PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF CAS SELF-ASSESSMENT GUIDES (SAGS)

Donna Lee Sullins and Jami Hall

Who are we?

 Not experts…just practitioners Donna Lee Sullins Associate Director of Student Life Student Conduct Jami Hall Director of Student Life Student Programming

Learning Outcomes

 Participants will understand the purpose of voluntary self evaluation.

 Participants will be aware of multiple approaches to using CAS Self-Assessment Guides on their campuses.

 Participants will be able to outline the steps to use a CAS Self-Assessment Guide on their campuses.

Pre-test time!

 What is CAS?

 What is a SAG?

 Has anyone done a SAG?

 How comfortable do you feel leading a SAG review in your office?

Assessment you are currently doing

 What is your office doing?

 Why? What goals are to be accomplished in so doing?

 What are your hopes for collaboration?

What is ?

 “Founded in 1979, The Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) is the pre-eminent force for promoting standards in student affairs, student services, and student development programs.”- CAS  CAS has eight guiding principles that are concerned with student learning and the environmental conditions at institutions needed to in order to promote leaning and development.

 Member groups: ACPA, ACUHO-I, ACUI, ASCA, NACA,NASPA, NIRSA, NODA…just to name a few

What is a SAG?

   “An operational version of the CAS Standards and Guidelines designed to provide users with an assessment tool that can be used for self-study or self-assessment purposes. A SAG is available for each functional area for which a CAS standard exists.” – CAS CAS standards use of auxiliary verbs “must” and “shall” that appear in bold print. Guidelines use “may” and “should” appear in regular text.

SAG Review of Part 2. Program

SAG Review of Part 2. Program

8 th Edition 7 th Edition

How do you get a SAG?

 www.cas.edu

 CAS Professional Standards for Higher Education (8th edition) and the Self-Assessment Guides - CD = $300  CAS Professional Standards for Higher Education (8th edition) = $85  Self-Assessment Guides - CD (all 43 functional areas) = $255  Individual Self Assessment Guide(s) = $35 each

A few ways of doing things

 Timeline  Number of functional areas to evaluate  Who’s on your team  Implementation and review plan

Georgia Southern Center for Student Leadership 2005

 One semester to complete  Group/Peer review  Outside/Inside perspective  Evidence collected as we went

Belmont University New Student Programs 2007

 One month to complete  Individual review  Outside perspective  Hesitancy by office  Most evidence collected first

Dalton State College Office of Admission 2009

   Lack of clear timeline when starting Lack of diversity in team member selection Lack of true desire to learn areas of needed improvement  Irregular meeting times  All this led to an incomplete review

Dalton State College Office of Student Activities/Life 2010-2012      One year original timeline Cross Campus Team            Donna Lee Sullins, Student Life (2010-2012) Jami Hall, Student Life (2010-2012) Dr. Gina Kertulis-Tartar, Biology Faculty (2010-2012) Dr. Kent Harrelson, English Faculty (2010-2011) Dr. Christian Griggs, History Faculty (2011-2012) Kim McCroskey, OCIS (2010-2011) Kris Richardson, OCIS (2011) Ashley Baugh, Business Services (2012) Andrew Mailman, Student (2010) Ashley Lindsey, Student (2010-2011) Greg Ellis, Student (2012) Review of 4 functional areas and the general SAG section by section Collect evidence as we go Once per month 3 hour meetings then later twice per month hour and a half meetings

Why can’t we be friends?

Typical organization scheme for higher education

Collaborations = Success

 Student Life + Academic Affairs = Perfect Partners!

 Often a (perceived?) disconnect  Share a common goal – student success  Perhaps a better organization plan is: Student Affairs President Fiscal Affairs Academic Affairs

Questions to consider:

    Who?

 Personality!

 Consider background & interests of individuals What?

 Establishing role(s) of each member is important  Do you really want “yes” men and women?

When?

 Time commitment – frequency/duration How?

 Dissemination of information/materials  Amount covered in each meeting

Added validity and accountability

 Self assessment – but what does “self” really mean?

 Internally driven  Supports and encourages staff development  Develops a shared vision among various constituents  Post assessment follow through  Are recommendations considered?

 What are the changes made?

 Timeframe for changes?

Who benefits?

 Students!

 All interested parties  Creates  Open communication  Sustainability  Working relationships

Practice Time

 Please get into groups of no larger than 10 by the following functional areas:  Assessment Services  Campus Activities Programs  Housing and Residential Life Programs  Multicultural Student Programs and Services  Orientation Programs  You will work on Part 1. Mission by accessing your office’s materials as best you can from the internet

Steps to get started tomorrow

       1. Get your supervisor on board 2. Decide if done as a team or individually   a. Brainstorm area to be involved and key people to invite from those areas b. Invite Committee members 3. Set a time frame 4. Decide your approach as a team 5. Get other staff members on board to provide evidence and set deadline(s) 6. Create an action plan with timelines 7. Write a summary report (if you want to)

Worksheet B

Post test time!

 What is CAS?

 What is a SAG?

 How comfortable do you feel leading a SAG review in your office?

References

 Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education. (2012). CAS professional standards for higher education (8 th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.  Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education. (2012). Council for the advancement of standards in higher education. Retrieved August 24, 2012. www.cas.edu.  Schuh, M. L., Upcraft, J. H., and Associates. (2001). Assessment practice in student affairs: An applications manual. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.  Upcraft, J. H. & Schuh, M. L. (1996). Assessment in student affairs: A guide for practitioners. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Questions?

 To Contact us:  Donna Lee Sullins  [email protected]  Jami Hall  [email protected]