New Student Affairs Professionals: I Got My Dream Job

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New Student Affairs ProfessionalsI Got My Dream
Job.Now What??

• Erin Bentrim-Tapio
• University of North Carolina at Greensboro
• Ted Elling
• University of North Carolina at Charlotte
• Diane E. Waryas
• College of Southern Nevada

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Purpose of Todays Session

• Familiarize participants with a variety of
  support models and structures for managing
  assessment work
• Discuss existing skills and skills gaps of
  participants and nationally
• Discuss assessment modalities currently utilized
  in the field and how they may be used
• Discuss and begin talking about ways to address
  concerns and problems of participants in their
  new role
• Network and begin developing relationships with
  other new assessment professionals

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Who are we?

• Please tell us your
• Name
• Institution and Title
• Specific Interest in this Preconference Workshop

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Why Assessment in Higher Education?

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

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Beyond survival

• Improvement of Programs and Services
• Smart Decision-Making
• Strategic Planning

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Survey Findings from 2007 ACPA-NASPA Assessment
Project

• Or..The Motivator for this Preconference
  Workshop
• What was the methodology behind the survey?

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Survey Results Here We Are!

• We represent 48 or 39 of the 82 full time
  assessment positions housed in Student Affairs

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Institutional Type and Size
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What We Are Responsible For

• Other models also exist

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Our Professional Preparation
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Our Years of Experience

• Not new to Higher Education but fairly new to
  Assessment

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Where We Are Located
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Our Professional Organizations
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Our Assessment Methods
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Skill Gaps Summary
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Skills We Already Have
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Skills Wed Like to Learn About in Standard
Conference Formats
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Skills That Require More Time Intensive Formats
to Acquire
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Breakout Discussion

• In groups, discuss your known skills and gaps
  that you can identify for which you would like
  help and/or training
• Plan to report back to the group..

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Short Term Assessment Management Strategies

• Identifying Organizational Issues and Structures
  for Solutions

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Issue Whats my Role?

• Solution
• Management and guidance
• General advising on assessment issues
• Consulting on design specifics
• Design and development of instruments
• Data collection and analysis
• Generation of executive summaries, annual reports
  on assessment to stakeholders

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Issue How To Organize the Assessment Program?

• Solution No one solution
• Director/Coordinator with advisory group
• Advisory group/Committee for oversight
• Collaborate within/across units
• Collaborate with Academic Affairs, Institutional
  Research
• Consider appointing a go-to person in each
  unit appoint staff assessment specialist
  (liaison) to help develop and implement
  particular project
• Hire students to help!

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Issue Tackling Resistance to Assessment

• Solution Create buy-in, build a Culture of
  Assessment
• Getting buy-in at the top?
• Help them see value (not punitive)
• Put assessment in the hands of staff, teach and
  empower them to steer their ship
• Showcase individual assessment projects regularly
• Get them involved presenting at conferences
• Other ideas?

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Issue What Specific Strategies Ease the Task of
Management?

• Solutions Many!!
• Establish a regular assessment planning and
  reporting schedule for unit/division and adhere
  to it Clearly articulate and publish
  expectations and helpful information on your
  website
• Use accreditation expectations/guidelines to
  establish schedule, identify courses of action
  consider creating an assessment task force
  specific to accreditation needs

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Issue What Specific Strategies Ease the Task of
Management?

• Streamline data collection process to ease
  proliferation of surveying (e.g. increase
  electronic data collection, establish rotating
  data collection schedule, etc.)
• Manage more data (including assessment plans and
  reports) electronically Drive sharing, etc.
• Create a strategic plan
• Guided by College and Division plans, create
  mission and goals for assessment oversight body
• Set reasonable expectations and goals
• Publish plan on website

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Issue What Specific Strategies Ease the Task of
Management?

• Increase your staff creatively!
• Tap individual staff and faculty with specific
  skills to help in one area only (e.g. a faculty
  member contact you can refer others to with
  questions about rubric design)
• Hire undergrads and grad students to help with
  design, data collection, building matrices,
  website design and maintenance, other.
• Create reward positions for those staff
  interested in assessment and with skills to help
  liaise with others (and to design, implement or
  coordinate training, etc.)

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What other management issues can you identify?
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Obtaining Additional Help
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Internal Support for Assessment Work

• As discussed, create and utilize partnerships and
  structures in your own unit, division, and with
  Academic Affairs and Institutional Research
• Hire student helpers! Dont overlook talented
  undergrads with some research or other technical
  experience What free students can you get to
  help you?
• Faculty and other staff who may not be directly
  involved with assessment but may have particular
  skills to lend

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External Support for Assessment Work

• Join NASPA Assessment Evaluation and Research KC
  and take advantage of resources (Assessment
  Framework)
• Utilize ACPA resources for assessment (ASK)
• Partner with other local institutions on work, to
  bring in workshop speakers, etc.
• Consider bringing in a consultant to help get you
  started, move you forward, prepare for
  accreditation
• Consider a company that can provide assistance
  with comprehensive assessment work remotely

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Breakouts

• After this presentation, what other questions
  remain?
• What particular things would you like help with?
• What are your next steps upon returning home?
• Prepare to share with the group

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Final thoughts

• We WELCOME follow up contact from each of you!!!
• Good Luck!!!

• Erin Bentrim-Tapio e_bentrim-tapio_at_uncg.edu
• Ted Elling twelling_at_uncc.edu
• Diane Waryas diane.waryas_at_csn.edu