PDF version - Student Affairs - Stony Brook University

DIVISIONAL STRATEGIC PRIORITIESAssessment and Strategic PlanningMission and OverviewThe Student Affairs Division is committed to continuous improvementefforts to develop, conduct, and maintain highqualityassessment, evaluation, and policy-relevant researchprojects. With an investment in productive staff and fiscal resources,the Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment andRetention Management and its assessment activities aimsto support data-driven decision making and programimprovement.The overall aspiration of the Division of Student Affairs andEnrollment and Retention Management is to promote andsupport the University’s mission and values by delivering exemplaryprograms, services, resources, and facilities thathave a measureable impact on the learning and developmentof students. In order to do so, it is important that our operationsare functioning efficiently and strategically. As such, it iscrucial that decision-making be grounded in data that canlead to policy changes. Assessment is a priority for our Divisionand we will continue to provide the resources necessaryto support our staff in their assessment work and formalize itinto our culture to meet institutional, divisional, and departmentalgoals.Strategic Priorities 2009-2010Goals > Progress Toward GoalsOrganizational Systems and InfrastructureDivisional Commitment: Established and gave structure to theSA/ERM Assessment and Strategic Planning Committee tosupport operation, programmatic, and learning outcomesassessment within the Division.Assessment Leads: Identified and trained 32 departmental“Assessment Leads” to help foster a culture of assessmentand as a practical vehicle for helping to effectively communicateinformation and advance assessment projects.SELO Supervisors: Identified, trained, and gave structure tosupervisors of student employees who are responsible forassessment learning outcomes that result from students’on-campus employment. SELO supervisors were trained instudent development theory undergirding learning outcomesas well as practical operations of how to effectivelyadminister assessment.Student Voice: Contracted with Student Voice to provide acommon platform for sharing data, building capacity, managinggoals, and connecting goals to assessment projects.Divisional Coordination: Developed systems, processes, andprotocols for facilitating assessment projects in a coordinatedand integrated manner among 32 divisional units.Student Learning OutcomesStudent Employee Learning Outcomes (SELO): Developed largescalesystem and comprehensive plan to identify, articulate,and assess common student learning outcomes associatedwith on-campus employment across more than 1,000 SA/ERM divisional student employees. Developed divisionalassessment rubric (see Appendix D) along four learningdimensions aligned with AACU standards.Unit Learning Outcomes: Supported departments’ identificationand articulation of learning outcomes for programs andservices. All SA/ERM departments now have at least onearticulated student learning outcome and assessment planfor those outcomes.Staff Capacity BuildingProfessional Consulting: Contracted with Keeling & Associatesto provide divisional training and consultation on learningoutcomes development and assessment.SELO Training: Developed and trained more than 100 supervisorsof student employees on theory and practice of cultivatingand assessing student learning.Assessment Lead Training: Established, identified, and traineddepartmental “assessment leads” to coordinate unit-levelassessment initiatives, facilitate communication, and serveas units’ internal assessment experts.Assessment Certificate: Established SA/ERM AssessmentCertificate to help provide an enhanced and deeper methodof building staff capacity in the area of assessment planning,design, and implementation. Assessment certificate programallows staff to enroll in either a Student Development(provides theoretical grounding and rationale connectedto strategic planning) or Assessment Practices track (helpdevelop practical skills and techniques in the actual implementationof assessment efforts) to develop assessmentcompetencies.Directors Retreats: Coordinated four retreats for divisionaldirectors on elements related to assessment planning,articulating learning outcomes, strategic planning, assessmenttechniques, and quality improvement.Divisional Professional Development: Integrated all assessmentstaff capacity building activities with divisional professionaldevelopment outreach committee and efforts tointegrate and optimize divisional development activities.Communications, Outreach, and ReportingAssessment Web site: Developed Assessment Web site tosupport staff with their Assessment efforts. Web site providesonline portal to assessment documents, trainings,videos, toolbox, and resources, and effectively communicatesour organizational framework.Assessment and Annual Reporting: Enhanced annual reportingstrategies to align with strategic planning and assessmentcycle.SELO Roundtable: Established regular meeting pattern ofSELO supervisors to effectively communicate updates,details, and expectations.Unit Goals and Priorities: Listed Unit Goals on Student Voiceto allow staff for information sharing.6 STUDENT AFFAIRS AND ENROLLMENT AND RETENTION MANAGEMENT 2009-2010 • STONY BROOK UNIVERSITY