Transcript Slide 1

OUTCOMES ASSESSMENT IN
PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT:
CREATING A PEER MENTOR PROGRAM
AT A DISTANCE LEARNING INSTITUTION
JENNI L. DAVILA (BRIAN), ED.S.
STEPHEN M. NETTLES, PH.D.
APRIL 24, 2014
WSCUC ACADEMIC RESOURCE CONFERENCE
ABOUT ASHFORD UNIVERSITY
• Total enrollment is over 55,000 students
• 99% online students
• Non-traditional
• Adult learners
• High transfer credits
• Financially independent from parents
• Four colleges: Education; Forbes School of
Business; Health, Human Services, and Science;
Liberal Arts
• Associate’s, Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees
• WSCUC Accredited
BACKGROUND
• Ashford University has committed to
improving its year-over-year student
retention rate.
• Student Affairs is seeking institutional
approval to establish a peer mentor
program for adult, online learners.
• The purpose (outcome) of this initiative is to
increase student progression and retention.
HOW DO YOU EAT AN ELEPHANT?
THE JOURNEY
• Analyses of control and test groups to determine impact of
CHAMPS Peer Mentor Program on student progression
and year-over-year retention
• Mentor and mentee selection
• Student and staff feedback on CHAMPS Peer Mentor
Program structure
• Program refinement based on data
• Present case to President’s Cabinet to request institutional
approval and support
• On-going continuous improvement
Communicate
results to
stakeholders
Identify
opportunities
for
improvement
Institutional
report on
impact
Develop
systemic
solutions
Departmental
report on
impact
Obtain
approval
Implement
solution[s]
CONTINUOUS
IMPROVEMENT
CYCLE
THE FRAMEWORK
Upcraft & Schuh’s Dimensions of Assessment (Assessment
in Student Affairs, 1996)
1. Tracking usage of programs/services
2. Assessing student needs
3. Assessing student satisfaction
4. Assessing campus environments
5. Assessing student cultures
6. Assessing program and service outcomes
7. Benchmarking
8. Measuring effectiveness against professional standards
THE FRAMEWORK, CONTINUED
•
•
•
•
Formative & summative assessment
Voice of the student, faculty, and staff
Point-in-time & transactional
Benchmarking internally & externally
THE TOOLS
• Assessment plan matrix
• Key questions
• Existing and needed data
• Reporting and communication
• Continuous improvement plan
• Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)
QUESTIONS?
The template referenced during this presentation is
available electronically through the WSCUC ARC
website.
Contact Information
Jenni L. Davila, Ed.S.
Ashford University
[email protected]
Stephen M. Nettles, Ph.D.
Ashford University
[email protected]
LinkedIn: Jenni Davila (Brian)
Twitter: @JenniLDavila
LinkedIn: Steve Nettles
SO…..
HOW DO YOU EAT AN
ELEPHANT?
One…
wait for it….
…bite at a time!