Student Affairs: A Culture of Assessment Leslie Poynter Western Kentucky University

Objectives History of Assessment Why Assessment in Student Affairs is Necessary How Assessments are Conducted Types of Assessments in Student Affairs Using Assessments for Improvement

History of Assessment in Higher Education Growing aspect of the field since the 1970s Mid 1980s, national reports called for more emphasis National Institute of Education (NIE) Ernest Boyer’s Carnegie Foundation Report 1986- Governors from all states declared to hold institutions accountable for students’ performance All regional accreditation associations have implemented assessments Since the 1970s, the need for Assessment has been growing within student affairs in higher education In the mid 1980s national reports like the NIE and the Carnegie Foundation report called for a heavier emphasis on assessment In 1986, governors from all 50 states agreed that institutions of higher education should be held more accountable for students and their performance Since then, all regional accreditation associations require assessment outcomes which has in turn fostered a culture of assessment among student affairs

The Why Increasing undereducated and unprepared college graduates Rising costs of higher education and limited availability of government aid Budget cuts/ justify resources for “nonacademic” programs and services Questioning of the necessity of student services Importance of diversity and inclusion Why is Assessment necessary in student affairs? Many factors contribute to this culture of assessment: There is an increasing number of graduates who are unprepared for work and must be retrained by their employers. The university is often held accountable for this issue Rising costs of higher education have students and their families asking if college is really worth the money. Also, resources like federal financial aid and loan programs are limited. Furthermore, budget cuts are inevitable in many institutions, and non academic services, like in student affairs, are usually the first to go. Assessments of these programs can justify the need for them. Last but not least, The importance of diversity and inclusion is growing rapidly in higher education. Assessment is used to determine if minority groups and unrepresented populations’ needs are being met.

Fighting for our Purpose Programs in Student Affairs can often be seen as not essential in the world of academics Assessment is necessary to show concrete evidence of the effects and needs of these programs “Out of the classroom” learning is crucial Must show that Student Affairs contributes to the overall mission of the university Retention Academic achievement Student development Regardless of substantial evidence, programs in student affairs can often be deemed not essential in the academic realm. Consequently, they are among the first to be taken away in the event of a budget cut. Therefore, It is student affairs professionals’ job to conduct assessments on programs like counseling services, student activities, recreation, career services, and student support services to show they are serving a crucial purpose. Additionally, assessments of these programs can show how they contribute to the overall mission and goals of the university

The How Problem Purpose Population Assessment Method a. Stakeholders b. Sample Assessment Method Quantitative Qualitative Mixed 5. Data Collection a. Instrument 6. Data Analyses 7. Results and Implications Findings Interpretation How can they be used There a several steps to complete an assessment. First you must define the problem you wish to address, most likely within a department of student affairs or in relation to a group of students. From this problem, the purpose of the assessment can be determined. The next step is to locate the population in which your assessment will effect. Who are the stakeholders of this program or department? From the population, a representative sample should be sought out to measure in the assessment. The next step is to decide what type of assessment method that is best for the problem and sample of the study. You can use qualitative methods, quantitative, or a mixture of both. Data collection is a crucial part of an assessment. There are many ways you can collect data, like using surveys, conducting interviews, or focus groups. Once the data is collected, it must be analyzed. The last step of the assessment process is reporting your results. What are your findings and are they significant? What is your interpretation of the results? How can the results be used to improve the program or department? These questions and more should be addressed in your final report.

Needs versus Satisfaction Students’ Needs Students’ Satisfaction Identifying conditions, resources, services, and learning opportunities students need in order to meet their educational goals Justify programs and initiatives Gain funding Questionnaires, interviews, focus groups Determine if students have high- quality educational experiences that foster learning and growth inside and outside of the classroom Satisfaction does not equal quality of learning Static and active measurements Conducting a needs assessment can be defined as identifying conditions, resources, services, and learning opportunities students need in order to meet their educational goals Assessing the needs of students is important and can be used to determine what programs and services to offer and also what programs are unnecessary. Furthermore, needs assessments can be used to gain support and funds from higher level administration or outside sponsors. Some Common instruments to collect data for needs assessments are questionnaires, interviews, and focus groups Assessing student satisfaction is Determining if students have high-quality educational experiences that foster learning and growth inside and outside of the classroom Although, it cannot be assumed that satisfaction equals good educational practice. There are two ways to measure satisfaction. Static measures is data that is readily available to analyze. This data is already established as participation rates, membership, or retention of programs or organizations. Active measurements are instruments used to collect data from a sample, like surveys or rating scales.

Environmental Assessments Evaluate how various elements of the college campus affect student learning and growth Goal to provide the best possible circumstances for students to develop and learn Many dimensions Physical structures and landscape Curriculum and co-curriculum Faculty, staff, and students Social and psychological climate Several models to use when conducting environmental assessments Planning teams to assess environment Environmental assessments Evaluate how various elements of the college campus affect student learning and growth There are many dimensions of the campus environment, including the Physical structures and landscape Curriculum and co-curriculum Faculty, staff, and students Social and psychological climate Environmental assessments can be rather extensive so many campus appoint planning teams comprised of faculty, staff, and students to assist in the assessment

Using Assessment Results It’s important! Compile into a easily accessible, readable, report Who are the stakeholders? Executive summary Use of graphs and charts are easily understood Develop a plan for using the results Further assessments We have talked about why assessments are important and that they can yield useful information. We also went over the basic steps to conduct an assessment and touched on a few different types of assessments in Student Affairs. Although, if the results from an assessment are not reported or used, all of your hard work would be for nothing! It is imperative that assessment results are complied and reported to the departments or students they affect. The way to compose a report depends on who will see it. You must determine who the primary stakeholders are in your assessment. These are the people or departments that the assessment may directly or indirectly effect. An executive summary is a quick and easy way to distribute your results to many people. An executive summary is a brief report that summarizes the purpose, methods, findings, and recommendations determined from the assessment. Also, the use of graphs and charts is a good way to distribute the results in an understandable way to a large population. A plan and recommendations should be developed and implemented According to the results discovered in the assessment. After these recommendations are executed and changes are made to the program or department that was assessed, further assessments can be conducted to determine if these changes affected the program.

Thank you! Source: Upcraft, M. L., & Schuh, J. H. (1996). Assessment in student affairs: a guide for practitioners. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.