Cultivating Common Ground: Determining Division-Wide Student Learning and Development Outcomes

Sara J. Finney

Randy L. Mitchell

Peter J. Swerdzewski

Overview of Program

The Call for Common Outcomes Creating a Strategy to Uncover Common

Outcomes The Logistics of Implementing the Strategy The Final Product Epilogue: How this Benefits the Division

The Call for Common Outcomes Divisional history of departmental objectives based on

learning outcomes Lack of knowledge about outcomes across departments and

across the university Divisional strategic plan objective

We will identify, articulate and communicate throughout the campus community shared divisional learning outcomes for students.

Objective came from staff, not leadership Associate VPs suggested use of annual retreat for workshop

to identify common outcomes Long-term relationship between departments and CARS

Importance of common outcomes Strong desire to have something in common Opportunities for collaboration Criteria for decision-making, planning, and

budgeting Opportunities for assessment Increased accountability for use of resources Increased credibility for the division regarding its

contribution to student learning and development, internally and externally

Creating a Strategy to Uncover Common Outcomes The need for division-wide communications

It was important that all programs heard about all other programs

Full-day retreat Important that the facilitators had the outcomes prior to

the retreat Forced divisions to think about their outcomes months prior

to retreat Essential to the discovery of common outcomes by

facilitators Aided in ordering presenters

Important that the facilitators uncovered what they believed where the common outcomes prior to the retreat

The Logistics of Implementing the Strategy The Outcomes Template

Instructions Examples

Preliminary examination of received outcomes by facilitators

Blank template / directions

Examples

Example: Orientation

Example from Judicial Affairs

Example: Judicial

CMSS

Preliminary Examination of Outcomes by Facilitators Four assessment specialists initially reviewed all outcomes Task was to find commonly-held outcomes across programs

A commonly-held outcome does not need to be shared across all programs

Program-specific outcomes (those not shared across more than one program) were not the focus of this activity

Individual examination of outcomes to uncover commonalities Group discussion and comparison of findings

Took one full day Majority of individually-defined common outcomes were common

across reviewers Importantly, some programs had undeveloped or poorly-worded

outcomes that could not be grouped with other programs’ outcomes

The Retreat Morning Session:

Each program was given five minutes to discuss their outcomes

Outcomes were projected behind them Commonalities were mentioned as the morning session

progressed Over Lunch:

Assessment specialists “uncovered” the commonalities Made some minor adjustments to our preliminary list of

common outcomes Afternoon Session:

List of common outcomes and programs that support them shared with group and discussed

Final list of agreed-upon common outcomes

Uncovering Three Broad Types of Outcomes Learning outcomes Attitudinal / developmental outcomes Behavioral outcomes

Common Outcomes and Programs that Support Them Created document with all programs’

outcomes Grouped common-sounding outcomes from

various programs Named each general outcome

How to Learn Alcohol-related

Learning Outcomes

An Example of Shared Attitudinal Outcomes Feelings of relatedness Academic motivation

An Example of Shared Behavioral Outcomes Decrease in maladaptive behaviors Civic engagement

Behavioral Outcomes

The Final Product

Epilogue: How These Common Outcomes Benefit the Division Identification of outcomes was the first objective in the divisional

strategic plan to be completed Divisional directors meet regularly to operationalize the

outcomes Departments are using the common outcomes to develop

objectives Outcomes will be published on the division’s website, distributed

to all division staff, and shared with campus public relations for dissemination in the fall

Outcomes have been utilized as a part of new employee orientation along with vision, mission, and values

Outcomes have been used in planning and decision making