Assessment in Student Affairs at

The University of MemphisActive learning: Comment at Twitter #umassess

Polleverywhere = pollev.com; text from phoneTake notes

Three volunteers

Objectives

Identify aspects of “doing assessment”

Explain why assessment is important to Student Affairs at The University of Memphis

Recognize types of assessment

Develop a self-perception of your individual competence for assessment

Identify ways you might improve your individual assessment competence

Recognize the extent to which your department supports assessment

Identify one action you might do in order to support divisional assessment priorities

“Assessment builds a bridge between learners and educators so that each understands self and one another in a more authentic way”

◦ Keeling et al. (2009), Assessment Reconsidered

Assessment

Upcraft (2003) defines assessment as “any (intentional, meaningful, coordinated) effort to gather, analyze, and interpret evidence, which describes institutional, divisional, or agency effectiveness” (p. 556).

Student affairs assessment is the formal and informal collection and review of data pertinent to student affairs functions.

What assessment is NOT

It is NOT research.  ◦Research aims to prove/explain often across

contexts; Assessment used for ongoing improvement in some singular context

◦While assessment must have a determined methodology, the expectations for assessment are not the same as with research

◦Research requires IRB approval; assessment typically does not

How will we know?

Quantitative◦Surveys

National admin (e.g. NSSE) Locally developed; post and pre

◦Evaluations◦Tests; Exams; Direct measures

Qualitative◦Focus groups◦Interviews◦Student one-on-one interaction; document; analyze themes

Types of Assessment

Learning/Retention – what do students/stakeholders learn? How does our

program support keeping them in school and persisting to graduation?

Program Effectiveness – what do we do well/not so well?

Student Experiences– what are they?

Student Perceptions (aka satisfaction)- what do they think of their experiences?

Head counts– how many use our services/visit offices/? What kinds of

contacts are we having?

Why is assessment important?

Externally demanded, inspired by a weakening of the implied social contract regarding higher education

Institutional demands – provide evidence of contributions

For Student Affairs, it positions us stronger with the academic mission of the institution; strengthens idea that we educate

Explains what we do, what we accomplished and what difference that makes in ways that other people who are not us can understand and remember

You doing assessment means you are:◦Asking appropriate questions (intentionality)◦Reflecting on answers across “cases” (reflection)◦Explaining common responses (identifying

themes)◦Documenting these themes (record-keeping for

dissemination/personal revisiting)◦Using the themes to inform approaches

(Acting/improving practice)Assessment ultimately is

◦Intentional, Reflective, Active, Developmental

Individuals

What do I know to do well?What kind of assessment do I already do? What do I need to know more about?What are the best ways to teach me?How do I make the time to do

assessment?

Handout, notes, discuss and/or personal reflection

Offer thoughts on #umassess and polleverything

Individual Debrief

What do YOU need from me?◦#umassess

Diverse skills/perceptions of competenceVaried commitment to increased

competenceUnsure of how to infuse into work

Making it a part of our work

Contribute through administering a quantitative approach◦Dan can help

Contribute through some qualitative approach◦Dan can help

Contribute through thoughtful, intentional approach with students, asking the right questions, documenting responses, reflecting on themes, reporting, using for future practice◦You have to do this but it has the most payoff for

practice◦Can be collaborative and developmental

Assessment must be a priority

What MUST stay and what CAN go in order to infuse this more into your work?

What must a work week look like if we better infuse assessment?

Departmental

Rate your department:5 – part of culture; consistent purposeful attention to

assessment; attentive to institutional, divisional, and distinct departmental demands/needs; “We have an assessment agenda”

4 – part of culture; ebbs and flows as a priority; attentive to divisional demands and distinct departmental needs “We have an assessment plan”

3 – part of culture during key reporting times; some ongoing assessment exists; attentive to divisional demands; “We attend to assessment tasks”

2 – not a part of the culture; attentive to divisional demands during report times; assessment is something we hurry up and do when we’re tasked to do so “We respond to assessment demands”

1- If wouldn’t get in trouble for not doing assessment, then wouldn’t. “Assessment? UGH!”

Departmental

What messages do I get from departmental leadership about the importance/value of assessment?

Have clear expectations been set for all in the department to participate in assessment?

What have we been doing? How effective has it been?

What times during the year do I see assessment become a bigger part of my job? Are there (extended periods of time) during which I can just forget about assessment?

Departmental

Rate your department:5 – part of culture; consistent purposeful attention to

assessment; attentive to institutional, divisional, and distinct departmental demands/needs; “We have an assessment agenda”

4 – part of culture; ebbs and flows as a priority; attentive to divisional demands and distinct departmental needs “We have an assessment plan”

3 – part of culture during key reporting times; some ongoing assessment exists; attentive to divisional demands; “We attend to assessment tasks”

2 – not a part of the culture; attentive to divisional demands during report times; assessment is something we hurry up and do when we’re tasked to do so “We respond to assessment demands”

1- If wouldn’t get in trouble for not doing assessment, then wouldn’t. “Assessment? UGH!”

Departmental Debrief

What does YOUR DEPARTMENT need from me?

Divisional Discussion

What’s working? What needs to improve?

What do I need to do to support collective efforts?

What roles could each of us play?

What we all need to do

Acknowledge the external/internal demand will not go away

Become educated/educate (TAG)Advocate for the value of assessmentDetermine assessment priorities

◦Driven by Federal and State priorities, Dr. Raines, Dr. Bingham, AVPs, departmental needs/functions

Create a plan to best collect evidenceInfuse assessment into our work; philosophy!Dedicate time to some level of assessmentDiscussion with supervisors:

◦ If doing assessment is too demanding, but there is a need for assessment, what needs to give?

◦ If not you, then who?

“Assessment builds a bridge between learners and educators so that each understands self and one another in a more authentic way”

◦ Keeling et al. (2009), Assessment Reconsidered