Assessment in Student Affairs: Campus Life Programs

Assessment in Student Affairs:Campus Life Programs

Dan BureauMahauganee Shaw

Positioning Assessment in Student Affairs

• Assessment – The ongoing, systematic process of collecting, analyzing, and using information about divisional, departmental, and programmatic effectiveness, in order to improve student learning (Upcraft & Schuh, 1996; Anderson, Bresciani, & Zelna, 2004).

The Assessment Cycle

in Studen

t Affairs Work

• It’s about being intentional, forward thinking and responsive all at the same time.

• It’s about positioning ourselves as educators who work with students outside the classroom

• It’s about shifting the focus from hoping they learn to expecting that they will learn

What are students learning?

• Assessing Learning– Determined outcomes– Student’s own perceptions

• EBI• CAS Student Learning and Development Domains• Student Voice – Student Unions and Activities Evaluation• NSSE• ACUI Assessment Toolkit• Home grown

What are the outcomes of involvement in student union events, programs and activities?

• Assess outcomes of engagement– Besides “learning,” what should they be able to do?– Student leaders, those involved and those who benefit from participation

in programs

• Student Voice• EBI• NSSE• Focus Groups• Basic work: what can you report from your interactions with

students over the span of time?

To what extent are students satisfied?

• Assessing satisfaction– Overall campus perceptions of your programs.– Perceptions of specific groups of students.

• NSSE • EBI• Home grown• Focus groups

To what extent are operations efficient?

• Assessing efficiency and operational effectiveness– What aspects can different functional areas improve upon?– Are there best practices that your institution can mirror/implement?

• CAS Standards• ACUInfo• Student Voice – Coming soon – (operational, size of facilities,

funding, services, etc.)• Interviews with colleagues• Professional immersion experience – why not?

To what extent is our staff competent?

• Assessing professional competence– Professional development opportunities (in-house, regional,

national)

• ACUI Core Competencies• Staff Evaluations• Student Evaluations of Staff• College Union and Student Activities Evaluation

Program

CUSA Benefits• Gain a peer-to-peer review of an institution’s college union and student

activities operation

• Develop perspective and appreciate the value of an institution’s college union and student activities program, services, and operations

• Assess levels of customer satisfaction

• Conduct a detailed analysis of areas responsible for delivering high-quality and customer-friendly programs, services, and facilities

• Influence the future direction of the organization

Diverse Approaches

• Quantitative– Surveys– Evaluations

• Qualitative– Open-ended surveys– Focus Groups– Interviews– Meetings with students– Observations

Make it a part of your work• If you don’t like assessment, find someone who does to help

you• Reframe your role

– Educator– Cycle of assessment– Reflection

• Revisit your current work– Track your time– What can you remove? Revise?

• Think like an assessment person– Interactions with students– Interactions with colleagues