ASSESSMENT IN STUDENT AFFAIRS

Systematic process for collecting, reviewing, and usingevidence/data for the purposes of overall improvementand enhancing student learning; is not static or “one-time”

“How do we know that weare doing what we say we

are doing?”“How well are we doing

what we say we aredoing?”

WHY?External Pressures Internal Pressures Accountability Budgetary Constraints Rising Costs Effectiveness Issues Quality Control Quality of Programs/Services Accreditation

Are these student services reallynecessary?

OVER ALL GOALS ARE Improvement of Programs and Services Smart Decision-Making Strategic Planning

AAHE ASSESSMENT PRINCIPLESThe assessment of student learning beginswith educational values.

Assessment is most effective when itreflects an understanding of learning asmultidimensional, integrated, and revealedin performance over time.

Assessment works best when the programsit seeks to improve have clear, explicitlystated purposes.

PRINCIPLES CONTINUEDAssessment requires attention to outcomesbut also and equally to the experiences thatlead to those outcomes.

Assessment works best when it is ongoing,not episodic.

Assessment fosters wider improvement whenrepresentatives from across the educationalcommunity are involved.

PRINCIPLES CONTINUEDAssessment makes a difference when it begins withissues of use and illuminates questions that peoplereally care about.

Assessment is most likely to lead to improvement whenit is part of a larger set of conditions that promotechange.

Through assessment, educators meet responsibilities tostudents and to the public.

American Association for Higher Education (AAHE) Assessment Forum with support from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education

Authors: Alexander W. Astin; Trudy W. Banta; K. Patricia Cross; Elaine El-Khawas; Peter T. Ewell; Pat Hutchings; Theodore J. Marchese; Kay M. McClenney; Marcia Mentkowski; Margaret A. Miller; E. Thomas Moran; Barbara D. Wright

STUDENT LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT OUTCOMES Provide empirical evidence of the contributions of

programs. Help in making decisions for program improvements

thatcan strengthen and enhance student learning anddevelopment.

Meet external requirements. Illustrate how Student Affairs programs are

meaningful. Inform others why program or service should exist. Demonstrate accountability.

MOVING BEYOND STUDENTSATISFACTIONMeasuring Student Learning and

Development Outcomes should be theprimary focus of Student Affairs Evaluationand Assessment the majority of the time.

This framework is necessary in order toimprove programs and services and show theimpact the co-curricular has on academic success.

TYPES OF ASSESSMENT Needs Campus Environment Student Culture National Standards Satisfaction

ALL OF THESE ARE IMPORTANT ANDHAVE THEIR PLACE IN A

COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENTAPPROACH

RECENT AND CURRENT ASSESSMENTS IN STUDENT AFFAIRS Centennial Hall in the first semester

(second semester in progress)

Goals: Learn about the student experience in this particular large setting

Develop comparison data on other large classes

Understand impact, if any, on student performance

Provide feedback to faculty and administratorsDevelop programs and education to support

students

SA ASSESSMENTS CONTINUED Arizona Assurance, first and second cohorts

Goals: Evaluate effectiveness of both the financial support and retention programming components of the program

Fine tune the offerings over timeDemonstrate how to use assessment

integrated into program decision-making

SA ASSESSMENTS CONTINUED Campus safety

Goals: Understand student perceptions of safety on and off campus

Develop educational information based on results

Inform campus of safety issues with potential for improvement

SA ASSESSMENT CONTINUED Student Services Fees

Goals: Understand current students’ greatest needs for services

Assist student leaders in prioritizing uses of the resources

Gauge student satisfaction with uses of previous SSF resources

HOW WE ARE ORGANIZED http://assessment.arizona.edu/student_suppo

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