Assessment of Assessment of Academic Academic AdvisingAdvising

Assessing for Excellence Assessing for Excellence ConferenceConference

Central Carolina Community CollegeCentral Carolina Community College

Joni Pavlik & Brian MerrittJoni Pavlik & Brian MerrittApril 16, 2008April 16, 2008

INTRODUCTIONSINTRODUCTIONS• Who are you?Who are you?• Where is CCCC in its assessment of Where is CCCC in its assessment of

advising?advising?

• Most importantly…Most importantly…

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO ATTEND THIS SESSION?ATTEND THIS SESSION?

Student learning begins with Student learning begins with academic advising!academic advising!

• What are your ideal characteristics What are your ideal characteristics of an academic advisor?of an academic advisor?

• What are the ideal characteristics What are the ideal characteristics of a academic advisee?of a academic advisee?

• How do you currently assess How do you currently assess academic advising?academic advising?

FIRST FIRST IMPRESSIONS…IMPRESSIONS…

ASSESSMENT ASSESSMENT ACTIVITY…ACTIVITY…

• Each attendee:Each attendee: Please complete the distributed Please complete the distributed survey to assess your college’s survey to assess your college’s current academic advising model.current academic advising model.

– What are some areas in which your What are some areas in which your college needs improvement?college needs improvement?

– Have you implemented successful Have you implemented successful methods to assess your own methods to assess your own academic advising programs?academic advising programs?

DEFINITION OF DEFINITION OF ASSESSMENTASSESSMENT

• Ewell (2000) defines assessment as a Ewell (2000) defines assessment as a process that focuses on student process that focuses on student learning. It is a process that involves learning. It is a process that involves reviewing and reflecting on practice reviewing and reflecting on practice as academics have always done, but in as academics have always done, but in a more planned and careful way.a more planned and careful way.

– ASSESSMENT IS NOT:ASSESSMENT IS NOT:•OnlyOnly about measurement! about measurement!•OnlyOnly about performance evaluation! about performance evaluation!•SolelySolely administrative! administrative!•An easy or quick process!An easy or quick process!

ASSESSMENT IS…ASSESSMENT IS…• Evidence-Driven:Evidence-Driven:

Relies on multiple measurements, both Relies on multiple measurements, both descriptive and inferentialdescriptive and inferential

• Formative rather than summative:Formative rather than summative:Data should be influential and used Data should be influential and used proactivelyproactively

• A process of reasoning from evidenceA process of reasoning from evidence

• Always, Always, to some degreeto some degree, imprecise, imprecise

ASSESSMENT ASSESSMENT TRIANGLE…TRIANGLE…

OBSERVATION INTERPRETATION

COGNITION

Cognition, observation, and interpretation must be explicitly connected and designed

as a coordinated whole.

ASSESSMENT OF ASSESSMENT OF ADVISING…ADVISING…

• Assessment is the process through Assessment is the process through which we gather evidence about the which we gather evidence about the claims we are making with regard to claims we are making with regard to student learning and the student learning and the process/delivery of academic advising process/delivery of academic advising in order to inform and support in order to inform and support improvement.improvement.

• Assessment is multi-level, relational Assessment is multi-level, relational and a continuous and collective and a continuous and collective process with multiple points of entry!process with multiple points of entry!

LEVELS OF LEVELS OF ASSESSMENTASSESSMENT

INSTITUTIONAL LEVEL

ADVISING PROGRAM LEVEL

ADVISING EXPERIENCE LEVEL

Adapted from Peggy Maki, Assessment for Learning, 2004

RELATIONAL NATURE RELATIONAL NATURE OF ASSESSMENTOF ASSESSMENT

INSTITUTIONAL VISION AND MISSION

SCHOOL/COLLEGE/DIVISION VISION

MISSION, GOALS, & PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

ADVISING PROGRAM VISION, MISSION GOALS,

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

THE ASSESSMENT THE ASSESSMENT CYCLECYCLE

INTERPRET EVIDENCE

IMPLEMENT CHANGE

IDENTIFY OUTCOMES

GATHER EVIDENCE

MISSION/GOALS/

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

YOUR ASSESSMENT YOUR ASSESSMENT PLAN…PLAN…

• PART I: PART I: Purpose & StakeholdersPurpose & Stakeholders

• PART II: PART II: Values, Visions, Missions, Values, Visions, Missions, Goals, & Programmatic Goals, & Programmatic

ObjectivesObjectives

• PART III: PART III: Outcomes, Mapping, Outcomes, Mapping, Gathering Evidence, Gathering Evidence,

and and Setting Levels of Setting Levels of Expected Expected PerformancePerformance

• PART IV:PART IV:Sharing & ActingSharing & Acting

PART I: PART I: Purpose & Purpose & StakeholdersStakeholders

• What is your purpose? What is your purpose? – Your purpose and reasons for Your purpose and reasons for

remodeling your advising model remodeling your advising model determines what and how evidence determines what and how evidence will be gathered!will be gathered!

• Who needs to be involved?Who needs to be involved?– Who are the stakeholders to be Who are the stakeholders to be

influenced and affected by the influenced and affected by the purpose?purpose?

PART II: PART II: Values, Visions, Values, Visions, MissionsMissions Objectives Objectives

• What are your institutional values What are your institutional values concerning academic advising?concerning academic advising?

– Values reflect what your school Values reflect what your school considers important regarding the considers important regarding the issue.issue.

– Use the NACADA Core Values as a Use the NACADA Core Values as a framework for developing your own framework for developing your own mission statements:mission statements:• http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Clearinghouse/http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Clearinghouse/

AdvisingIssues/Core-values.htmAdvisingIssues/Core-values.htm

PART II: PART II: VALUES EXAMPLEVALUES EXAMPLE

• Academic advising at ____ reflects Academic advising at ____ reflects the college’s commitment to the college’s commitment to student learning, persistence, and student learning, persistence, and success by: success by: – Supporting and facilitating intentional Supporting and facilitating intentional

connections between students and the connections between students and the college’s resources and people.college’s resources and people.

– Promoting an ethical and honest Promoting an ethical and honest partnership between students and partnership between students and their academic advisors.their academic advisors.

PART II: PART II: MISSIONMISSION

• Reflects on your school’s purposeReflects on your school’s purpose• May be multi-level – college, department, May be multi-level – college, department,

unit, etc.unit, etc.– Identifies purpose, consistent with college Identifies purpose, consistent with college

mission, long-range, repeatable, not measurablemission, long-range, repeatable, not measurable

EXAMPLEEXAMPLE• At ____, academic advising is an intentional, At ____, academic advising is an intentional,

educational partnership between advisors and educational partnership between advisors and students. Grounded in teaching and learning and students. Grounded in teaching and learning and approached from a developmental perspective, it is a approached from a developmental perspective, it is a multi-dimensional process that respects students’ multi-dimensional process that respects students’ diverse backgrounds, interests, and abilities while diverse backgrounds, interests, and abilities while facilitating identification and achievement of facilitating identification and achievement of educational, life, and career goals.educational, life, and career goals.

PART II: PART II: GOALS & GOALS & OBJECTIVESOBJECTIVES

• GoalsGoals:: Specific long-range Specific long-range expressions of the desired future expressions of the desired future state of the advising program state of the advising program providing guidance for action and providing guidance for action and not directly measurable.not directly measurable.

• ObjectivesObjectives:: Articulate expectations Articulate expectations regarding how academic advising is regarding how academic advising is delivered and what students are delivered and what students are expected to demonstrate they know expected to demonstrate they know and can do.and can do.

PART III: PART III: OUTCOMESOUTCOMES

• Process/Delivery OutcomesProcess/Delivery Outcomes articulate articulate expectations for how academic advising expectations for how academic advising is delivered and what information should is delivered and what information should be delivered through the academic be delivered through the academic advising experience.advising experience.– Related to the program objectivesRelated to the program objectives

• Student Learning OutcomesStudent Learning Outcomes demonstrate demonstrate what students are expected to know, do, what students are expected to know, do, and value as a result of the academic and value as a result of the academic advising experience.advising experience.

PART III: PART III: MAPPING & MAPPING & GATHERINGGATHERING

• MAPPING:MAPPING: Map out your learning Map out your learning outcomes considering the following—outcomes considering the following—who, what, when, where, and how.who, what, when, where, and how.

• GATHERING:GATHERING: Depending on your Depending on your current advising model, develop current advising model, develop methods to gather data on the: methods to gather data on the: 1.) Institutional1.) Institutional2.) Advising Program2.) Advising Program3.) Advising Experience level3.) Advising Experience level

(Remember the Levels of Assessment (Remember the Levels of Assessment triangle!)triangle!)

PART IV: PART IV: SHARING & SHARING & ACTINGACTING

• When you gather your data, always When you gather your data, always share the results with others:share the results with others:– Do you have an advising committee?Do you have an advising committee?

• Seek to refine your advising model Seek to refine your advising model using your data, and continue using your data, and continue assessing your gathering methods assessing your gathering methods using input from all departments using input from all departments of the college!of the college!

PART IV: PART IV: LET’S SHARE AND ACT LET’S SHARE AND ACT

NOW!NOW!• Think about your current advising Think about your current advising

model. What is model. What is oneone important important learning outcomelearning outcome your college your college should adopt?should adopt?

– Write it down.Write it down.– Find a partner that you don’t know.Find a partner that you don’t know.

Let’s generate some ideas….Let’s generate some ideas….

SOME PRACTICAL SOME PRACTICAL IDEAS…IDEAS…

• An Advising SyllabusAn Advising Syllabus• Display results of advising surveys Display results of advising surveys

around campus—Always make sure around campus—Always make sure to share with students how they are to share with students how they are part of the assessment processpart of the assessment process

• Adapt a meaningful student Adapt a meaningful student orientationorientation

• Begin an assessment timeline to Begin an assessment timeline to track improvements in advisingtrack improvements in advising

Always Important to Always Important to Remember…Remember…

• Student CharacteristicsStudent Characteristics– Who is being served?Who is being served?

• Student NeedsStudent Needs– What will make them successful?What will make them successful?

• Student SatisfactionStudent Satisfaction– Are their needs being met?Are their needs being met?

REFERENCESREFERENCES

• NACADA Institute Conference PacketNACADA Institute Conference Packet• NACADA Website: NACADA Website:

http://www.nacada.ksu.eduhttp://www.nacada.ksu.edu• NACADA Core Values Statement:NACADA Core Values Statement:

– http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Clearinghouse/Clearinghouse/AdvisingIssues/Core-values.htmAdvisingIssues/Core-values.htm

• Upcraft, M.L. & Schuh, J.H. (1996). Upcraft, M.L. & Schuh, J.H. (1996). Assessment in Student Affairs: A Assessment in Student Affairs: A Guide for Practitioners. San Guide for Practitioners. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Assessment of Assessment of Academic Academic AdvisingAdvising

Assessing for Excellence Assessing for Excellence ConferenceConference

Central Carolina Community CollegeCentral Carolina Community College

Joni Pavlik & Brian MerrittJoni Pavlik & Brian MerrittApril 16, 2008April 16, 2008