Introduction to Assessment – Support Services

1. Introduction to Assessment – Support Services Andrea Brown Director of Program Assessment and Institutional Research Dr. Debra Bryant Accreditation Liaison

2. The Three Questions of Assessment • What are we trying to do? • What is our purpose or mission? • How well are we achieving our purpose? • How well are we doing it? • How can we improve? • What can we do better?

3. Why Assessment? • Purpose • To clarify our purpose, why we exist • Effectiveness and Accountability • To answer the question, are weeffective • To be accountable to ourcustomers • Success/Improvement • To tout our success • To find areas of weakness to improve • Planning • To plan for the future

4. You Already Do Assessment • You already do assessment, BUT we don’t document it well • What process, policy, software, equipment, position have you changed or added in the last year? • Why did you do it? What evidence did you have that led you to the decision for change? • Assessment is documenting that process

5. University Mission & Core Themes • Learning, Values, Community • Identify Department Objectives (1-2) Use Results to Make Improvements and Revise Establish Measures/Benchmarks for each Objective Gather & Analyze Data Interpret Findings Assessment Model Map Department Objectives to Core Themes Diagram adapted from The Assessment Model – University of San Francisco

6. Getting Started • 1) University’s Mission Statement Core Themes and Objectives • Mission Statement: Dixie State University is a teaching institution that strives to enrich its community and the lives of its students by promoting a culture of learning, values, and community. • Core Themes and Objectives, see handout

7. Getting Started • 2) Department Mission Statement • Have or create a mission statement for your department/unit • All staff members should be involved • It should clarify what your purpose is • How do you link back to the University’s mission statement? • Is it available on your website?

8. Getting Started • 3) Department Objectives • Have or create 3-4 department objectives • All staff members should be involved • They should be specific, clear, concise and measureable • They should link back to your department mission statement • This is the “how” you will fulfill your mission statement

9. Getting Started • 4) Align Objectives • Align your department objectives to the University’s Core Theme Objectives • You do not need to link to all of the Core Themes • You do not get any extra points for linking to all Core Themes or any punishment for not linking to the Core Themes • Aligning with the Core Themes may help us at the University level find more data

10. Getting Started • 5) Know Your Data • What data do you currently have or collect that would speak to your mission statement and hence your objectives • Know what data is worth collecting • What does it tell you? • What can you do about it? • Is it Quantitative? – Numbers, how many • Is it Qualitative? – Satisfaction, how good

11. Getting Started • SSAR Form A • All the getting started data is collected on the SSAR Form A • The SSAR Form A once created will just need to be revisited each year for updates and revisions • Due June 28, 2013

12. University Mission & Core Themes • Learning, Values, Community • Identify Department Objectives (1-2) Use Results to Make Improvements and Revise Establish Measures/Benchmarks for each Objective Gather & Analyze Data Interpret Findings Assessment Model Map Department Objectives to Core Themes Diagram adapted from The Assessment Model – University of San Francisco

13. Yearly Assessment • 1) Identify 1-2 Objectives to Assess • Pick what you want to evaluate this year • We recommend evaluating all of your Objectives the first year, that way you have a better idea of what data you need, what data you want, and how to get it, it will also help you plan for questions in the Institutional Surveys

14. Yearly Assessment • 2) Establish Measures/Benchmarks • What are you going to measure • One should be Quantitative (Numbers, how many) • One should be Qualitative (Satisfaction, how well) • What is the Benchmark • Baseline – First time/look at the data • Threshold – Minimum acceptable mark • Target – Your ultimate goal

15. Assessment Tools • Things you may want to consider for measurements – Qualitative • Institutional Surveys (Graduating/Alumni, Student, Faculty/Staff, Community, Employer) • Department Surveys (Students, Customers, Community, etc.) • Focus groups (1-2 hours of high usage customers to give you feedback) • SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats)

16. Yearly Assessment • 3) Gather and Analyze Data – Interpret Findings • Gather Data • How will you collect your data • Who is the target, what is the sample • What is the time frame • Analyze Data • What does this tell you • Who does this tell youabout, who doesn’t it tell youabout • Interpret Findings • What can you do about it • What should you do about it

17. Yearly Assessment • 4) Use Results to Make Improvement and Revise – Close the Loop • Use Results • Propose and implement changes • Revise if Necessary • Make changes to your objectives • Make changes to your measures/benchmarks • Make changes to your data gathering process

18. Yearly Assessment • SSAR Form B • Will be created each year and will be completed in two parts – Planning, and Implementing • Will need to be updated in July each year (this year 2013) up through the Data Collection Method - Planning • Then at the end of May the following year (next year, 2014) the rest of the form will be completed and submitted with your results and actions taken - Implementing

19. Uses of SSAR Forms • A guide to improve department functionality • It is for you, don’t make it just paperwork • Submitted to and archived by your chain of command up to the Vice President, and to Program Assessment and Institutional Research • Used in the University’s Annual Report 2013/2014 year

20. Timeline • Due Dates • SSAR A Form – Due June 28, 2013 • SSAR B Form – Planning section, up through Data Collection – Due August 2, 2013 • SSAR B Form – Implementing section, with Results and Action Taken – Due May 30, 2014 • SSAR A Form – Due May 30, 2014 (for 2014/2015 year)

21. Questions • Questions about the process? • Questions about the SSAR Forms? • Questions about the use of the SSAR Forms? • Questions about the timeline?