1. OUTCOMES ASSESSMENT IN PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT: CREATING A PEER MENTOR PROGRAM AT A DISTANCE LEARNING INSTITUTION JENNI L. DAVILA (BRIAN), ED.S. STEPHEN M. NETTLES, PH.D. APRIL 24, 2014 WSCUC ACADEMIC RESOURCE CONFERENCE

2. ABOUT ASHFORD UNIVERSITY Total enrollment is over 55,000 students 99% online students Non-traditional Adult learners High transfer credits Financially independent from parents Four colleges: Education; Forbes School of Business; Health, Human Services, and Science; Liberal Arts Associate’s, Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees WSCUC Accredited

3. BACKGROUND Ashford University has committed to improving its year-over-year student retention rate. Student Affairs is seeking institutional approval to establish a peer mentor program for adult, online learners. The purpose (outcome) of this initiative is to increase student progression and retention.

4. HOW DO YOU EAT AN ELEPHANT? Outcomes Formative Summative Benchmarking Voice of the student Point in time Transactional CAS Standards

5. THE JOURNEY Analyses of control and test groups to determine impact of CHAMPS Peer Mentor Program on student progression and year-over-year retention Mentor and mentee selection Student and staff feedback on CHAMPS Peer Mentor Program structure Program refinement based on data Present case to President’s Cabinet to request institutional approval and support On-going continuous improvement

6. CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT CYCLE Identify opportunities for improvement Develop systemic solutions Obtain approval Implement solution[s] Departmental report on impact Institutional report on impact Communicate results to stakeholders

7. THE FRAMEWORK Upcraft & Schuh’s Dimensions of Assessment (Assessment in Student Affairs, 1996) 1.Tracking usage of programs/services 2.Assessing student needs 3.Assessing student satisfaction 4.Assessing campus environments 5.Assessing student cultures 6.Assessing program and service outcomes 7.Benchmarking 8.Measuring effectiveness against professional standards

8. THE FRAMEWORK, CONTINUED Formative & summative assessment Voice of the student, faculty, and staff Point-in-time & transactional Benchmarking internally & externally

9. THE TOOLS Assessment plan matrix Key questions Existing and needed data Reporting and communication Continuous improvement plan Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)

10. QUESTIONS? The template referenced during this presentation is available electronically through the WSCUC ARC website.WSCUC ARC Contact Information Jenni L. Davila, Ed.S. Ashford University Jenni.Brian@ashford.edu Stephen M. Nettles, Ph.D. Ashford University Stephen.Nettles@ashford.edu LinkedIn: Jenni Davila (Brian)Jenni Davila (Brian) Twitter: @JenniLDavila@JenniLDavila LinkedIn: Steve NettlesSteve Nettles

11. SO….. HOW DO YOU EAT AN ELEPHANT? One… wait for it…. …bite at a time!