Student Affairs Guide for Developing
A Unit Assessment Plan
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The Big Picture
Assessment 101
Student Affairs Assessment Road Map
A Unit Assessment Plan!?
Plan Development Timeline
Guiding Questions
An Example
Types of Data
The End
Fostering Student Learning and Success
The Big Picture
These next three slides reflect the “big picture”
related to the importance of assessment practice
for Student Affairs at UNC.
Fostering Student Learning and Success
The Big Picture: An Introduction
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The difficult economic climate and an era of accountability now require institutions
of higher education to utilize available resources in a responsible manner in order to
achieve desired goals. By using assessment as a tool to gauge the effectiveness of
programs and services, we strive to be good stewards of divisional and institutional
assets.
•
Furthermore, including assessment practice into the operation of the Division serves
to ensure and demonstrate how we contribute to student learning and development
in support of the mission of the University.
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Moreover, by incorporating assessment into daily practice and strategic planning,
we seek to monitor progress towards divisional and unit level goals.
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Lastly, we are also committed to integrating assessment as a means to guide
decision making, communicate progress, and understand the impact of Student
Affairs on the student experience. In the process informing changes that might
better meet the diverse needs of students.
Fostering Student Learning and Success
The Big Picture: Student Affairs in General
Resource Allocation
• Change Management
Accountability
• Budget Requests
• Fund Raising
Morale
Practice of Assessment
Operations
Planning
Facilities
Decision Making
Learning &
Development
Climate
Assessment practice in the
areas of student affairs
operations and student
experience will enable us
to better support and
engage with the following
areas (to name a few):
• Workplace Initiatives
• Development
• Value Added
• Retention
• Accreditation
• Student Experience
Student Experience
Satisfaction
• Campus Environments
Needs
Fostering Student Learning and Success
The Big Picture: Our Current Context
Fostering a Dynamic and
Positive Workplace
Environment
Our Examples
Workplace
Initiatives
Engaging with Students and
Internal and External
Constituents
Development
Providing Quality Student
Learning Experience
Inclusiveness & Accessibility
Student
Learning
Student
Experience
Campus
Climate
Leadership & Engagement
Value
Added
Retention
Health, Wellness, Safety, &
Resiliency
Student Affairs
Operations
Promoting Inclusive and
Supportive Campus
Environments
Fostering Student Learning and Success
Assessment 101
These next four slides provide basic “101”
information about the purpose and use of
assessment.
Fostering Student Learning and Success
Assessment 101: What is Assessment?
Assessment is the systematic and on-going process of collecting, interpreting,
and acting on information relating to the goals and outcomes developed to
support the University’s and Division’s mission and purpose. It does two things:
1. Assessment establishes accountability. This is the idea that the resources
allocated to our programs and/or services are spent responsibly and are translated
into results. Moreover, it shows that the programs and/or services operations are
achieving the objectives of the University's Mission and the Division of Student
Affairs Strategic Initiatives.
2. Assessment provides information enabling us to improve our programs and/or
services and ultimately student learning and development.
Fostering Student Learning and Success
Assessment 101: Types of Assessment
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Needs Assessment: based on survey results or focus groups, needs assessments help
determine what areas of deficiency exist; suggests new programs/services; identifies
what old programs/services may now be obsolete.
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Program/Service Satisfaction: this feedback gives us an idea of how students
perceived their experiences with existing programs/services.
•
Learning Outcomes: We are now encouraging greater emphasis on finding out what
students have learned from participation in our programs/services as it pertains to their
attitudes, knowledge, skills or behavior?
•
Internal Review: Self Student to ascertain if our units is staffed appropriately, has
adequate resources and/or facility space, and meets criteria advanced by our professional
organizations.
•
External Review: For those units that are accredited, or have review board sponsored
by the professional organization, the external review includes a site visit by outside
experts to offer suggestions regarding our unit’s functions.
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Usage Assessment: A usage assessment examines the frequency with which a
department, office, location, or activity is used. This particular type of assessment is
valuable in determining the degree to which various populations are utilizing services
and programs offered by the college.
Fostering Student Learning and Success
Assessment 101: Assessment Cycle
Identify Outcomes
1
Implement
Change
4
The
Assessment
Process/Cycle
Conduct
Program/Service and
Gather Evidence
2
Interpret Evidence
3
Fostering Student Learning and Success
Assessment 101: Key Planning Questions
 What are we trying to do and why? Or
 What is my program supposed to accomplish? Or
 What do I want students to be able to do and/or know as a result of
my course/workshop/orientation/program?
 How well are we doing it?
 How do we know?
 How do we use the information to improve or celebrate successes?
 Do the improvements we make contribute to our intended end
results?
Fostering Student Learning and Success
Student Affairs Assessment Road Map
The next slide reflects the key areas that have
been identified from an organizational wide
perspective that are key towards developing a
comprehensive, grounded, and sustainable
assessment program for Student Affairs at this
point in time.
Fostering Student Learning and Success
Student Affairs Road Map
Fostering Student Learning and Success
Unit Assessment Plans!?
The following slide will provide rational for why
we are moving towards having every Student
Affairs unit develop an assessment plan.
Fostering Student Learning and Success
Reasons for Having a Unit Assessment Plan
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To guide unit assessment efforts over the long run and year to year.
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To align unit assessment efforts with unit strategic priorities.
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To align assessment efforts in support of the Areas of Excellence (i.e., supporting student
learning and success).
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To serve as a conduit between the units and senior leadership on the practice of assessment
(i.e., “This is our plan for assessment…”).
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To have a shared baseline for consistency and standards in assessment practice across Student
Affairs.
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To support central assessment efforts at the Divisional level (e.g., development of an annual
Student Affairs assessment calendar).
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It’s a best practice in student affairs assessment.
Fostering Student Learning and Success
Information to Consider in Developing
a Unit Assessment Plan?
The following slide will highlight information to
consider in the development of a unit assessment
plan.
Fostering Student Learning and Success
Information to Consider in Developing
a Unit Assessment Plan?
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Unit assessment plans are meant to be first helpful to the unit themselves
Student Affairs Strategic Plan for Excellence (i.e., Areas of Excellence)
Your unit’s long and short-term strategic priorities (e.g., unit strategic plan)
Past unit assessment efforts
Future assessment needs (e.g., accreditation or administrative review processes)
Student Affairs data needs
Other documents you deem important to your unit’s mission
Student Affairs Assessment Framework
- outcome based assessment
- administrative reviews
- student affairs data needs
- establishing internal and external partnerships to support unit assessment efforts
- development of individual and unit assessment competencies
- identifying an individual or group to provide leadership for unit assessment efforts
Fostering Student Learning and Success
Unit Assessment Plan Development Timeline
The following timeline is meant to be helpful with
the goal of every Student Affairs unit having an
assessment plan in place by the end of the spring
semester.
Fostering Student Learning and Success
Planning Timeline
Continue process of
developing unit
assessment plan.
Consider consulting if
assistance is required.
Assessment plan unit
meetings with
Salvador.
February
March
Begin process of
developing unit
assessment plans.
April
Unit assessment plan
feedback if any is
provided and
incorporated.
May
Unit assessment plans
are shared with
Salvador Mena and
AVC.
This timeline is meant to be helpful with the goal of
every Student Affairs unit having an assessment
plan in place by the end of the spring semester.
June
July-August
Assessment priorities
for 2011-2012 are
submitted to Salvador
Mena and AVC.
Guiding Questions for Developing a Unit Assessment Plan
The following slide will provide a series of
guiding questions that can be used in the
development of a unit assessment plan.
Fostering Student Learning and Success
Guiding Questions for Developing a Unit Assessment Plan
What are possible
dimensions of assessment
for your unit?
Of those dimensions,
what are your unit
assessment goals based
on your unit strategic
priorities?
Based on your strategic
priorities and assessment
goals, what outcomes do
you want to access?
What constituencies need
to be assessed?
What Areas of Excellence
are supported by these
outcomes?
What assessment
initiatives will you need to
accomplish to assess your
outcomes (data collection
methods)?
Do you have the
resources to carryout
your assessment
initiatives? If yes, what
are they, and if not, what
do you need?
What’s a realistic timeline
for each assessment
initiative?
Who is responsible for
each assessment
initiative?
What do you hope to
learn with each
assessment initiative?
What would you do with
the results from each
assessment project?
What are your unit
strategic priorities?
Fostering Student Learning and Success
A Planning Example Based on the Guiding Questions
The following slides will provide an illustrative
example using the guiding questions provided.
Fostering Student Learning and Success
What are your unit strategic priorities?
Your departmental priorities should
inform your assessment
priorities/initiatives. Action: Include
your key unit priorities as part of
your assessment plan.
Department “X” Example
Improving Student
Employee
Experience
Increasing NonUniversity Affiliated
Patron Usage of
Department X
Services.
Enhancing
Customer Service
Unit
Priorities
Fostering Student Learning and Success
What are possible dimensions of assessment for your
unit?
What are all the possible areas
(i.e., assessment dimensions)
where you can conduct
assessment related to your
functional area? Action: Write
them down as part of your
assessment plan.
Department “X” Example
Student Learning
Training/Learning
Customer Service
Climate
Involvement
Services
Facilities
Fostering Student Learning and Success
Of those dimensions, what are your unit assessment goals
based on your unit strategic priorities?
Department “X” Example
Training/Learning
Student Learning
Once you have
identified your unit
priorities and
dimensions of
assessment, determine
what your departmental
assessment goals will
be for (e.g., year 1,
year 2, etc.).
Action: Identify
assessment priorities
and note in your
assessment plan over a
3-5 year period.
Customer Service
Climate
Involvement
Services
Facilities
Fostering Student Learning and Success
Based on your strategic priorities and assessment goals, what
outcomes do you want to access?
Department “X” Example
• Training:
Outcome: After participating in student
employee training, students will be able to
identify three steps to solving a problem
related to customer service. (Note: That this
example is of a learning outcome)
• Customer Service:
Outcome: Department “X” will receive a
score of 90% satisfaction with overall
customer service this academic year. (Note: That
this is example is of a program outcome)
Fostering Student Learning and Success
What constituencies need to be assessed?
Department “X” Example
Training
Customer Service
Students, faculty, staff
who use Department “X”
Student employees
Non-university affiliated
users
Note: Another example here could be
full time staff of the unit or a
combination of the two (professional
and student staff).
Note: Another example here could have just
focused on one population or a different
combination (e.g., just faculty and student
athlete usage). Once you have identified all y
our constituent groups, your strategic and
assessment priorities will help you determine
what group(s) you need to access.
What Areas of Excellence are supported by these outcomes?
Department “X” Example
Outcomes
Providing Quality
Student Learning
Experience
Students will be able
to identify three steps
to solving a problem
related to customer
service.
Promoting Inclusive
and Supportive
Campus
Environments
X
Department “X” will
receive a score of 90%
satisfaction with
overall customer
service this academic
year.
Note: Review the Strategic Plan for
Excellence. Question: What case is there
to be made for why these outcomes
support the identified Areas of Excellence?
Action: Your case should be reflected in
your unit assessment plan.
Engaging with
Students and Internal
and External
Constituents
Fostering a Dynamic
and Positive
Workplace
Environment
X
X
X
X
X
X
What assessment initiatives will you need to accomplish to assess
your outcomes (data collection methods)? Department “X”
Example
Training
Customer Service
Training Pre & PostTest
iPod survey during
heavy traffic times
twice a year
Observing students
using a rubric
Web survey to nonaffiliated users
Note: f you do not have good familiarity with data collection methods, do
not let it deter you from developing your assessment plan. The resources
are in place to assist you with identifying the best possible data collection
method(s) for a specific assessment initiative. Action: Identify initial
methods for collecting data in your assessment plan and consult to
enhance your data collection strategy if you’re still not sure.
Do you have the resources to carryout your assessment
initiatives? If yes, what are they, and if not, what do you
need? Department “X” Example
• Yes – we have iPods and can use StudentVoice
for the web survey
• No – we need help designing the training
post-test, satisfaction surveys and rubric and
need some training on how to use
observation. Will attend Rubrics 101 webinar
and contact Kim at StudentVoice for design
help
Fostering Student Learning and Success
What’s a realistic timeline for each assessment
initiative? Department “X” Example
Training
Customer
Service
Training Pre & Post-Test:
September
iPod survey during heavy
traffic times twice a
year: October and March
Observing students
using a rubric:
February/March
Web survey to nonaffiliated users: May
Who is responsible for each assessment initiative?
Department “X” Example
Training
Sally Jones,
Assistant
Director
John
Martinez,
Coordinator
• Administration of the pre/post-test
• Coordinating observations and rubric training.
Customer Service
• iTouch Survey
• Web Survey
Note: If you have multiple assessment initiatives going on
consider it as an opportunity to get different staff members
involved with the practice of assessment.
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What do you hope to learn with each assessment
initiative? Department “X” Example
• Training – whether our training is effective in
teaching skills we need our employees to use
as well as skills they can carry to a new
job/position after graduation
• Satisfaction – whether our customer service is
effective and if not how we can improve
Note: This is an opportunity to identify in advance what
you hope to learn from each assessment initiative that is
reflected in your unit assessment plan. Action: Have your
answers recorded in your assessment plan.
Fostering Student Learning and Success
What would you do with the results from each
assessment project? Department “X” Example
• Training results will be included in an internal report to be
used by the training team as well as reporting up to the
student employee office through a 1 page executive
summary. We will also share rubric results with students are
part of their learning and discuss ways they can improve
• Customer Service – overall ratings will be reported via our
web page and a poster campaign to show improvements we
have made. Comments regarding areas of improvement will
be reported to staff so we can find ways to address these
areas.
Note: This is an opportunity to identify in advance possible
response options to potential result outcomes (i.e., “if X then
Y…”). This will allow your unit to be in a better position to
respond to various outcome scenarios. Action: Have your
answers reflected in your assessment plan.
Fostering Student Learning and Success
Types of Data to Collect
The following slide highlights examples of the
types of data that units can collect based on
program/service usage and program/service
impact.
Fostering Student Learning and Success
Types of Data to Collect
Use of Services and Involvement
in Programs:
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One Card swipe count (e.g., used to gain
access to a facility)
Use of a service you provide (e.g., resume
writing workshops)
Number of students attending a major
annual program (e.g., Fall Fest or Employer
Fair)
Number of programs offered by type (e.g.,
programs in the residence halls, campus
educational training)
Number of cases (e.g., judicial, clinical, etc.)
Number of students/staff participating in
programs (e.g., Haven, Safe Zone, CLD,
residence hall programming)
Number of students on average using a
particular space
Number of students taking sections offered
Number of students living in the residence
halls and in LLC’s
Satisfaction surveys
Impact of Programs and Services
on Student Success:
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Assessment of student learning by showing
increase in proficiency, confidence or
understanding
Assessment of programmatic outcomes
through satisfaction, quality, helpfulness or
awareness of services
Pre and post data
Program evaluations
Satisfaction surveys
Number of students employed after
graduation
Recidivism after going through intervention
Focus group data
Fostering Student Learning and Success
The End
If you have questions or need to consult on the
development of your unit assessment plan, please
contact Salvador Mena, Director of Strategic
Initiatives and Planning for Student Affairs at
(email): [email protected] or (phone): x6-4045.
Fostering Student Learning and Success