Coordinating Divisional And Departmental Student Affairs Assessment

By providing practical advice on how to inform and lead a successful assessment program in student affairs, Coordinating Divisional and Departmental Student Affairs Assessment, 2nd Edition helps student affairs professionals understand the impact of their initiatives, identify areas for improvement, and make data-driven decisions to enhance student learning, development, and engagement. Student affairs assessment plays a significant role in shaping the overall college experience. As higher education transforms, there is an even greater demand for student affairs assessment that informs practice, illuminates equity gaps, and improves student learning. This second edition builds upon the concepts of the first edition while adding essential topics that address the changing dynamics of leading assessment in a department or division in student affairs such as how to use and select assessment technology, meaningful ways to collaborate with institutional research, as well as creating equity-centered assessment practices. By utilizing the strategies in this book, student affairs divisions can create evidence-based practices that contribute to a more inclusive and supportive campus environment, foster student engagement, and ultimately enhance the educational journey for students. This updated and revised edition has been written with new and seasoned assessment practitioners in mind. It’s an ideal resource for graduate students and other student affairs practitioners who seek to find practical information to guide their own assessment practice.

An ACPA/NASPA Joint Publication The need for the new role of student affairs assessment coordinator has emerged in response to the increasing demand for outcomes information, the proliferation of data, and the recognition that coordinating this work within divisions is of paramount importance.For those taking on this role, this book constitutes a practical guide to leading and implementing an assessment program – whether doing so full- or part-time, as an individual or in a multi-person office, or whether reporting to or being in positional leadership. Recognizing that this function that is new to student affairs, and that those who take it on frequently find themselves in an in-between world, being both embedded with, but also distinct from, their divisional colleagues, this book first addresses the common challenges and issues related to defining and implementing the role and cultivating a culture of assessment. It then deals with the practicalities of creating systems and structures; developing assessment skills throughout the organization; and creating an integrated model for measuring progress towards strategic planning goals, and for informing decision-making and resource allocation.The book concludes with guidance on leading and maintaining ethical standards related to data collection, storage and sharing for the division, and on navigating the dynamic political environment that assessment professionals will encounter.

For those taking on the new role of student affairs assessment coordinator, this book constitutes a practical guide to leading and implementing an assessment program--whether doing so full- or part-time, working individually or in a multiperson office, or reporting to or being in positional leadership. This functional role is new to student affairs, and those who take it on frequently find themselves in an in-between world, both embedded in and distinct from their divisional colleagues. Recognizing these tenets, this book addresses the common challenges and issues related to defining and implementing the role and culture of assessment.

With the recognition of the integral role of student affairs in student education, and with stakeholders requiring increasing accountability at a time of tight resources, it has become imperative that staff be familiar with and competent in undertaking assessment. This book provides student affairs staff with the grounding they need to integrate assessment into how they design and monitor the programs, services, and activities they create to contribute to students’ development.This book is intended both as a text for student affairs and higher education master’s programs, and as a practical guide for early career staff who have had little formal preparation in assessment. It can be used for self-study or in professional development workshops. For divisions, departments, or units getting started with assessment, the discussion questions at the end of the chapters can engage staff in the process of developing an effective assessment culture. This book provides a thorough introduction to all aspects of assessment, assuming no prior knowledge, and illustrated throughout with examples of application in student affairs settings. Key elements include:• Takes into account the latest standards and competencies defined by AAC&U, ACPA, AER, CAS, NASPA, and others• Introductory and comprehensive• Provides essential background and theory• Covers preparation, planning and design• Describes the full range of assessment methods• Introduces principles and methods of qualitative and quantitative analysis• Guidance on using and sharing results• Addresses cultivating and sustaining a culture of assessment• Considers ethical and political concerns• Covers use of technology• Illustrated throughout by examples of practice in student affairs.

A practical, comprehensive manual for assessment design and implementation Assessment in Student Affairs, Second Edition offers a contemporary look at the foundational elements and practical application of assessment in student affairs. Higher education administration is increasingly called upon to demonstrate organizational effectiveness and engage in continuous improvement based on information generated through systematic inquiry. This book provides a thorough primer on all stages of the assessment process. From planning to reporting and beyond, you'll find valuable assessment strategies to help you produce meaningful information and improve your program. Combining and updating the thoroughness and practicality of Assessment in Student Affairs and Assessment Practice in Student Affairs, this new edition covers design of assessment projects, ethical practice, student learning outcomes, data collection and analysis methods, report writing, and strategies to implement change based on assessment results. Case studies demonstrate real-world application to help you clearly see how these ideas are used effectively every day, and end-of-chapter discussion questions stimulate deeper investigation and further thinking about the ideas discussed. The instructor resources will help you seamlessly integrate this new resource into existing graduate-level courses. Student affairs administrators understand the importance of assessment, but many can benefit from additional direction when it comes to designing and implementing evaluations that produce truly useful information. This book provides field-tested approaches to assessment, giving you a comprehensive how-to manual for demonstrating—and improving—the work you do every day. Build your own assessment to demonstrate organizational effectiveness Utilize quantitative and qualitative techniques and data Identify metrics and methods for measuring student learning Report and implement assessment findings effectively Accountability and effectiveness are the hallmarks of higher education administration today, and they are becoming the metrics by which programs and services are evaluated. Strong assessment skills have never been more important. Assessment in Student Affairs gives you the knowledge base and skill set you need to shine a spotlight on what you and your organization are able to achieve.

This second edition of Student Affairs Assessment: Theory to Practice provides updated content that reflects current student affairs assessment practice and signals the direction in which the field is headed. Chapters feature foundational concepts of assessment design, outcomes, and data collection methods while also addressing current topics in student affairs assessment such as the prevalence of data analytics through higher education and equity-centered assessment. In addition, this volume further broadens the scope of the assessment process by highlighting the impact of culturally responsive ethics and Indigenous paradigms. Ultimately, this book provides student affairs staff with the grounding they need to integrate assessment into how they design and monitor the programs, services, and activities they create to contribute to students’ development. A useful reference for implementing assessment of co-curricular programs and services, this book is an excellent guide for student affairs practitioners and experienced assessment professionals to develop their assessment skills and knowledge.

As demands for accountability escalate, assessment continues to evolve as a central aspect of student affairs administration. Experience clearly indicates that without a robust portfolio of assessment activities, the services, programs, and activities of a student affairs division are at risk of being reassigned to other organizational units on campus—or, in a tight budgetary environment, being eliminated. This sourcebook reminds student affairs educators of the importance of developing an assessment program and explores topics that will add depth and richness to such a program. From specific metrics to broad strategies for developing collaborative activities involving academic and student affairs, it shows how to integrate valuable resources into the assessment process and how to use that process to enhance the student experience. The authors also take the largest view, offering advice on developing an institutional culture of assessment and planning future actions that will best serve students during their collegiate years. This is the 142nd volume of this Jossey-Bass higher education quarterly series. An indispensable resource for vice presidents of student affairs, deans of students, student counselors, and other student services professionals, New Directions for Student Services offers guidelines and programs for aiding students in their total development: emotional, social, physical, and intellectual.

Student affairs organizations are at a crossroads. They face expanding enrollments; a concomitant increase need for often more complex services; changing demographics; a growing cohort of non-traditional and first-generation students; shifting and more demanding responsibilities; and increased expectations from the greater campus community, parents, and external constituents. These challenges are intensified by the accelerating speed of advancements in technology, globalization, innovation, and student consumerism; and by the long-term reality of shrinking resources, and limitations on the ability to increase tuition and fees. This book shares alternative ideas about organizational design, and about ways to restructure roles and responsibilities to enable student affairs organizations to respond to these challenges and demands more effectively at a time of reduced resources. It also addresses the many emerging roles that student affairs organizations are increasingly being expected to address – such as IT, fund raising and development, external communications, human resources management and professional development, as well as research and assessment – and describes approaches developed by a variety of institutions. The contributors also pay attention to the solutions appropriate for smaller institutions, and for community colleges. They explore the various dimensions of change and offer frameworks to help student affairs leaders and practitioners to more effectively understand and manage the changes they are confronting; and describe ideas and solutions adopted by others within the profession.