Transcript Document

GETTING STARTED WITH
ASSESSMENT
Barbara Pennipede
Associate Director of Assessment
Office of Planning, Assessment and Research
Original Presentation 2002
Updated May, 2013 with new Mission statement & Action Plan
1
WORKSHOP TOPICS
What is assessment?
 Why is assessment important to Pace
University?
 Why assessment in Administrative and
Educational Support Units (AES)
 Steps in developing an assessment plan for
your unit.

2
What is assessment?

ASSESS (V): TO EXAMINE CAREFULLY

“Assessment is the systematic collection,
review and use of information about
educational programs undertaken for the
purpose of improving student learning and
development.”
( Marchese 1987)
3
The Importance of Assessment to
Pace University
To improve the effects of teaching on
student learning and development
 To examine and enhance institutional
effectiveness
 To advance the reputation and image of
Pace through the quality of its programs

4
The Importance of Assessment to
Pace University
To attract and retain qualified students
 To maintain and strengthen its standing
among its competitors
 To satisfy the requirements of accrediting
agencies

5
Statement by the Middle States
Commission

An accredited institution is characterized by:

Linkage of outcomes assessment to the
institution’s ongoing planning and resource
allocation process and to strategic efforts to
improve institutional quality.
6
Why Assessment in
Administrative and Education
Support Units?
 To
know if we are offering the right
services and how well we are
providing them
7
Reasons Often Cited
Effective linking of AES services to
academic programs
 Accreditation requirements
 Continuous quality improvement
 Institutional effectiveness

8
Administrative and Education
Support Units
Administrative



Provide services
which maintain the
institution
Are essential to its
operations
No direct impact on
instructional programs
Educational Support


May not be primarily
instructional or
academic
Contributes directly to
student learning or
instruction
9
Underlying Assumptions for
Assessment in AES
The primary aim of assessment is the
continuous improvement of campus
operations, especially as they support and
promote the University’s teaching and
learning environment
 Assessment is to be embedded as part of the
normal order of business
 Assessment will be a cyclic process and an
ongoing unit or programmatic activity.

10
Steps for Assessment Process







Establish a linkage to the University’s Mission
and Goals
Prepare the Unit Mission Statement
Formulate Measurable Objectives
Identify Activities and Strategies to Achieve
Objectives
Identify Unit Means of Assessment and Criteria
for Success
Conduct Assessment Activities
Document use of Results for Service
Improvements
11
The Pace University Mission
Statement
“To offer undergraduate and graduate education for a
broad range of professions, while providing a strong
foundation of liberal learning, thereby giving a highly
diverse population of students the opportunity to lift
their lives and prospects. Our objective is to create
thinking professionals who are highly sought after as
innovators and successful leaders, and who will
positively impact twenty-first century society.”
12
Augmented Pace Action Plan






Advance Academic Programs
Build a Culture of Community
Create Vibrant, Distinctive, and Collegial Campus
Identities
Build a Strong Financial Foundation and an
Efficient Infrastructure
Enhance Pace’s Visibility
Strengthen & Reinforce the Culture of
Accountability
13
Pace Mission Statement
Commitments
Offer education in a broad range of
professions
 Opportunity for highly diverse population
of students
 Provide a strong foundation of liberal
learning

14
Pace Mission Statement
Commitments continued…

Create thinking professionals who are
– Innovators
– Successful leaders

Create thinking professionals who will
– Positively impact 21st century society
15
Characteristics of Unit Mission
Statement
Describes the purpose of the unit, services
and clients
 Is brief in length
 Provides linkage to and support of
University mission and goals
 Is understood and accepted by employees
within the unit

16
Examples of AES Mission
Statements

Library

Office of Multicultural Affairs

Special Events office
17
Formulate AES Objectives

Purpose of objectives:
* support the Unit’s mission statement
* provide the linkage to the means of
assessment
18
Types of AES Objectives
Process Oriented
What unit intends to
Volume of unit activity accomplish
Efficiency
Compliance
What clients are able to do
Outcomes Oriented
after receiving AES services
Effectiveness
Attitudinal Oriented How satisfied are clients with
AES services
Satisfaction
19
Formulating Unit Administrative
Objectives
Administrative Objectives should be:
 Linked to the Unit Mission Statement
 Realistic
 Limited in number
 Measurable
20
Choosing the Short List of
Administrative Objectives
Administrative Objectives initially chosen
should be:
 Targeted on those areas that can be
improved using currently available
resources and personnel
 Related to the services the unit provides
 Relatively easy to assess within one cycle
 Directly under the control of the AES unit
21
Identifying the Means of
Assessment




“When” will assessment activities take place?
Where will we find information that will reflect
accomplishment of our objective?
Exactly “How” will the assessment be
accomplished?
“How well” should the unit perform on the means
of assessment identified, if the unit is functioning
the way it should?
22
Common Assessment Activities
Client satisfaction measures
 Direct counts
 Results of external evaluation
 Outcome measures

23
Unit Criteria of Success
Identify a reasonable level of service
improvement to expect given the resources
and personnel of the unit
 Set performance levels as reference points
or benchmarks
 Select a percentage of improvement for its
services
 Use peer institutions who provide the same
service to help identify

24
Use of Results for Service
Improvement
Changes in organizational structure
 Changes in process procedures
 Relations with the constituencies
 Changes in assessment procedures
 Changes to comply with regulatory
requirements
 Internal resource reallocation
 Justification for additional resources

25