How many of us have been to department, division, or university meetings when someone says "it's time to assess the climate on our campus?" As those discussions progress, statements of wide inclusion of campus stakeholders, issue identification, exploring good practices at other institutions, student representation, and deploying campus wide surveys to the entire college or university community dominate the conversation.
Our good friends at StudentVoice have developed great resources for us to ask some of those "good practice" questions, examine a host of surveys developed for similar purposes, and even offer us the ability to benchmark our climate issues against other institutions. Now, don't get me wrong, those resources are fabulous but are there other ways to get our heads around the issues of the day on our campuses?
We've all heard about the technique of "management by walking around" as a means of improving supervisor/employee relations and getting a handle on issues that don't usually surface from email, office meetings or those issue based Facebook groups. Can we employ unconventional but effective assessment techniques that can get our heads quickly around campus climate based issues? How about assessment by walking (or running) around the campus?
For those of you out there I have had the privilege of meeting, you know that I am a long time runner. For my assessment friends who are snickering right now, it is true that race awards I get these days tend to be in the "old guy who finished the race still alive category” but my point is that I get several opportunities a week to observe large numbers of students and student behaviors as I run on the streets, sidewalks and wooded paths. What could I find out about important issues impacting our students (and brainstorm intervention ideas) if I wore my assessment hat while winding my way through the campus?
Since finals time is right around the corner, let me try to illustrate what that week looks like on my campus and after some thought, what student issues appear to emerge.
Monday:
The first day of finals is much like the first day of class. There is a lot of nervous energy on the campus and cell phones are conspicuously absent as students can be seen in pairs walking to class chatting away, perhaps about their upcoming tests. What catches my attention is that many students are “dressing for success” which is also a first day of class behavior. Could this be a part of their test preparation strategy? If I look good maybe I’ll get a better grade? I turn a corner in the road and see students, more often alone than not, heading back to the parking decks, not looking very happy. It looks like the “dress for success” strategy didn’t work out very well. What implications can I bring back to my learning center colleagues about test-taking strategy workshops de-bunking that strategy?
Tuesday:
The first thing I notice today is that student dress is now back to normal. Maybe they learned that dress does not translate well into good grades. I also notice that they are more likely to be walking alone today and looking down on the ground with an intensity that looks like they are reviewing course material in their minds. Success, I think, they may have actually studied the night before! On leaving classes, they march quickly and purposefully back to their cars. I’m getting a little nervous running in the road as I see the cell phones come out while driving as they plan their next move and not paying attention to pedestrians.
Wednesday and Thursday:
The social fabric binding students together appears to be disappearing. Speaking of fabric, clothes appear more rumpled like they were pulling an all-nighter cramming for the day’s exams. Another word to my learning center colleagues about study strategies appears to be in order here. Students no longer are observed in groups or even talking or texting others. Caffeine and nicotine use is rapidly increasing with more students drinking venti sized coffees and super size sodas. What could I pass along to our health educators about including how to handle stress better during peak stress times as part of their smoking cessation classes. Could we create some activities on campus with healthy snacks and give students a change to de-stress? I find that it is no longer safe to run on the roads as students are trying to leave the campus as quickly as they can and are not yielding to old guys running on the side of the road. I send out a warning to my fellow runners.
Friday:
Exhaustion and resignation appear to rule the day as we now see the direct opposite of dress from Monday. Students, clearly on the edge, trudge singularly and slowly like cattle to the last set of finals that await this day. Sleep deprivation, caffeine and nicotine are no longer working and the students look resigned to their fate. On the way back, muttered curses are heard and the smell of burning rubber is in the air as students peel out of the parking lots and decks to head for home. I no longer believe the sidewalks are safe to run on as a few students frown at me as they pass by. Could they be thinking, “here’s the guy who gave me a D yesterday, can I take him out with my car?” I’m probably imagining things but I’m real careful crossing the street today, and quickly!
The campus becomes quiet and solemn as the afternoon progresses and another finals cycle ends. What behaviors or climate issues could we uncover if we purposefully opened our eyes and observed our students during peak stress times or other critical events on our campus? In this case, what can we do to better prepare our students for the rigors and stresses of finals? Do we need committees, surveys or focus groups to figure everything out or perhaps could we start by doing a better job opening our eyes and ears to our campuses and students?
Assessment by walking around? Why not!
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