assessment & planning in student affairs practice: documenting our contributions to higher...
TRANSCRIPT
Assessment & Planning in Student Affairs
Practice: Documenting our Contributions to
Higher Education
#mimsac14
Presenters
Dr. Becky SpurlockAssociate Dean of StudentsSewanee: The University of the South
Dr. Dan BureauDirector of Student Learning & AssessmentUniversity of Memphis
Daniel Kaczmarek Campus Labs/Higher One
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Learning Outcomes
As a result of participating in this workshop, the audience will be able to define assessment, specifically
differentiating it from evaluation and research
identify at least three strategies to document their contributions to student retention and success
explain how they can incorporate assessment into their work rather than make it an add-on to their busy schedules.
Assessment is not currently a recurring part of my job
Assessment is currently a recurring part of my job
Assessment is currently a weekly part of my job
Assessment is currently a daily part of my job
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“Assessment builds a bridge between learners and educators so that each understands self and one another in a more authentic way”
Keeling et al. (2009), Assessment Reconsidered
Why is assessment important?
Positions us as wanting to be more, be better, improve our contributions to students
Explains what we do, what we accomplished and what difference that makes in ways that other people who are not us can understand and remember
For Student Affairs, it positions us stronger with the academic mission of the institution; strengthens idea that we educate
Institutional demands – provide evidence of contributions
Aligns us with divisional and institutional mission
Externally demanded, inspired by a weakening of the implied social contract regarding higher education
Assessment Upcraft (2003) defines assessment as “any
(intentional, meaningful, coordinated) effort to gather, analyze, and interpret evidence, which describes institutional, divisional, or agency effectiveness” (p. 556).
Student affairs assessment is the formal and informal collection and review of data pertinent to student affairs functions.
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What assessment is NOT
It is NOT research. Research aims to prove/explain often across
contexts; Assessment used for ongoing improvement in some singular context
While assessment must have a determined methodology, the expectations for assessment are not the same as with research
Research requires IRB approval; assessment typically does not
You doing assessment means you are: Asking appropriate questions (intentionality) Reflecting on answers across “cases” (reflection) Explaining common responses (identifying
themes) Documenting these themes (record-keeping for
dissemination/personal revisiting) Using the themes to inform approaches
(Acting/improving practice) Assessment ultimately is
Intentional, Reflective, Active, Developmental
Types of Assessment
Learning/Retention – what do students/stakeholders learn? How does our
program support keeping them in school and persisting to graduation?
Program Effectiveness – what do we do well/not so well?
Student Experiences– what are they?
Student Perceptions (aka satisfaction)- what do they think of their experiences?
Head counts– how many use our services/visit offices/? What kinds of
contacts are we having?
Division of Student Affairs Mission and Values
MissionThe Mission of Student Affairs is to foster student learning and promote student success through engagement and involvement in community, academics, diversity and leadership.
Core Values: LEADERSLearning: Establishing and articulating high expectations for student learningExcellence: Modeling excellence in all that we doAssessment: Making decisions on the basis of data.Diversity: Living well together in a diverse worldEthical Leadership: Developing leaders who demonstrate responsibility and integrityRelationships: Building connections within and beyond our communitySpirit: Promoting enthusiasm, passion and a sense of belonging that inspires Tiger pride
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Division of Student Affairs Goals
Increase student retention and graduation
Increase the number of students participating in key co-curricular activities and programs
Cultivate a welcoming, safe and respectful campus environment
Create a service-oriented culture in all units
Documenting Contributions to Student Success and Retention
Tracking populations Identifying trends and behaviors Correlation studies Perceptions of Contribution of Student
Affairs
1:15 Block Where Do We Begin? Designing and Executing a Retention Study River Room (300)
Andrew Hester and Maureen Flint, The University of Alabama
Why don’t we assess? If we do, why don’t we use the data we have?
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I have the data, just not the data I need
I CAN’T FIND IT
It’s not good data
What am I looking at?
NO PLAN Data isn’t actionable
I don’t know how to interpret it
NO TIME
Incorporate Assessment in Your Daily Work
1. Look to Structures/Frameworks for Guidance * Professional standards, mission/vision/goals, strategic plans, learning outcomes
2. Tap into Existing Data * Institutional Data: Benchmarks, Consortiums * Tracking Data: Attendance, Participation, Visitor Statistics
3. Discover Your Own DataSurveys * Be intentional/strategic: Don’t over survey * Look for ways to collaborate with other departments * Leverage technology in your data collection to make it part of the workflow
Rubrics * Evaluate documents/presentations/interactions already part of the work you do * Once created, rubrics can streamline data collection to involve less work on the part of respondents and administrators
Incorporate Assessment in Your Daily Work
3. Discover Your Own Data (contd.)Focus Group/Interviews* Any interaction with a (group of) student(s) * Take notes at meetings, make observations, use other methods to quantify (rubrics)
One Minute Assessments * Ask brief follow up questions during workshops; ask students to respond in moment * This formative assessment will impact students NOW
Incorporate Students * Leverage student workers, grad students, courses on campus to help you design and collect the information that you need * Connects curriculum and co-curriculum, eases any perceived burden, great learning experience/resume builder
REMEMBER YOUR OVERALL GOAL
Continuous improvement and an illustration of the value of your work. Brag and Boast about the work you do and always strive to improve!
Close The Loop
With students• Email invitations• PR campaign
(flyers, newspaper, TVs)
• Student government meetings
With staff• Roadshows• Brief emails• Newsletters• Retreat• Full reports
With internal campus partners• Cabinet meetings• Elevator speech• Exec. summary• Annual reports
With external constituents• Presentations• Website• Press releases
“If you don’t document it, it never happened…”
Annual Report
http://www.albany.edu/studentaffairs/assessment/docs/Briefing%20Book%2008-09/index.html
PR or Advertising Campaign
Sharing Internally
Assessment Reporting Advice
1. Seek out example reports/methods for sharing2. Consider adopting a consistent style for
reports/sharing3. Develop an electronic template for reports/sharing4. Adopt an “Assessment Spotlight” at staff meetings5. Figure out how (not if!) to share results with students
REMEMBER YOUR GOAL IN REPORTING:Share your results in a variety of ways with a variety of
audiences in ways that are meaningful
Contact us for help!
Dr. Becky SpurlockAssociate Dean of StudentsSewanee: The University of the [email protected]
Dr. Dan BureauDirector of Student Learning & AssessmentUniversity of [email protected]
Daniel Kaczmarek Campus Labs/Higher [email protected]
1. To use Grupio App:a. Click on Scheduleb. Find sessionc. Click on (Name of Session) Surveyd. Complete Survey
2. To use URL: http://bit.ly/APINSA3. If no mobile device or prefer to wait, fill out conference
evaluation which will arrive in your email inbox by Tuesday!
Please evaluate session! Takes less than two minutes to do three question evaluation!