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, 2014WSCUC ACADEMIC RESOURCE CONFERENCE
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
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.
HOW DO YOU EAT AN ELEPHANT?
Outco
mes
Formative
Summative
Benc
hmar
king
Voice of the
student
Point in time
Trans
action
al
CAS
Stan
dard
s
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
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
THE FRAMEWORKUpcraft & 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
THE FRAMEWORK, CONTINUED
• Formative & summative assessment• Voice of the student, faculty, and staff• Point-in-time & transactional• Benchmarking internally & externally
THE TOOLS
• Assessment plan matrix• Key questions• Existing and needed data• Reporting and communication• Continuous improvement plan
• Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)
QUESTIONS?
The template referenced during this presentation is available electronically through the WSCUC ARC website.
Contact InformationJenni L. Davila, Ed.S.Ashford [email protected]
Stephen M. Nettles, Ph.D.Ashford [email protected]
LinkedIn: Jenni Davila (Brian)Twitter: @JenniLDavila
LinkedIn: Steve Nettles
SO…..HOW DO YOU EAT AN ELEPHANT?
One…
wait for it….
…bite at a time!
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