1. Leading the Charge to Develop an Assessment Plan for Academic Advising
The Global Community for Academic Advising
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Leading the Charge to Develop an Assessment Plan for Academic Advising
Sallie Paschal, PhD
NACADA Administrator Institute
February, 2012

2. Assessment: The Basics
The Global Community for Academic Advising
Assessment: The Basics
Understanding Assessment
- Definitions of Assessment
- Purposes for Doing Assessment
- Evaluation versus Assessment
- Some Key Terms
Engaging in Assessment
Use of outcome data
Engaging your “learning team”

3. Assessment The Global Community for Academic Advising
“Assessment is a process that focuses on student learning, a process that involves reviewing and reflecting on practice as academics have always done, but in a more planned and careful way.”
(Ewell, 2000) 3

4. Assessment The Global Community for Academic Advising
“Assessment is an on-going process of collecting information* that is aimed at understanding and improving student learning and personal development.”
(Angelo, 1995)
* What we like to call “evidence” 4

5. Assessment The Global Community for Academic Advising
“Assessment is the systematic collection, review, and use of information about educational programs* undertaken for the purpose of improving student learning* and development.*”
(Marchese, 1993)
* Advising is part of the educational process, not simply a “service” 5

6. Assessment The Global Community for Academic Advising
Assessment for Academic Advising…
“Assessment is the process through which we gather evidence about the claims we are making with regard to student learning and the process/delivery of academic advising in order to inform and support improvement.”
(Campbell, 2008) 6

7. What is assessment – the intentions?
The Global Community for Academic Advising
What is assessment – the intentions?
Assessment is intended to be a positive process, yet its connotations are often negative.
The focus has often been on activities that demonstrate accountability to the exclusion of those that are aimed at improvement.
Our learning team can influence our perspective on and approach to assessment 7

8. Assessment has multiple purposes
The Global Community for Academic Advising
Assessment has multiple purposes
Program effectiveness
Program improvement
Program accountability
Activities aimed at both improvement and accountability are important
Most compelling purpose is “institutional curiosity” (Maki, 2002, 2004) i.e. student learning and development 8

9. Assessment is - The Global Community for Academic Advising
An on-going cycle of activity
A gathering of a variety of information and data
Using this feedback for improvement of individual or program performance
A team effort with faculty, staff, and administrators actively engaged
A complex practice
A practice that is more effective if you fully engage your learning team (Decode and FIT) 9

10. Academic Advising: Assessment Goals
The Global Community for Academic Advising
Academic Advising: Assessment Goals
Improving academic advising
process
delivery
programs
Enhancing student
success
persistence
retention
graduation 10

11. The Global Community for Academic Advising
“…a lack of assessment data can sometimes lead to policies and practices based on intuition, prejudice, preconceived notions, or personal proclivities – none of them desirable bases for making decisions.”
(Upcraft and Schuh, 2002) 11

12. Assessment or Evaluation?
The Global Community for Academic Advising
Assessment or Evaluation?
Assessment should be continuous and imbedded in the culture while evaluation is episodic
Assessment focuses on programmatic issues while evaluation focuses on individual performances of advisors 12

13. It’ s All About Learning and Leading!
Peggy Maki
Assessing For Learning
2004
Gather
Evidence
Identify
Outcomes Implement Change
Vision/Mission/Goals
Programmatic
Objectives
Interpret
Evidence

14. Identify Key Stakeholders and Involve Them in the Process
The Global Community for Academic Advising
Identify Key Stakeholders and Involve Them in the Process
Benefits of collaboration:
Building of a shared trust
Building of a shared motivation
Building of a shared language
Building of support for academic advising across the institution
Result is a shared ownership and belief in the process 14

15. Key terms: You know them!
The Global Community for Academic Advising
Key terms: You know them!
Vision
Mission
Goals
Outcomes
Process: articulate the expectations for how advising is delivered and what information should be delivered through the experience
Student Learning: what students know, do, and value as a result of the experience 15

16. Key terms: You know them! (almost)
The Global Community for Academic Advising
Key terms: You know them! (almost)
Mapping: the process of determining when, where, and how the outcomes for advising will be accomplished over the students’ academic careers. 16

17. Mapping the Learning Experience
The Global Community for Academic Advising
Mapping the Learning Experience
What should be learned: e.g. student will know the components of the institution’s General Education requirements
Where it should be learned: e.g. orientation sessions, advising sessions, personal reading of catalog or curriculum guide
When or By When it should be learned: e.g. prior to first year (orientation): by end of first year (via advising sessions): by end of first year (via reading) 17

18. …using multiple measure of varying types
The Global Community for Academic Advising
Once the desired process/delivery and student learning outcomes have been identified, as well as when and where the will occur, the next step is to determine who or what will be measured and how the data will be gathered…
…using multiple measure of varying types 18

19. Examples of Existing Tools
The Global Community for Academic Advising
Examples of Existing Tools
To be used as just one measure among multiple measures
ACT Survey of Academic Advising
Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory (SSI)
Winston and Sandor’s Academic Advising Inventory (AAI)
CAS Standards for Advising
Related/CASStandardsForAdvising.pdf
NACADA Assessment Commission 19

20. Measures can (and should) include existing institutional data!
The Global Community for Academic Advising
Measures can (and should) include existing institutional data!
Information from Institutional Research, Admissions, Registrar, etc. can provide tracking data, GPA’s, retention rates, and other information you can utilize as assessment data
This data can be a source of the multiple measures utilized (in addition to formal instruments, satisfaction inventories, and others). 20

21. Dangers of Satisfaction Surveys
The Global Community for Academic Advising
Dangers of Satisfaction Surveys
There is often a difference between an advisee receiving good, effective academic advising and being satisfied with the advising process:
Negative information exchanged during the session
Student “desires” for the advising session (informational, relational) 21

22. So I have data – now what!? The Global Community for Academic Advising
Sharing and acting on the results
- Interpret results regarding how they inform the advising process/delivery, student learning, and decision-making
- Determine with whom and how the results are reported
- Decide how you will implement changes based on the results
- START AGAIN! 22

23. So I have data – now what!? The Global Community for Academic Advising
Determine how and with whom the results will be shared
Administration
Faculty
Students
Budgeting entities
Accreditors 23

24. So I have data – now what!? The Global Community for Academic Advising
Interpret how results will inform decision making
Revise pedagogy or curriculum
Development of advisor training
Design more effective programming
Increase out of class learning opportunities
Shape institutional decision making, planning, resource allocation 24

25. So I have data – now what!? The Global Community for Academic Advising
Decide how you will follow-up on implemented changes
Timetable to implement changes
Assessment of implemented changes
Continuous assessment 25

26. So I have data – now what!? The Global Community for Academic Advising
Professional development implications
Using assessment to inform and support professional development
Revise advisor training/development as needed
Demonstrate the need for additional training and development
Demonstrate the need for additional resources 26

27. So I have data – now what!? The Global Community for Academic Advising
Building a Culture and Capacity for Assessment
The Culture
Commitment
Communication
Collaboration
The Capacity
Support
Fully engage Learning/Leading paradigm 27

28. At the end of the day…assessment of academic advising is all about…
The Global Community for Academic Advising
At the end of the day…assessment of academic advising is all about…
Developing consensus around collective expectations about student learning
Gathering evidence in order to understand student learning
Using this evidence to support improvements in advising that will contribute to improvements in student learning and success 28

29. The Global Community for Academic Advising
Thank you!