As we are winding down another semester of programs, classes, conferences, reports, and any number of other things that come across our desks, I was thinking about how busy we in student affairs continue to be. Even one of our student workers commented on the quantity of assessments we are initiating and processing late in the semester. Staff in my Division are getting that crazed look in their eyes as they count down the number of days until graduation (Don’t tell them I said that.) In our office, summer is no longer a time of leisure, planning, and stress-free reflection. It’s almost as busy as the regular semesters. (I’d like to think that means staff have learned the value of assessment and have integrated it into their programs.) So, we get caught up in the day-to day rush and frequently push the important-but-not-urgent things to the background.

All that said, I wanted to emphasize the importance of taking time to reflect on your accomplishments this year. Maybe you initiated an assessment planning process in your department, created and assessed a new program, received continued funding for an important service because you could provide evidence of its value. Heck, maybe just one person said, “Thanks for listening to my opinion” in a focus group or said, “This assessment thing isn’t so bad after all.” Here are some ideas to help you end the term on a reflective note:

• Make a list of what you have accomplished, both quantitatively and qualitatively. Not only include numbers (how many projects, percent of people who reported satisfaction, etc.), include things that are good stories (you created a positive relationship with the institutional research director, a staff member actually volunteered to lead an assessment project, a student in a focus group indicated a particular office had a positive impact on his/her learning, etc.).
• Schedule some uninterrupted time to reflect by yourself. Maybe even schedule reflection time for the future. I find that if it’s not on my calendar it doesn’t exist. Try scheduling a 30 minute meeting with yourself on your calendar for three weeks from today. During this time, think about what you learned from the past year/recent program, what went well, what you might change for the future….
• Schedule time for group reflection. That could include talking at staff meetings (be sure to document decisions in meeting minutes), scheduling time during a retreat for an organized activity, or meeting over breakfast. Perhaps it’s as easy as asking, “What do we need to stop, start, and continue?”

Now that you have wound down, it’s time to gear up. (I hear you saying, “Wait, I just started to wind down!”) While some people can separate planning and assessment, I see them inextricably tied together. Taking the time to reflect is good, but I also like to see action from that reflection. As most of us do enter a slightly less hectic period over the summer, it is a great time to start planning. Not just planning the programs and services, but planning the assessment, too. Here are some things that you can do to enter into the planning process:

• For each program, service, or unit review the mission, the main activities, and the goals. Look for alignment and continued relevance.
• Gather assessment that you have already done—including your reflections.
• Brainstorm how you might assess each one of those things. Think beyond a traditional survey. What other methods might work—focus group, observation, reflective journal, secret shopper, rubric, document review, photography, cost-benefit analysis…?
• Develop a timeline and a plan to implement the assessment. Pay attention to any resources (human, fiscal, physical, etc.) that you might need, so you have time to garner them. If you are developing a homegrown assessment such as a survey, add enough time for creating the right questions, piloting the project, and getting Institutional Review Board approval as needed. Pad your timeline to accommodate unexpected barriers.
• Go forth and assess! Don’t worry if it’s not perfect the first time. That’s what the next time is for….

Whew! That was easy, right? Maybe not, but you’ve made it this far. I hear a lot of talk these days about closing the loop. What’s the loop? Is it good to be in the loop? Or, is the loop closing in on you like the young cow in the calf-roping competition at the rodeo? (I admit I sometime cheer for the calf.) Here’s the gist of closing the loop—not only are we expected to assess, we are expected to take action on the outcomes of assessment (even if it continuing what we are currently doing), and we are supposed to document those changes. Sometime that documentation seems like an onerous step when we are ready to move on to our next program, project, meeting, or crisis. But, think about it like this—when you started your job and inherited the structure, did you wonder why things were done a particular way, if things had always been done that way, if anyone had tried something different, if you knew there was some sort of positive impact in the past? If the person before you closed the loop, you would have that information at your fingertips or a mouse click. You probably would have/did appreciate that information. So, if you left your position tomorrow, would the next person have that information or would he/she spend time trying to figure that out? This is the job search season in student affairs and I would venture to guess there are a lot of people coming and going without thinking about closing the loop. Here are some non-strenuous ideas to work up to closing the loop:

• Develop a table in Word or Excel that keeps track of your assessment projects. Have simple headings that keep track of title, date, method, audience, results, changes and whatever else you think is important. Note the changes that you have made based on the assessment results.
• Commit to documenting changes on a regular basis that fits your style. That could be spending 5 minutes a day, 15 minutes a week, once a month, one month after completing an assessment project. Put it on your calendar and honor that commitment.
• Ask involved staff members to tell you what changes they have made. It could be through an e-mail prompt, discussion at a one-on-one (be sure to note it writing somewhere associated with the assessment), or staff retreat.
• If it is a recurring program you probably have some sort of notebook/file or end of year report. Be sure the assessment and closing the loop are a prominent part of that. Read that part as you reflect and begin planning for next year….Don’t be afraid to change the program or the assessment method for next time.

Don’t let assessment stress you out. It doesn’t have to be a burden, especially if you can break it down into manageable pieces that fit your work style. Integrate it as a part of what you do, and it will become a habit, just like your morning coffee or taking your dog for an evening walk.

Recently, I had a wonderful opportunity to visit with the Division of Student Affairs at the University of Florida. Doug, from Student Voice, also joined in the day’s events. They have made assessment one of their strategic priorities, and, in an effort to get everyone on the same page, sponsored an Assessment Boot Camp. Over 100 of their staff attended the five hour training event, which was divided into a beginning track and an advanced track. This was the largest attended professional development program they had hosted in a long time.

After reflecting on the event, there are several important things I would suggest to begin to get assessment integrated into the culture of an organization. Assessment is a journey, not a destination; so there is a beginning point, but not an ending point.  

Organizational leadership needs to emphasize the importance of assessment and the direction it should take. In addition, they need to set realistic yet high expectations. Some people think that assessment is the same as performance evaluation, but it is really important to separate the results of an assessment project from personal job performance.  

To jump start assessment, sometimes it helps to have an intensive group learning experience. I think people sometimes underestimate their own knowledge of assessment (which is not the same as their knowledge of statistics), so making assessment inclusive and non-threatening is critical.  Learning needs to be a fun and positive experience. That could be in the form of a theme, speaker, food, prizes, etc.  Florida used a Boot Camp theme, but they didn’t even have to develop that theme much. So, be as creative as you want to be.

Planning an event takes time to determine the content and speakers. Having an assessment team or committee can provide resources. To role model the assessment process, the planning team should develop learning outcomes of the event and determine how to assess the learning. Find interesting and knowledgeable speakers. Provide handouts and resources if applicable to give people something tangible to show for the day. The Division of Student Affairs at UF posted the handouts on a website, so everyone had access to them.  

In terms of content, look at standards (which could be ACPA’s Assessment Skills and Knowledge Standards), books on specific topics, models used by other institutions, etc. What’s important to your campus? Logically, where does it make sense to start?  If you have enough time, you could always do a needs assessment to understand where your staff are in terms of knowledge and skills. At the University of Florida, there were 45-minute sessions on writing and assessing learning outcomes, qualitative vs. quantitative methodologies, focus groups, creating surveys, finding ready made instruments and more.

At some point in the process of developing an assessment culture, campuses need to define their own language related to assessment. Sometimes that conversation takes place on the campus level, but it may be done on a division level as well. It is beneficial for everyone to have the same definitions and explanations. Fortunately, you can look at other institutions, publications, and the internet for examples. 

The biggest suggestion: just do it! Get started somewhere, anywhere, and go from there. People are hungry for information and resources.