STUDENT AFFAIRS ASSESSMENT A comprehensive, centralized approach

1. STUDENT AFFAIRS ASSESSMENT A comprehensive, centralized approach Lori Varlotta, Vice President for Student Affairs January, 2007

2. What is Assessment? Sacramento State’s Division of Student Affairs sees assessment as an ongoing process primarily aimed at one of two things: 1) improving programs or services, and 2) understanding and eventually increasing student learning. To reach those goals, the Division must: • Make program objectives and student learning outcomes explicit and public • Set appropriate criteria and high expectations; systematically gather, analyze, and interpret evidence to determine how well programs and services matches those expectations and standards • Use the resulting data to document, explain, and improve programs, services, and student learning outcomes.

3. Expanding the Definition of Student Learning At Sacramento State University, the Division of Student Affairs “defines student learning as a comprehensive, holistic, transformative activity that integrates academic learning and student development, processes that have often been considered separate, and even independent of each other. When we say learning, then, we do not mean exclusively or primarily academic instruction, the acquisition of disciplinary content, or classroom learning.” (quoted directly from Learning Reconsidered: A Campus-wide Focus on the Student Experience)

4. Why Do It? Assessment will allow us to: • Demonstrate how Student Affairs contributes to student learning and student success • Showcase our strengths • Identify areas where we can improve • Strategically align ourselves with • Chancellors’ Office Graduation Initiative • University planning – Destination 2010 • WASC requirements to demonstrate the impact of Student Affairs on student learning • Respond to public calls for increased accountability

5. Other Good Reasons to do Assessment • The Vice President of Student Affairs holds each director responsible for conceptualizing and implementing an assessment plan. • The directors’ annual evaluation includes commentary on assessment. • Assessment data has supported requests for additional staff and/or funding.

6. Why this Particular Assessment Approach is So Exciting • A true collaboration with departments within and outside the Division of Student Affairs (Institutional Research, ASI, program units, Provost, academic departments) • Comprehensive and centralized – a level of consistency throughout Division and uniquely designed for each department • Directly tied to the Chancellor’s Office Graduation Initiative, WASC requirements, Strategic Plan, etc. • Moves beyond student satisfaction to student learning

7. Utilizing On Campus Expertise Role of Institutional Research To support the vision of the Vice President of Student Affairs and assist Student Affairs Directors (via on-going consultations, one-on-one meetings, survey development and data analyses) in developing departmental assessment plans that are aligned with Destination 2010 and the WASC re-accreditation.

8. Six Step Assessment Model • Mission – 2-3 sentences that articulate office name, primary purpose, primary activities, audience • Goals – top 3-5 “planning-type” statements • Program Objectives and Learning Outcomes – 3-5 specific (i.e. measurable) statements • Measures – Direct measures can verify learning outcomes, attitudinal change or behavior modification. Indirect measures typically reflect student satisfaction and/or self-reported understandings • Collection of Data – Research instruments (e.g., pre-post tests, surveys, focus groups, performances) designed to gather qualitative & quantitative information • Closing the Circle – Resultant data should be used when considering program improvement modifications, etc.

9. Step 1: Mission Mission statement should be an expanded statement of either institutional or divisional purpose. Extract from University Mission Statement: California State University, Sacramento is dedicated to the life-altering potential of learning that balances a liberal arts education with depth of knowledge in a discipline. We are committed to providing an excellent education to all eligible applicants who aspire to expand their knowledge and prepare themselves for meaningful lives, careers, and service to their community..… Academic Advising Center Mission The Academic Advising Center offers new student orientation, mandatory freshman advising, and advising on General Education and graduation requirements for all students. The Center engages students in a developmental process that helps clarify and implement individual educational plans consistent with their skills, interests, and values. Through individual appointments, group advising sessions, and presentations the professional staff, faculty advisors, and student interns help students understand the university’s academic requirements as well as its policies and procedures. As a result, students are better prepared to take responsibility for their education and persist towards a timely graduation. Office Name Primary Purpose Primary Activities Target Audiences

10. Step 2: Goals Goals are : • Broad statements that describe the overarching long-range intended outcomes of an administrative unit. • Usually not measurable and need to be further developed as separate distinguishable outcomes • Primarily used for general planning and are used as the starting point to the development and refinement of outcomes. (From the “Administrative Assessment Handbook” University of Central Florida)

11. Examples of Office Goals Academic Advising Center Goals Help studentsclarify and implement individual educational plans which are consistent with their skills, interests, and values.  Help studentsgain an understanding of the university’s academic requirements as well as its policies and procedures  Prepare students to take responsibility for their education and persist towards a timely graduation

12. Step 3: Objectives Objectives : • Are specific statements that describe desired outcomes derived from the goal statements of the unit • May relate to the operations and processes of the unit • May also relate to intended attitudes or behaviors that a student having used the services provided by the unit should demonstrate. (“Administrative Assessment Handbook” University of Central Florida)

13. Examples of Office Objectives Academic Advising Center Objectives • Objective 1: New students will have knowledge of university General Education, academic requirements and resources through comprehensive freshman, transfer and parent orientation programs. • Objective 2: All freshmen will participate in a three-phase comprehensive, proactive advising and major/career exploration program by spring 2007. • Objective 3: Develop an assessment model by December 2006 for the Freshman Advising Program to measure the impact of developmental academic advising. • Objective 4: There will be a five percent increase in the retention of students who have been reinstated as Undeclared majors. These students will receive comprehensive advising and will achieve good academic standing by the following semester after reinstatement.

14. Step 4: Measures Academic Advising Center Measures Objective 1 Measures: Orientation Survey of new students (pre/post test or post test only) to immediately assess the impact of orientation (through both online and traditional sessions) on students’ knowledge and understanding of academic requirements and resources. Objective 2 Measures: All advising appointments and sessions will be tracked through a database. Objective 3 Measures: Have 70 percent of the students participate in a survey that measures the impact of the advising program and how it affected their confidence in selecting a major and making informed decisions. Objective 4 Measures: Track through database and advising sessions. Grades will be analyzed by the end of the following semester after reinstatement.

15. Step 5: Assessment Data Assessment data should highlight all significant findings, and indicate the extent to which the program/service reached its intended outcomes. Step 6: Use of Results The results should explain how the findings from data will be used to improve the program and/or increase student learning.

16. Suggested Reading • The National Association of Student Personnel Administrators & The American College Personnel Association. (2004). Learning Reconsidered: A campus-wide focus on the student experience. • American College Personnel Association (1994). The student learning imperative: Implications for student affairs. Washington, DC. • American College Personnel Association. (1996) The student learning imperative: Implications for student affairs [on-line]. Available: www.acpa.nche.edu/sli/sli.htm • American College Personnel Association and National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (1997). Principles of good practice for student affairs [on-line]. Available: www.acpa.nche.edu/pgp/principle.htm • Joint task Force on Student Learning. (1998) Powerful partnerships: A shared responsibility for learning [on-line]. Available: www.aahe.org/teaching/tsk_frce.htm • National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (1987). A perspective on student affairs. Washington DC.