The document outlines the development of an assessment plan for student life departments at Maryville University. It describes creating modules to help student life professionals assess student learning outcomes, activities, and tools. The modules were successful and helped student life and academic affairs assess learning. Next steps include creating additional modules, continuing to link curricular and co-curricular assessment, and aligning with AAC&U initiatives. Assessment is now an ongoing, evolving process used to improve student programs and learning.

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The Office of Student Life is responsible for the oversight of 7
departments: Office of Multicultural Programs, Personal Counseling,
Health and Wellness, Office of Student Involvement, Campus Ministry and
Community Service, Residential Life and Athletics.
The division has had its share of assessment tries and misses. In 2007
Student Life implemented its first assessment plan following the guidelines
outlined by CAS Professional Standards for Higher Education. As with
many assessment efforts, data were collected and reports were written, but
despite its best efforts the division was unable to maintain its momentum.
In 2011 the institution began a series of initiatives to create a culture of
assessment that would extend to all areas on campus. A university-wide
assessment committee was created with the goal of creating cohesion and
unity across campus. Student Life was invited to be a contributing
member; serving at the table with colleagues in academic affairs to assist
in the development of a campus-wide of culture of assessment.
The Assistant Dean of Students position was created and filled in the
summer of 2011 with the goal of having representation on the university-
wide committee and to develop an assessment model to assist directors in
Student Life with the task of proving and improving student learning in the
co-curricular.
Additional financial resources were allocated for the implementation of the
assessment plan including conference and institute support, books and
other assessment resources, and webinars.
Introduction
Research and Development
Modules were developed to assist Student Life professionals with
developing and implementing an assessment plan. Below is an overview of
the modules.
Module One: Writing Learning Outcomes
Bloom’s Taxonomy was used as the basis for writing measurable learning
outcomes.
Module Two: Developing Learning Activities
Continuing with Bloom’s Taxonomy as a foundation, module 2 focused on
developing learning activities that corresponded with the learning
outcomes developed in module 1.
Module Three: Assessing Learning Outcomes
This module provided a framework for determining the best assessment
tools to use for the learning outcomes and learning activities chosen.
Assessment Project
Module Four: Analyzing and Reporting Assessment Results
The fourth and final module explained analysis and reporting methods for
quantitative and qualitative data. Additionally, reporting data and utilizing
assessment results was presented.
What did we learned about our programs? We learned that the work we do
in Student Life adds value to the collegiate experience of the students with
whom we work. While not all learning outcomes were achieved within the
first year, many of those that were set for the first year were. We learned
the importance of both formative and summative assessment tools in order
to continue program improvement for optimal learning.
What have we learned about ourselves? We learned that we are able to
assess student learning just like our colleagues in academic affairs, but in
ways that are best suited for student affairs. We learned that while
assessment takes more time and effort, it assists us in being better
professionals for our students and the departments we oversee.
What have we learned about assessment? We learned that assessment is not
as scary as we originally thought. We learned that if we take it piece by
piece it is an endeavor that can be accomplished and can be rewarding. We
learned that assessment data is integral to the work we do with our
students. It is the only way of knowing if what we think students should be
learning is actually taking place.
Findings
Next Steps
The success of the assessment plan has been encouraging. The modules
were so successful that in May 2014 the Assistant Dean of Students was
asked to assist with the annual faculty development workshop.
Additionally, the modules were used by professionals in academic affairs
to create a model for assessment for faculty.
The Student Life directors and their staff have found the modules to be
quite beneficial as well. In the future additional modules will be created.
Those modules will focus on continuing to link the curricular with the co-
curricular. As the assessment plan for the university continues to evolve, so
will the plan for student life.
References
 Allen, M., Noel, R. C., Rienzi, B. M., & McMillin, D. J.
(2002). Outcomes assessment handbook. Long
Beach: California State University, Institute for Teaching
and Learning.
 Bloom, B. S. (1956). Taxonomy of Education Objectives:
Handbook I: The cognitive domain. New York: David
McKay Co Inc.
 Creswell, J.W.(2009). Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed
Methods Approach, chapter 9, Qualitative Procedures.
 Ely, M., Anzul, M., Friedman, T., Garner, D., Steinmetz,
A.M.(1991). Doing qualitative research: Circles within
circles. Routledge Falmer: New York.
 Keeling, R. P. & Associates. (2007, June). Putting learning
reconsidered into practice: Developing and assessing
student learning outcomes. Workshop presented at the
NASPA Learning Reconsidered Institute in St. Louis, MO.
 Morton, M. (2013). Aligning learning outcomes, learning
activities, & assessments in the blended learning
environment. Centre for Teaching Excellence. University
of Waterloo.
Contact Information
Christie Cruise-Harper, PhD
ccruiseharper@maryville.edu
Dr. Cruise-Harper is the Assistant Dean of Students and the Director of the
Office of Multicultural Programs at Maryville University of St. Louis.
Nina Caldwell, EdD
ncaldwell@maryville.edu
Dr. Caldwell is the Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students at
Maryville University of St. Louis
Once the charge was received from the Vice President for Student Life, the
task of developing an assessment plan began by taking every opportunity
to introduce the concept of assessment in student affairs to colleagues in
the following ways:
• Facilitating assessment and evaluation workshops at directors retreats,
council meetings and division wide meetings;
• Sharing research and professional literature regarding assessment in
student affairs; and
• Discussing benchmark institutions and their assessment models/plans.
A team with representatives from each area in Student Life was created
and an inventory was conducted to determine assessment activities already
in practice in each department.
The development of the assessment plan was a two year endeavor.
Year One: Time spent educating colleagues about the differences between
evaluation and assessment.
Year Two: Time spent gathering all the data collected in previous years.
After two years of working with colleagues, a clear picture emerged of the
needs of the team. First, the team members were all at different levels in
terms of their understanding of assessment. In the past, a group approach
to assessment was taken; however, a more individualized approach was
needed. Second, more direction and accountability was needed. Regular
follow up with due dates throughout the year was essential to the success
of the project. Last, for reporting purposes, there needed to be more
guidance on how to analyze the data and what was important to report.
Maryville University of St. Louis - Office of Student Life
Christie Cruise-Harper, PhD and Nina Caldwell, EdD
Measuring Student Learning in the Co-Curricular: Assessment in Student Affairs
In the meantime a fifth module is being developed; writing rubrics. This
module will assist directors with writing rubrics that are in line with those
being developed by the core-curriculum committee in conjunction with the
university-wide assessment committee.
In the future the goal is to work to align learning outcomes with those from
the Making Excellence Inclusive initiative with AAC&U (the theme for
the upcoming academic year in Student Life). These will be incorporated
in the assessment plan for the upcoming academic year.
Now that the directors have become comfortable with the basics of
assessment, each area has been charged with adding one additional
program to their assessment project list. Additionally, directors are taking
the data collected this year to close the loop in the assessment process by
implementing program improvement plans based on the assessment data
collected.