Assessment of Academic Advising Assessing for Excellence Conference Central Carolina Community College Joni Pavlik & Brian Merritt April 16, 2008

INTRODUCTIONS Who are you?Who are you? Where is CCCC in its assessment of advising?Where is CCCC in its assessment of advising? Most importantly… WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO ATTEND THIS SESSION?Most importantly… WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO ATTEND THIS SESSION?

Student learning begins with academic advising! What are your ideal characteristics of an academic advisor?What are your ideal characteristics of an academic advisor? What are the ideal characteristics of a academic advisee?What are the ideal characteristics of a academic advisee? How do you currently assess academic advising?How do you currently assess academic advising? FIRST IMPRESSIONS…

ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY… Each attendee: Please complete the distributed survey to assess your colleges current academic advising model.Each attendee: Please complete the distributed survey to assess your colleges current academic advising model. –What are some areas in which your college needs improvement? –Have you implemented successful methods to assess your own academic advising programs?

DEFINITION OF ASSESSMENT Ewell (2000) defines assessment as a process that focuses on student learning. It is a process that involves reviewing and reflecting on practice as academics have always done, but in a more planned and careful way.Ewell (2000) defines assessment as a process that focuses on student learning. It is a process that involves reviewing and reflecting on practice as academics have always done, but in a more planned and careful way. –ASSESSMENT IS NOT: Only about measurement!Only about measurement! Only about performance evaluation!Only about performance evaluation! Solely administrative!Solely administrative! An easy or quick process!An easy or quick process!

ASSESSMENT IS… Evidence-Driven: Relies on multiple measurements, both descriptive and inferentialEvidence-Driven: Relies on multiple measurements, both descriptive and inferential Formative rather than summative: Data should be influential and used proactivelyFormative rather than summative: Data should be influential and used proactively A process of reasoning from evidenceA process of reasoning from evidence Always, to some degree, impreciseAlways, to some degree, imprecise

ASSESSMENT TRIANGLE… OBSERVATION INTERPRETATION COGNITION Cognition, observation, and interpretation must be explicitly connected and designed as a coordinated whole.

ASSESSMENT OF ADVISING… Assessment is the process through which we gather evidence about the claims we are making with regard to student learning and the process/delivery of academic advising in order to inform and support improvement.Assessment is the process through which we gather evidence about the claims we are making with regard to student learning and the process/delivery of academic advising in order to inform and support improvement. Assessment is multi-level, relational and a continuous and collective process with multiple points of entry!Assessment is multi-level, relational and a continuous and collective process with multiple points of entry!

LEVELS OF ASSESSMENT INSTITUTIONAL LEVEL ADVISING PROGRAM LEVEL ADVISING EXPERIENCE LEVEL Adapted from Peggy Maki, Assessment for Learning, 2004

RELATIONAL NATURE OF ASSESSMENT INSTITUTIONAL VISION AND MISSION SCHOOL/COLLEGE/DIVISION VISION MISSION, GOALS, & PROGRAM OBJECTIVES ADVISING PROGRAM VISION, MISSION GOALS, PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

THE ASSESSMENT CYCLE MISSION/ GOALS/ PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

YOUR ASSESSMENT PLAN… PART I: Purpose & StakeholdersPART I: Purpose & Stakeholders PART II: Values, Visions, Missions, Goals, & Programmatic ObjectivesPART II: Values, Visions, Missions, Goals, & Programmatic Objectives PART III: Outcomes, Mapping, Gathering Evidence, and Setting Levels of Expected PerformancePART III: Outcomes, Mapping, Gathering Evidence, and Setting Levels of Expected Performance PART IV:Sharing & ActingPART IV:Sharing & Acting

PART I: Purpose & Stakeholders What is your purpose?What is your purpose? –Your purpose and reasons for remodeling your advising model determines what and how evidence will be gathered! Who needs to be involved?Who needs to be involved? –Who are the stakeholders to be influenced and affected by the purpose?

PART II: Values, Visions, Missions Objectives What are your institutional values concerning academic advising?What are your institutional values concerning academic advising? –Values reflect what your school considers important regarding the issue. –Use the NACADA Core Values as a framework for developing your own mission statements: AdvisingIssues/Core-values.htmhttp:// AdvisingIssues/Core-values.htm

PART II: VALUES EXAMPLE Academic advising at ____ reflects the colleges commitment to student learning, persistence, and success by:Academic advising at ____ reflects the colleges commitment to student learning, persistence, and success by: –Supporting and facilitating intentional connections between students and the colleges resources and people. –Promoting an ethical and honest partnership between students and their academic advisors.

PART II: MISSION Reflects on your schools purposeReflects on your schools purpose May be multi-level – college, department, unit, etc.May be multi-level – college, department, unit, etc. –Identifies purpose, consistent with college mission, long-range, repeatable, not measurable EXAMPLE At ____, academic advising is an intentional, educational partnership between advisors and students. Grounded in teaching and learning and approached from a developmental perspective, it is a multi-dimensional process that respects students diverse backgrounds, interests, and abilities while facilitating identification and achievement of educational, life, and career goals.At ____, academic advising is an intentional, educational partnership between advisors and students. Grounded in teaching and learning and approached from a developmental perspective, it is a multi-dimensional process that respects students diverse backgrounds, interests, and abilities while facilitating identification and achievement of educational, life, and career goals.

PART II: GOALS & OBJECTIVES Goals: Specific long-range expressions of the desired future state of the advising program providing guidance for action and not directly measurable.Goals: Specific long-range expressions of the desired future state of the advising program providing guidance for action and not directly measurable. Objectives: Articulate expectations regarding how academic advising is delivered and what students are expected to demonstrate they know and can do.Objectives: Articulate expectations regarding how academic advising is delivered and what students are expected to demonstrate they know and can do.

PART III: OUTCOMES Process/Delivery Outcomes articulate expectations for how academic advising is delivered and what information should be delivered through the academic advising experience.Process/Delivery Outcomes articulate expectations for how academic advising is delivered and what information should be delivered through the academic advising experience. –Related to the program objectives Student Learning Outcomes demonstrate what students are expected to know, do, and value as a result of the academic advising experience.Student Learning Outcomes demonstrate what students are expected to know, do, and value as a result of the academic advising experience.

PART III: MAPPING & GATHERING MAPPING: Map out your learning outcomes considering the followingwho, what, when, where, and how.MAPPING: Map out your learning outcomes considering the followingwho, what, when, where, and how. GATHERING: Depending on your current advising model, develop methods to gather data on the:GATHERING: Depending on your current advising model, develop methods to gather data on the: 1.) Institutional 2.) Advising Program 3.) Advising Experience level (Remember the Levels of Assessment triangle!)

PART IV: SHARING & ACTING When you gather your data, always share the results with others:When you gather your data, always share the results with others: –Do you have an advising committee? Seek to refine your advising model using your data, and continue assessing your gathering methods using input from all departments of the college!Seek to refine your advising model using your data, and continue assessing your gathering methods using input from all departments of the college!

PART IV: LETS SHARE AND ACT NOW! Think about your current advising model. What is one important learning outcome your college should adopt?Think about your current advising model. What is one important learning outcome your college should adopt? –Write it down. –Find a partner that you dont know. Lets generate some ideas….

SOME PRACTICAL IDEAS… An Advising SyllabusAn Advising Syllabus Display results of advising surveys around campusAlways make sure to share with students how they are part of the assessment processDisplay results of advising surveys around campusAlways make sure to share with students how they are part of the assessment process Adapt a meaningful student orientationAdapt a meaningful student orientation Begin an assessment timeline to track improvements in advisingBegin an assessment timeline to track improvements in advising

Always Important to Remember… Student CharacteristicsStudent Characteristics –Who is being served? Student NeedsStudent Needs –What will make them successful? Student SatisfactionStudent Satisfaction –Are their needs being met?

REFERENCES NACADA Institute Conference PacketNACADA Institute Conference Packet NACADA Website: Website: NACADA Core Values Statement:NACADA Core Values Statement: – AdvisingIssues/Core-values.htm Upcraft, M.L. & Schuh, J.H. (1996). Assessment in Student Affairs: A Guide for Practitioners. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.Upcraft, M.L. & Schuh, J.H. (1996). Assessment in Student Affairs: A Guide for Practitioners. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Assessment of Academic Advising Assessing for Excellence Conference Central Carolina Community College Joni Pavlik & Brian Merritt April 16, 2008