ERIC Number: EJ735884
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2004-Jun
Pages: 23
Abstractor: Author
Reference Count: 0
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0361-0365
Implementing Outcomes Assessment in an Academic Affairs Support Unit
Smith, Joshua S.; Szelest, Bruce P.; Downey, John P.
Research in Higher Education, v45 n4 p405-427 Jun 2004
While outcomes assessment has become a focus for institutions of higher education, assessment in academic support units remain sparse. Traditionally, assessment has been comprised of one-time student satisfaction surveys and/or supervisor evaluations tied specifically to job criteria. Although informative, these methods fail to account for or measure specific student learning outcomes completed by students via their interaction with faculty and staff. This article presents the development and implementation of a program of outcomes assessment at a 4-year public university in the northeast. Results indicate that students come to college with varying expectations of the role of academic advisors and range on a continuum of academic and social preparation to meet the demands of higher education. A majority of students are meeting the stated learning outcomes. Feedback from this assessment model is being used to improve the quality of services provided to successive cohorts of students at this institution.
Descriptors: Higher Education, Student Attitudes, Outcomes of Education, Program Implementation, Academic Advising, College Preparation, Feedback
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers: N/A

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