Assessment and Planning: Complementary Yet Distinct Processes

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Assessment and Planning Complementary Yet
Distinct Processes

• Assessment and Planning in Administrative and
  Educational Support Services
• By Dennis George

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The Most Common Pitfall!!!!

• Confusing Assessment Plans
• with Strategic Plans

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Strategic Plan as Driving Force
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Strategic Planning

• Strategic Planning
• Question What actions should we take to
  implement the WKU Strategic Goals?
• Purpose To chart a course for the future and a
  means for developing priorities and determining
  action necessary to achieve intended goals
• Time Frame Future

• Assessment
• Question How well are we functioning in terms
  of maintaining Institutional Effectiveness
• Purpose To determine how effectively our
  services are currently being delivered to our
  clientele
• Time Frame Present

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Strategic Planning

• Objective A description of the end state the
  end result of taking some action the change that
  will occur as a result of some activities.
  (Note the end state in questions is one that
  will support accomplishment of one or more
  strategic goals.)
• Activity The behavior necessary to accomplish
  an objective how you achieve the objective.
  (May have multiple activities for a singe
  objective)
• Performance Indicator Criteria that demonstrate
  progress toward the objective. (Should be
  measurable, demonstrable, or verifiable .)

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Assessment

• Outcomes are statements that identify what the
  unit accomplishes to maintain the effectiveness
  of the institution relative to its mission based
  upon the effective delivery of that units
  current services utilizing existing resources
• Means of Assessment the method, took, or
  instrument used to determine whether (and/or the
  extent to which) the objective has been achieved
• Criteria for Success The benchmark that the
  program sets for the objective and against with
  the objectives performance is judged (I.e. How
  will we know when we have achieved the
  objective?)

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Assessment Example Registrars Office

• Outcome Transcript requests are filled and
  returned promptly
• First Means of Assessment and Criteria for
  Success The average umber of days from receipt
  of transcript requests to posting of response
  will be 3.5 days based upon a one week sample
  taken at random each semester. No transcript
  request will be found to take longer than 5.0
  working days
• Second Means of Assessment and Criteria for
  Success Over the Counter requests for
  transcripts will be filled within 24 hours as
  measured randomly one day each month

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Assessment Example Registrars Office

• Results for First Means of Assessment and
  Criteria for Success Average response time for
  mail requests was 3.3 days during preceding 3
  semesters. Longest response time found to be 4.5
  days
• Results for Second Means of Assessment and
  Criteria for Success During registration and
  pre-registration, many over the counter
  requests were unfulfilled after 48 hours.

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Assessment Example Registrars Office

• Use of Results for First Means of Assessment
  Staff voted to monitor one more year. Records
  are being kept regarding high demand time for
  possible shift in personnel.
• Use of Results for Second Means of Assessment
  Registrar office staff diverted to handle over
  the counter transcript requests during
  registration and pre-registration.

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Caution!!!

• Increase is a future-oriented word.
• Perfectly appropriate for Action Plans
• Should be used cautiously in Assessment Plans
• The result of assessment may lead you the
  conclusion that something may need to be
  increased from the lake