., race, ethnicity, English language proficiency, gender, or disability). Fairness and equity in assessment ensure that no person is disadvantaged based on individual characteristics so that all have unobstructed opportunities to demonstrate their standing on the construct or criterion being measured, and that full access to assessments and the results of assessments are guaranteed.
The Charge to the Task Force
The Task Force is charged with establishing a set of guidelines and models for UF faculty, instructors, staff, and administrators to help ensure fairness and equity in assessment in all contexts at the university. The guidelines must address fairness and equity in the entire assessment process, including development, opportunity to learn, administration, scoring, score interpretations and uses, and the evaluation of the measurement properties of the assessment.
Task Force Groups
The Task Force consists of two groups whose work is interdependent. The Guideline Development Group will create a guide for the UF community to use to help ensure fairness and equity in the development, administration, and measurement of their assessments. The Model Development Group will provide case studies and examples of fairness and equity in assessment that contextualize and operationalize the guidelines.
Task Force Members
You may read about the Task Force Members at the Members page. The page presents each member's photo, personal statement on the importance of fairness and equity in assessment in higher education, and brief biography.