NEW STUDENT AFFAIRS PROFESSIONALS: I GOT MY DREAM JOB….NOW WHAT?? Erin Bentrim-Tapio University of North Carolina at Greensboro Ted Elling University of North Carolina at Charlotte Diane E. Waryas College of Southern Nevada

Purpose of Today’s Session  Familiarize participants with a variety of support models and structures for managing assessment work  Discuss existing skills and skills gaps of participants and nationally  Discuss assessment modalities currently utilized in the field and how they may be used  Discuss and begin talking about ways to address concerns and problems of participants in their new role  Network and begin developing relationships with other new assessment professionals 2

Please tell us your… Name Institution and Title Specific Interest in this Preconference Workshop Who are we? 3

Why Assessment in Higher Education?  External Pressures  Accountability  Rising Costs  Quality Control  Accreditation  Internal Pressures  Budgetary Constraints  Effectiveness Issues  Quality of Programs/Services 4

Beyond survival  Improvement of Programs and Services  Smart Decision-Making  Strategic Planning 5

Or…..The Motivator for this Preconference Workshop What was the methodology behind the survey? Survey Findings from 2007 ACPA- NASPA Assessment Project 6

Survey Results: Here We Are!  We represent 48% or 39 of the 82 full time assessment positions housed in Student Affairs 7

Institutional Type and Size 8

What We Are Responsible For  Other models also exist 9

Our Professional Preparation 10

Our Years of Experience  Not new to Higher Education but fairly new to Assessment 11

Where We Are Located 12

Our Professional Organizations 13

Our Assessment Methods 14

Skill Gaps Summary 15

Skills We Already Have 16

Skills We’d Like to Learn About in Standard Conference Formats 17

Skills That Require More Time Intensive Formats to Acquire 18

In groups, discuss your known skills and gaps that you can identify for which you would like help and/or training Plan to report back to the group….. Breakout Discussion 19

Identifying Organizational Issues and Structures for Solutions Short Term Assessment Management Strategies… 20

Issue: What’s my Role?  Solution:  Management and guidance  General advising on assessment issues  Consulting on design specifics  Design and development of instruments  Data collection and analysis  Generation of executive summaries, annual reports on assessment to stakeholders 21

Issue: How To Organize the Assessment Program?  Solution: No one solution  Director/Coordinator with advisory group  Advisory group/Committee for oversight  Collaborate within/across units  Collaborate with Academic Affairs, Institutional Research  Consider appointing a ‘go-to’ person in each unit; appoint staff assessment specialist (liaison) to help develop and implement particular project  Hire students to help! 22

Issue: Tackling Resistance to Assessment  Solution: Create buy-in, build a Culture of Assessment  Getting buy-in at the top?  Help them see value (not punitive)  Put assessment in the hands of staff, teach and empower them to ‘steer their ship’  Showcase individual assessment projects regularly  Get them involved presenting at conferences  Other ideas? 23

Issue: What Specific Strategies Ease the Task of Management?  Solutions: Many!!  Establish a regular assessment planning and reporting schedule for unit/division and adhere to it; Clearly articulate and publish expectations and helpful information on your website  Use accreditation expectations/guidelines to establish schedule, identify courses of action; consider creating an assessment task force specific to accreditation needs 24

Issue: What Specific Strategies Ease the Task of Management?  Streamline data collection process to ease proliferation of surveying (e.g. increase electronic data collection, establish rotating data collection schedule, etc.)  Manage more data (including assessment plans and reports) electronically; Drive sharing, etc.  Create a strategic plan Guided by College and Division plans, create mission and goals for assessment oversight body Set reasonable expectations and goals Publish plan on website 25

Issue: What Specific Strategies Ease the Task of Management?  Increase your staff creatively!  Tap individual staff and faculty with specific skills to help in one area only (e.g. a faculty member contact you can refer others to with questions about rubric design)  Hire undergrads and grad students to help with design, data collection, building matrices, website design and maintenance, other….  Create “reward positions” for those staff interested in assessment and with skills to help liaise with others (and to design, implement or coordinate training, etc.) 26

What other management issues can you identify? 27

Obtaining Additional Help… 28

Internal Support for Assessment Work  As discussed, create and utilize partnerships and structures in your own unit, division, and with Academic Affairs and Institutional Research  Hire student helpers! Don’t overlook talented undergrads with some research or other technical experience; What ‘free’ students can you get to help you?  Faculty and other staff who may not be directly involved with assessment but may have particular skills to lend 29

External Support for Assessment Work  Join NASPA Assessment Evaluation and Research KC and take advantage of resources (Assessment Framework)  Utilize ACPA resources for assessment (ASK)  Partner with other local institutions on work, to bring in workshop speakers, etc.  Consider bringing in a consultant to help get you started, move you forward, prepare for accreditation  Consider a company that can provide assistance with comprehensive assessment work remotely 30

After this presentation, what other questions remain? What particular things would you like help with? What are your next steps upon returning home? Prepare to share with the group… Breakouts: 31

FINAL THOUGHTS… We WELCOME follow up contact from each of you!!! Good Luck!!! Erin Ted Diane