Lead facilitator: Dr. Sara Finney, Associate Director of Student Affairs Assessment at CARS, and professor of Graduate Psychology at JMU. Co-Facilitators: Riley Herr, MA, and Mara McFadden, MA, both graduate assistants and assessment consultants at CARS.

Description: Participants will review each step of the assessment cycle with a special emphasis on program theory, implementation fidelity, and equity considerations. On their own, student learning and development outcomes assessment data have limited utility for improving student affairs and student success programming. However, program improvement can be greatly facilitated by asking two fundamental questions: “Why should this programming result in the desired outcome?” (i.e., program theory) and “Was the intended programming actually experienced by students?” (i.e., implementation fidelity). Moreover, answering these questions addresses equity and inclusion concerns. Specifically, is programming inclusive of students with different backgrounds and characteristics (e.g., part-time students, students of color, veterans, students who are neurodivergent)? We discuss and provide resources to frame outcomes assessment efforts to answer these fundamental questions, which facilitates program and learning improvement.

This 3-day virtual, intensive workshop is designed to combine synchronous and asynchronous time to reinforce the knowledge gained while also imparting tangible skills. Individuals and teams from across the country can come to learn strategies regarding 1) best practice in assessment and 2) how to teach others about the utility and process of outcomes assessment on their campus.

In “Best Practice in Student Affairs Assessment”, participants will explore topics such as: 

• program theory as the mechanism undergirding all outcomes assessment efforts
• implementation fidelity to accurately depict the program being experienced by students
• equity considerations at each step of the outcomes assessment cycle, including

• a rubric to identify varying levels of quality assessment, which guides continuous improvement
• resources to facilitate the construction of professional development in best practice in assessment • alignment between student affairs professional standards and resources shared in this session

Withdrawal/Refund Policy: You may cancel your registration up to two weeks prior to the program start date and receive a refund of course registration fees, less a $25 administrative fee. To withdrawal from this course you must send a request to pce@jmu.edu. Requests received beyond the deadline will receive no refund. For more information, please visit Policies & Notices.