CNS 610: Assessment and Accountability in Student Affairs and Higher Education
Spring 2009

Assessment issues in higher education have become critically important on college campuses and assessment is becoming an integral part of how we work and make decisions in higher education.  It is imperative for future student affairs practitioners to be knowledgeable about assessment, to have skills to construct and manage assessment activities, and to have the ability to demonstrate how assessment promotes continuous improvement.

This course will cover the fundamental concepts of comprehensive assessment in student affairs and higher education with an emphasis on program or service assessment and accountability.  The purpose of this course is to promote the understanding of assessment and program evaluation in enhancing practice and accountability. The course will focus on how to utilize assessment to improve practice and to demonstrate the effectiveness of programs, as well as to provide opportunities to effectively assess various dimensions of the college experience.

Course Objectives:

During this course, students should develop the knowledge and skills needed to:  

• Understand the benefits and importance of assessment and evaluation in student affairs and its impact on practice and accountability.
• Gain an understanding of accountability, program assessment, and evaluation as related to student services and programming in higher education.
• Develop skills to incorporate an evaluation component into the design of educational programs and student learning experiences.
• Examine aspects of comprehensive program assessment.
• Gain knowledge about various measures to conduct assessment and evaluation.
• Learn how to write and report program assessment results.
• Learn how to design and carry out a systematic assessment of an issue and or a program in a unit within student affairs.

Required Texts:

• Upcraft, M.L. & Schuh, J.L. (1996). Assessment in student affairs: A guide for practitioners. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.
• Schuh, J.H. (2009).  Assessment methods for student affairs.  San Francisco: Jossey Bass.

Course Requirements:

All assignments should be prepared following APA format.  All assignments must be turned in by the due date unless prior arrangements are made.  Each assignment will be graded on the following criteria:

• Accurate formatting, referencing, and style
• Organization and an exhibition of clarity of ideas and thoughts as well as critical thinking
• Soundness of analysis
• Proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling. 

Assignment: Article Critiques
Select 2 refereed journal articles to analyze and prepare a written critique (2002 or later).  For content:

• Summarize the key points of the article (very brief).
• What’s the research design/method used? Describe the characteristics of the population studied?   What instruments were used?  What did the author(s) measure?
• What type of data analysis was conducted?  What statistical analysis was conducted?  Was the information discussed and described clearly and accurately?
• What were the study’s findings? Were conclusions well grounded in the findings?
• Respond to the article and provide your perspective on the issue.
• What are the implications of this article in the field of Student Affairs?
• Offer a thoughtful reaction to the article.

Due dates: February 12, 2009 & March 19, 2009

 Assignment: Complete the Online Easy Survey Package Workshop
Proof of completion due by February 26, 2009
Prerequisite: None
Duration: 30-60 minutes
 
Instructions: Please register for the Easy Survey Package Workshop through the IT Training tab inside Blackboard at http://ecourses.wku.edu. You will have access to the workshop immediately upon completing registration.
 
Description: Easy Survey Package is web-based survey creation/distribution software that is supported by the IT Division.  Training for Easy Survey Package covers access to the website, creation of surveys and how to use the program to distribute surveys to a response community. The training also covers how to view survey results
and export them in a format that Microsoft Excel or SPSS can use.

Assignment:  Create a survey
For your survey, you can use a combination of approaches (open-ended questions, multiple choice, rating scales, etc.) as you create it.  Be sure to establish an objective (what do you want to find out) and then work to frame your survey with questions designed to get your respondents to give you the information you need.  Once you collect the data, interpret your results, and write a synopsis of your findings and relevant implications.
Due date: March 5, 2009

Assignment: Assessment Project & Presentation
Each individual will choose a unit within the division of Student Affairs and conduct an Assessment Plan.  Please note that if more than one student selects the same unity, each student will write an individual plan for the selected unit.  Each individual will conduct a presentation to the class in which your classmates will provide a peer review and feedback.
Due date: April 23, 2009 for Assessment Project
Due date: April 30, 2009 & March 7, 2009 for Presentations

Class Participation: Everyone is expected to participate in class discussions and group activities.  To meet the aforementioned learning objectives, students must be present and actively participate in the discussions and experiential aspects of the course. If students are unable to attend class because of an emergency or other similar circumstance, you are expected to notify the instructor in advance.

Grading Profile & Weight of Assignments:

Final grades will be based on the following scale:

The weight of the required course assignments are:

Course Information:

WKU Resources:

• The Technology Resource Center is a hands-on digital media facility for students and faculty. Specialized equipment and software are available, along with friendly, knowledgeable technical support and consultation. The center provides WKU students and faculty with the resources to create outstanding digital multimedia projects to support teaching, learning, and academic class work.   Appointments are encouraged. Call Josh Marble, Technology Consultant, at 270.745.3755 to schedule your visit.  The center is also open for unscheduled walk-in users, but you will not be guaranteed a seat nor the exact training you might require based on the availability of staff. Bring a plan for your project, a valid WKU ID, and media to save your work.  Hours of operation are Monday through Friday 8am until 4:30pm.

ASSESSMENT PROJECT & PRESENTATION

Develop an assessment plan for a selected program, service, initiative, or activity in a Student Affairs unit.  You must meet with the Student Affairs unit to discuss your proposed assessment plan.  Class notes, textbooks, journal articles, and all relevant assessment resources should be utilized for this assignment.  Your assignment should be in APA structure, specific to formatting and citations. 

1. Introduction. Provide an overview of your assessment plan in your selected student affairs/student service setting.
   1. Outline what you plan to assess (what you want to know).  Provide a description of the selected program, the unit’s mission, service, initiative, or activity’s goals, objectives, and background. 
   2. Summarize the importance that this assessment and your
      evaluation will have on student learning and development as well as on your selected student affairs unit.
   3. State the overall objective of your assessment plan (tie it in with the unit’s mission, goals, and objectives) and the specific accomplishments you hope to achieve.
   4. Indicate the rationale for your plan and review pertinent work already
      published that is relevant to your assessment plan and your proposed approach (support your rationale with academic and research literature). 
2. Approach.  Clearly outline the general plan.  Structure the proposal in a series of identifiable tasks and outline the phasing of the assessment.
   1. Describe the sample/population from which you will collect data.
   2. State intended outcomes/learning outcomes (describe what students
      must know and do).
   3. Describe in detail your method and data analysis.
   4. If your design involves human subjects (i.e., interviews, focus groups, survey, etc.).  You must include a copy of your proposed informed consent document.
3. Schedule and Management. Provide a schedule for completion of the assessment plan and reports.
   1. The assessment timeframe should be indicated for phases or
      segments, as applicable, as well as for the overall program.
   2. A timeframe/schedule should be shown in terms of calendar months from anticipated start date of the assessment plan to the end.
   3. Personnel involvement- Describe who will manage the assessment
      process.
   4. Indicate anticipated/estimated cost.
      
4. Implications. Outline the significance that this assessment will have in the field of student affairs/higher education and how this plan will contribute to continuous improvement.
5. Conduct a presentation of your assessment plan.  Each student will make an oral presentation of his or her assessment plan to the class (Length 10-12 minutes). The class will conduct a peer evaluation and provide feedback based on the oral presentation.  Each student will also share a copy of a condensed summary of the assessment plans.  If two or more students have selected the same unit, you will present your individual assessment plans as a unit (to avoid repetitiveness).

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions with developing your assessment plan.