February/March  2013  Office  of  Assessment  and  Professional  Development  

 

Profess  Assess  &  

Our  Culture  of  Evidence   IN THIS EDITION

Our  Culture  of  Evidence…1    Save  The  Date!  ……….……..2    Bias  Training……………..….3    Current  Assessments……..4    Soup  &  Scoop  Preview…...5    What  We’re  Reading………6    A  New  Perspective…………7    Contact……………………….....8        

 

The   Office   of   Assessment   &  Professional   Development  invites   you   to   contribute   to  our  next  edition  of    Assess  &  Profess.    You   are   welcome   to   share  overviews  of  your  latest:  • Assessment  Projects  • Forthcoming   Presentations  and/or  Publications    

• Upcoming  events  hosted  by  your  Office,  etc.        Submissions  for  the  March/April  issue  should  be  submitted  by  March  21st  to:  austina.white@duke.edu      

During   their   February   meeting,   members   of   the   Assessment   Alliance  discussed  The  Division   of   Student  Affairs’   Culture   of   Evidence.   Below  are  highlights  from  this  discussion  including  the  areas  the  group  found  that  the  division  does  well  and  notes  on  areas  where  the  group  would  like   to   see   improvement   over   the   coming   months   and   years.   The  Assessment  Alliance  will  convene  again  in  April.      

-­‐ While   most   new   programs   are   assessed,   there   are   programs  which  have  existed  for  several  years  failing  to  be  assessed.      

-­‐ There  may  also  be  new  initiatives  that  are  not  being  assessed.      

-­‐ Without   such   assessments,   the   group   questions   how   and  why  we   choose   to   start   some   programs   and   what   problems   our  programs  address.    

 -­‐ The  group   also   discussed   a   potential   issue  with   staff  members  

not   “reaching   out”   for   help   with   assessments   and   program  evaluation  until  they  are  well  into  the  development  process.  

 -­‐ It  is  important  for  staff  members  to  use  credible  evidence  when  

making  decisions  and  starting  new  initiatives.      

-­‐ A  focus  should  also  be  placed  on  leadership,  including  advising,  assessment  and  ethics.    

 -­‐ Some   universities   use   different   language   to   describe   their  

expectations   of   staff   to   complete   assessment.   The   language  should  communicate  that  employees  are  not  just  responsible  for  completing   assessments,   but   are   also   responsible   for   helping  create  an  overall  culture  of  evidence.    

 -­‐ More   rewards   and   recognition   may   be   needed   to   show  

appreciation  for  staff  members.  This  could  encourage  everyone  to  continue  working  on  building  this  culture  of  evidence.      

Now  Showing:  Bias  Response    

Save  the  Date  Soup  &  Scoop  

 

Save  The  Date  3rd  Annual  Poster  Fair  

March   19th   the   Office   of   Assessment  and   Professional   Development   will  partner  with  the  Career  Center  to  offer  a  Soup  &  Scoop  on  data   from  the  Class  of  2013Mid-­‐Year  Pulse.      The  event  will  begin  at  12noon.    Lunch   will   be   provided.   The   location  for  this  event  is  to  be  determined.    More   information  will  be   sent   through  email  and  posted  on  PD  Portfolio.  For  a  preview  of  the  information  that  will  be  shared  at  this  presentation,  visit  page  4.  

The   office   would   like   to   invite   staff  members   throughout   the   division   to  participate   in   the   upcoming   3rd   Annual    Assessment  and  Evaluation  Poster  Fair,  to  be  held  Thursday,  June  6th.    

Details,   including  how  to  participate,  will  be   sent   out   over   the  next   several  weeks.  We   look   forward   to   your   attendance   &  participation.  

The   Bias   Analysis   Task   Force   is   pleased   to   share   the  first   of   several   videos   overviewing   bias   and  encouraging   the   community   to   be   a   safe   place  where  diversity   is   celebrated  and  embraced.    Please  visit   the  following  link  to  view  the  first  installment:  

 http://studentaffairs.duke.edu/bias-­‐response    

 

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Current Assessments

The   Office   of   Assessment   and   Professional   Development   is   currently   working   with   the  departments   listed  below  on  assessment  projects.  For  questions  about  any  of   the   studies   listed  below  or   if  you  have  an  assessment  project   that  you  are   interested   in  beginning,  please  contact  our  office  by  email  at  research@studentaffairs.duke.edu  

N-­‐CHIPping  Away  at  High-­‐Risk  Drinking    The   ongoing   assessment   of   high-­‐risk   alcohol   behaviors   includes   outcome-­‐based,   program-­‐based,   as  well   as   operational   assessments   of   the   needs   and   changes   in   the   community   around   alcohol  consumption   on   the   individual   as   well   as   systemic   level.   This   approach   to   the   development   of   a  comprehensive  assessment  plan  is  the  result  of  a  strong  collaboration  between  DUWELL,  the  Office  of  the  Vice  President,  CAPS,  our  office,  and  others  external  to  the  division.  A  dashboard  of  the  data  was  recently  presented  at  a  Soup  &  Scoop.    New  Student  Orientation  New  Student  Orientation  administers  a  survey  to  incoming  freshmen  each  year  designed  to  understand  students'   first   experiences   at,   and   transitions   to,   Duke   University.   NSO   provided   the   data   from   this  assessment   to   our   office.   We   are   currently   working   to   analyze   differences,   if   any,   in   student  experiences  based  on  various  demographics  (i.e.  gender,  citizenship,  college,  etc.).  We  are  also  looking  at  the  instrument  itself  in  order  to  examine  whether  the  current  scales  are  reliable  and/or  valid.    Graduate  Residence  Project  A&PDP   is   currently   working   to   create   an   assessment   of   where   graduate   and   professional   students  reside   off-­‐campus   using   Geospatial   Information   Systems   analysis.   Differences   in   residence   by  demographic  variables  will  also  be  examined.  A&PDP  used  secondary  data  provided  by  the  Office  of  the  Registrar.  This  project  has  taken  more  time  than  anticipated  because  we  are  learning  how  to  use  three  new  pieces  of  software  required  to  complete  the  project.  Quite  an  adventure!    Class  of  2013  Senior  Mid-­‐Year  Pulse  See  Q&A  with  Anne  Lyford  &  Jordan  Hale  on  page  4.      NACUFS  Survey  Analysis  We  are  currently  analyzing  the  findings  from  the  NACUFS  survey  for  Dining.    Qualitative  Methods  Group  We've   recently   begun   participating   in   SSRI's  Qualitative  Working   Group   and   are   learning   to   use  Nvivo  (software  used  in  qualitative  research).  More  to  come!!  Stay  Tuned!!      

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In  anticipation  of  the  upcoming  Soup  &  Scoop,  Cole  Taylor  sat  down  with  our  colleagues  at  the  Career  Center   to  discuss  the  recent  assessment,  The  Class  of  2013,  Mid-­‐Year  Pulse.  The  survey  was  sent  to  members   of   the   Class   of   2013   and   asked   questions   about   students’   plans,   both   confirmed   and  prospective,  in  order  to  understand  more  about  students’  needs  and  achievements  around  their  post-­‐graduation  plans.  In  2012,  it  was  developed  at  the  request  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  and  has  evolved  into  an  instrument  that  could  be  useful  for  a  number  of  entities  around  the  university.  

Anne   and   Jordan,   Why   were   you   interested   in  doing  this  assessment  and  the  Soup  &  Scoop?    We   (Employer   Relations)   are   one   part   of   the   four  teams  in  the  Career  Center.  We  wanted  to  be  able  to  educate  our  peers  on  what   it   is  we  do  –  beyond  the  more  visible  events,  such  as  career  fairs.    In  order  to  provide   a   more   holistic   picture,   we   will   share  (during   the   soup   and   scoop)   information   such   as  recruiting   numbers,   survey   data,   and   informal  feedback  and  stories   from  employers  and  students.  In   addition   to   shedding   light   on   what   we   do,   we  want   to   share   how   the   information   can   be   used   in  support   of   the   career   conversations   that   many   of  our  colleagues   are   engaged   in  with   students  across  campus.  

When  we  first  designed  this  assessment,  I  really  viewed  it  as  an  effort  to  learn  about  the  students  –   about   their   outcomes.   But   you  had   additional  questions  in  mind.  What  were  they?    Well,   that   information   (student   outcomes)   is  obviously  very  important  to  us.  But  we  also  wanted  to  identify  information  we  could  use  to  support  our  work   in   employer   relations.   We   have   strong  connections   with   many   employers,   but   we   look  constantly   for   opportunities   to   forge   new   and  stronger   relationships   with   employers.   Employers  have   set   resources   available   for   recruiting,   and  we  work   closely   to   help   employers   strategize   on   the  best  way   they   can  be   successful   recruiting   at   Duke  given   their   goals   and   resources   allocated   for  recruiting.  The  mid-­‐year  pulse  revealed  that  many  of  the   students   who   indicated   having   secured   post-­‐graduate  employment  are  with  employers  that  have  participated   in   recruiting   activities   through   our  office.   A   few,   however,   were   connections   made  outside  of  the  Career  Center.  We  see   this  particular  employer  subset  as  an  opportunity  to  follow  up  and  attempt   to   create   a   stronger   recruiting   connection  with  the  employer.    

As   just   a   teaser   for   the   information  you’ll   share   at  the  Soup  &  Scoop  –  Did  anything  in  particular  stand  out  to  you  when  you  saw  the  findings?    We   were   really   surprised   to   find   a   possible   trend  compared   to   the   2012   Pulse.   The   findings   were  remarkably   paralleled   to   last   year.   What   we   saw  sparked   some   new   questions   for   us   moving   forward  and  also  confirms  and  supports  work  we  are  currently  

Tell   me   one   thing   that   staff   and   faculty   can   gain  from  attending  your  presentation.    From  an  employer  relations  perspective,  we  would  like  for   students   to   be   more   curious   about   the   many  employers   that   engage   in   some   type   of   recruiting   at  Duke.  Our  students  are  curious,  creative,  and  innovative  during   their   time  at  Duke,  whether   it’s   involvement   in  their   clubs,   research   activities   and/or   social   activities.  We  need  these  same  characteristics  to  inspire  students  as  they  make  career-­‐related  decisions.    By  doing  so  we  believe  they  will  discover  a  world  of  opportunities  right  at  their  fingertips!      So   many   of   us   across   the   university   are   a   part   of   the  “career   community”,   from   giving   anecdotal   career  advice   to   actively   helping   students   in   their   search  process.   In   the   presentation,   we’ll   give   staff   data   they  can  use  to  better  inform  students  and  ways  they  too  can  help  encourage  students’  curiosity    We  also  hope   to   spur  some  curiosity   in   staff  members  as   well.   Really,   there   are   so   many   unique   and  interesting   opportunities   available   to   students   across  industries,   and   we   want   our   team   at   Duke   to   better  understand  how  what  we  do  can  support  their  work  with  students.        

Soup  &  Scoop  Preview  Page 4 of 6

Tuesday, March 19th | 12noon

Recently,  Andrea  Becker,  Emily  Baker,  and  Kati  Cadenhead    (Resident  Coordinators  at   the  University)  presented  at  the  Southeastern  Association  of  Housing  Officer  Conference  held  in  Atlanta,  Georgia.   The  abstract   from   their  presentation,   entitled   “A  New  Perspective  on  RA  Training  and  Campus  Partners”  can  be  found  below:      Every  August  we  are  challenged  by  how  to   fit  a  year's  worth  of  knowledge   into  a  week  of  student   training   initiatives  as  we  prepare  our  RAs   for   the  upcoming  year.  As  a   residential  campus,  Duke  University  has  made  significant  changes  to  our  RA  Training  program  over  the  past  two  years  to  best  meet  the  needs  of  our  own  department  as  well  as  accommodate  the  needs  of  campus  partners.      This   program   looks   at   the   structural   changes  we   have   made   to   the   RA   training   program  based  on  formal  assessment  and  informal  feedback  from  RAs  and  campus  partners.  We  will  share  with  you  our  struggles,  our  changes,  best  practices  for  our  campus,  and  areas  we  are  still  hoping  to   improve  upon  in   future  years.  We  will  also  look  at  how  we  were  able  to  use  assessment  to  advocate  for  the  changing  needs  of  our  RAs.        

“A  New  Perspective  on  RA  Training  and  Campus  Partners”    A  Team  of  Resident  Coordinators  travel  to  present  at  SAHOC  

Spring  begins  March  20th  

What  We’re  Reading  

 Though  she  would  not  share  it  herself,  I  am   currently   reading   Later  Never  Came  Until  Now,  a  great  book  by  our  very  own  Dr.   Stephanie  Helms   Pickett.   So   far,   I’m  finding  it  encouraging  and  a  great  way  of  “assessing”  my  own  personal  path.  

-­‐  Cole  Taylor  (Assistant  Director)        To   share   articles   and   books   you   are  reading   in   the   next   edition   of   Assess   &  Profess,   send   the   citation   and   a   brief  description   to   austina.white@duke.edu  by  March  21st.    

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Office  of  Assessment  and  Professional  Development  |  Duke  University  |  Division  of  Student  Affairs      

   

Stephanie  Helms-­‐Pickett,  Director  Stephanie.helms.pickett@duke.edu  

T  919.684.4582    

Cole  Taylor,  Assistant  Director  cole.taylor@duke.edu    

T  919.684.4186    

General  Inquiries:  research@studentaffairs.duke.edu      Request  a  Project    

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