National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment

December 2010

The Role of Student Affairs in

Student Learning Assessment
John H. Schuh and Ann M. Gansemer-Topf
Foreword by George Kuh

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Oc c a s i o n a l Pa p e r # 7
lear ningoutcomesassessment.org
National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment | 1

About the Authors

John H. Schuh
John H. Schuh is Distinguished Professor of Educational Leadership
and Policy Studies Emeritus at Iowa State University. Previously he held
administrative and faculty assignments at Wichita State University, Indiana
University (Bloomington), and Arizona State University. Among his books
are Assessment Methods in Student Affairs, and with M. Lee Upcraft, Assessment Practice in Student Affairs and Assessment in Student Affairs. Schuh has
been recognized by several professional organizations including receiving the
Research Achievement Award from the Association for the Study of Higher
Education. Currently he is associate editor of the New Directions for Student
Services sourcebook series.
Ann M. Gansemer-Topf
Ann Gansemer-Topf is the Associate Director of Research for the Office of
Admissions at Iowa State University and a Lecturer in the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at Iowa State University. She has worked in residence life, academic advising, and institutional research. She has presented
at several national conferences and her areas of interest include assessment of
student learning, strategic enrollment management, and effective teaching/
learning pedagogies. She holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and
Policy Studies from Iowa State University, an MS degree in Higher Education from Iowa State University and a B.A. in Psychology from Loras College
in Dubuque, Iowa.

We hope this well-reasoned and thoroughly documented paper by

Schuh and Gansemer-Topf, two highly-experienced scholar-practitioners
familiar with assessment in student affairs, will persuade faculty and
institutional leaders that the perspectives of student affairs staff must be
represented in institution-wide assessment.
George D. Kuh

Contents
Abstract . . . 3
Foreword . . . 4
The Role of Student Affairs in Student
Learning Assessment . . . 5
The Evolving Role of the Contributions of
Student Affairs to Student Learning . . . 5
The Student Affairs Role in the Assessment
of Student Learning: Contributions and
Challenges . . . 6
Linking Assessment to Institutional
Mission and Purpose. . . 6
Understanding the Broader Environment
...7
Bridging Accountability and Continuous
Improvement . . . 7
Developing and Maintaining
Collaborative Partnerships . . . 8
Sharing Expertise . . . 9
Valuing and Providing Leadership . . . 10
Devoting Resources to Assessment . . . 10
Designing and Completing Activities for
Sustainable Assessment . . . 11
Implementing Assessment Plans . . . 11
Asking Toughor TougherQuestions
. . . 12
Conclusion . . . 12
References . . . 13
Endnote: Historical Review. . . 15
NILOA
National Advisory Panel . . . 21
Mission . . . 21
Occasional Paper Series . . . 21
About NILOA . . . 22
Staff . . . 22
Sponsors . . . 22
The ideas and information contained in this
publication are those of the authors and do
not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie
Corporation of New York, Lumina Foundation for Education, or The Teagle Foundation.

National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment | 2

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Abstract

The Role of Student Affairs in Student Learning Assessment

Assessment in student affairs has been around for nearly as long as student
affairs has played a formal role in student learning. But as the student affairs
role in and contributions to student learning have evolved, so too have the
purposes of assessment in student affairs.
Student affairs professionals have much to offer to the assessment of student
learning in the student experience, yet this potential is often overlooked
and underutilized. Tracing the intersections of student affairs work with
the efforts of broader institutional assessment, this paper describes the
significant contributions student affairs professionals can make in campuswide student learning outcomes assessmentby linking the student affairs
mission to the institutions mission, purpose, and strategic plan; by forming
partnerships with faculty and other administrators; and by sharing their
expertise on student learning and development.
In order to accomplish this, however, leadership for assessment in student
affairs needs to be more consistent, sufficient resources must be devoted to
assessment, and assessment must be integrated into the work portfolio of all
student affairs staff. Student affairs assessment that can lead to improved
student learning asks penetrating questions about the student experience
and gathers evidence of students learning and growing through the services
provided by student affairs. Armed with such information, student affairs
educators can measure as well as demonstrate how their work contributes to
student learning.

National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment | 3

intellect curiosity challenge create achievement connection self-reflection educate action under stand communicate listen learn access qualit
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Foreword

Lets Make Sure Student Affairs Is Involved In Assessing Student Learning

Three findings from the college impact research are unequivocal (Pascarella & Terenzini,
2005). First, the impact of college on desired outcomes is cumulative, the result of many
experiences inside and outside of class over a substantial period of time. Second, cognitive and
affective development are inextricably intertwined, influencing one another in ways that are not
immediately obvious or knowable. Finally, certain out-of-class activities have the potential to
enrich student learning, especially with regard to practical competence. For example, managing
the student government budget, writing for the campus newspaper, playing in the concert band
or on an intercollegiate athletics team, and working on or off campus provide opportunities
for students to practice skills and hone dispositions that employers value, such as teamwork,
decision making, and time management. Thus, it follows that documenting what happens to
students during college is a complex, multi-faceted process requiring multiple measures and
cooperation by the two groups on campus that spend the most time with students -- faculty
members and student affairs professionals.
In The Role of Student Affairs in Student Learning Assessment, John Schuh and Ann GansemerTopf describe the contributions that student affairs professionals can and should be expected
to make to a campus assessment program. As Schuh and Gansemer-Topf indicate, the student
affairs literature long has emphasized the importance of evaluating the efficacy of its programs
and services. In recent years, the field has readily accepted its responsibility to determine not
only the quality of its offerings but what students learn as a result of participating in a wide
range of out-of-class experiences. Some student affairs units devote some or all of a staff
members time to assessment work. Two of the major student affairs national organizations,
the American College Personnel Association and the National Association of Student Personnel
Administrators, each sponsor an annual conference dedicated to assessment, separate from
their large annual meetings where assessment is also featured. Specialty organizations for
practitioners who work in residence life, academic advising, orientation, and campus unions
devote sessions at their meetings to assessment. Included among the best selling books in the
student affairs field are volumes on assessment.
Despite the expressed interest by student affairs professionals in assessing student learning
and personal development, they are not always encouraged to participate or become directly
involved in campus assessment efforts. At the same time, not every student affairs staff member
is prepared to design and effectively conduct meaningful assessments of students out-of-class
experiences. We hope this well-reasoned and thoroughly documented paper by two highlyexperienced scholar-practitioners familiar with assessment in student affairs will persuade
faculty and institutional leaders that the perspectives of student affairs staff must be represented
in institution-wide assessment. Assessment of student learning and institutional performance
would both be strengthened by asking student affairs to take part in holistic, comprehensive
approaches to amass and interpret evidence of the impact of college on desired outcomes and
demonstrate how student affairs programs and services contribute to these outcomes.
George D. Kuh
Director, National Instiute for Learning Outcomes Assessment
Adjunct Professor, University of Illinois
Indiana University Chancellors Professor Emeritus

National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment | 4

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The Role of Student Affairs in

Student Learning Outcomes Assessment
John H. Schuh and Ann M. Gansemer-Topf
Early documents by student affairs professionals show that since the fields
inception assessment has been an espoused part of student affairs practice.
Over the past eight decades student affairs professionals have made significant progress incorporating the assessment of student learning into their
work. The student affairs view of assessment and of the student affairs role
in assessment, however, has evolved throughout the fields history. Early
assessment activities, which initially focused on student participation and
student satisfaction, have developed into efforts to assess what students learn
from their experiences outside the classroom and from programs and services
provided by student affairs.
Student affairs assessment activities, unfortunately, are often not well integrated with other campus assessment activitiesin part, because academic
affairs still conducts much of the work on student learning outcomes. While
a significant amount of student learning occurs outside of the classroom
(Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005) and student affairs professionals often help
create and coordinate these out-of-class experiences (Cuyjet & Weitz, 2009),
the student affairs perspective and experience too often is absent in campuswide discussions of student learning assessment.

Early student affairs

documents show that since the
fields inception assessment
has been an espoused part of
student affairs practice.

This paper highlights the substantive contributions that student affairs can
make to campus-wide student learning outcomes assessment efforts and
identifies factors that may prevent student affairs professionals from making
such contributions. Following a brief description of the evolution of the
student affairs understanding of and role in the student learning experience,
the paper focuses on the role of student affairs in assessing student learning
outlining the challenges in doing so and suggesting how these challenges can
be turned into opportunities to promote higher levels of student achievement.

The Evolving Role of the Contributions of Student

Affairs to Student Learning
As broadly defined, student affairs work has existed on American college
campuses since 1636, at Harvard College. The establishment and evolution
of the student affairs field is chronicled in a series of seminal documents,
among them, The Student Personnel Point of View, 1937 (National Association
of Student Personnel Administrators [NASPA], 1989), The Second Student
Personnel Point of View, 1949 (NASPA, 1989), A Perspective on Student
Affairs (NASPA, 1987), The Student Learning Imperative (American College
Personnel Association [ACPA], 1996) and Learning Reconsidered (NASPA &
ACPA, 2004). An analysis of these documents yields two broad conclusions.
First, the role and contribution of the services, programs, and experiences
developed by student affairs practitioners have moved from the periphery

National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment | 5

to the center of students learning at college. Second, student affairs practice in assessing and evaluating student experiences, at least conceptually,
has moved from evaluating students use of and participation in services
and programs to measuring how programs and experiences contribute to
students learninga topic further elaborated in the papers endnote. The
balance of this paper outlines the present role of student affairs in assessing
student learning and describes how student affairs professionals can realize
their potential for making significant contributions in campus-wide student
learning outcomes assessment.

The Student Affairs Role in the Assessment of Student

Learning: Contributions and Challenges
At many institutions, campus-wide discussions of student learning focus
primarily on students in-class activitiesfailing to take into account
what they learn beyond the classroom. For this reason it is incumbent on
student affairs to systematically assess the contributions to student learning
outcomes of students out-of-class experiences and of student affairs to these
outcomes. Student affairs professionals should also be involved in the discussions that lead to the design and implementation of campus-wide efforts to
assess student learning and personal development and to use the results to
improve the quality of the student experience. The following sections of the
paper highlight ways that student affairs can more effectively improve and
implement student learning assessment initiativesboth within student
affairs departments and at the institution level. Some of the more common
challenges facing student affairs practitioners are also identified, as well as
opportunities available to them to enhance student achievement through
assessment.

Student learning that is

especially valued at a particular
college or university is often
showcased in the institutions
mission statement, in its vision
statement, and in its strategic
plan.

Linking Assessment to Institutional Mission and Purpose

Student learning that is especially valued at a particular college or university is often showcased in the institutions mission statement (for example,
see Macalester Colleges mission statement at http://www.macalester.edu/
academic/catalog/mhra1.html), in its vision statement (for example, see the
vision statement of California State University, Monterey Bay, at http://
about.csumb.edu/vision-statement), and in its strategic plan (for example,
see Longwood Universitys strategic plan at http://www.longwood.edu/president/4735.htm). Institutions differ, of course, in their missions, goals, and
purposes. Some institutions emphasize educating students in the liberal arts;
others focus on preparing students for specific professions; and still others
have a special purpose, such as tribal colleges or single-sex colleges, or have a
specific curricular focus, such as schools of fine arts or engineering.
Whatever the mission or emphasis of the institution, its student affairs
program needs to be developed to support and complement it (Hirt, 2009;
NASPA, 1989). It is imperative that student affairs professionals develop
programs, services, and experiences that contribute to student learning experiences that are valued at their institution and, moreover, that are empirically
verified as adding value to the student experience at their institution. Some
activities of student affairs professionals and some things that are measured
in student affairs assessments are not aligned with the institutions mission
or goals. As a check against these tendencies, any student affairs assessment
should start from the following question: How does this program or experience contribute to the institutions mission or goals, and what evidence can
be gathered to demonstrate this?

National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment | 6

The University of Georgia, as a positive example, clearly articulates the link

between the mission of the institution and that of the division of student
affairs to enhance the learning environment for students (http://www.uga.
edu/studentaffairs/about.htm) and, in doing so, to support the larger institutional mission to promote high levels of student achievement and to provide
appropriate academic support services (http://www.uga.edu/profile/mission.
html). Good assessment is purposeful, and, as in the case of the University
of Georgia, it is framed by a logical, systematic link between the mission of
student affairs and the teaching and learning mission of the institution. The
alignment of student affairs assessment with the missions of student affairs
and of the institution has the potential to shape an assessment program that
will provide an enriched learning environment for students.

Understanding the Broader Environment

Student affairs practitioners are often focused inwardly on meeting the needs
of the students attending their institution. While this focus is essential, the
profession must not ignore or underestimate the influence of external pressures on student behavior and institutional policies and practices. Colleges
and universities are increasingly expected to provide evidence of their student
learning outcomes (see, for example, Middle States Commission on Higher
Education, 2006, and National Commission on the Future of Higher Education, 2006). As Ewell (2009) has observed,

Student affairs professionals

are also among the most
knowledgeable people on campus
for designing and implementing
programs to enhance the student
learning and success of these
students.

Colleges and universities are being asked to disclose more and more about
academic results and are responding in kind. Most now realize that it
will be impossible to sit out the latest round of pressure for accountability with the hope that it will eventually go away (p. 6).
External stakeholders can benefit from knowing that student learning,
consistent with institutional mission and purpose, occurs both in and outside
the classroom. Student affairs practitionerswith their knowledge about
student learningmust take the lead in documenting how their services
enhance student learning outside the classroom and how their services
support academic-specific and institution-wide assessment efforts (Seagraves
& Dean, 2010).

Bridging Accountability and Continuous Improvement

Ewell (2009) maintains that there are two primary goals of assessment
accountability and continuous improvement, that these two goals are
constantly in tension, and that given the increased attention on assessment [t]he conflicting imperatives of accountability and improvement that
formed the basis of [his] argument two decades ago remain substantially
intact (p. 7). Student affairs professionals are often well positioned to ease
this tension and to help bridge these seemingly parallel goals. For example,
although institutional research offices typically provide data on overall
student persistence and graduation rates, the work of student affairs offices
with various subpopulations on campus can inform a more detailed picture.
Staff members who work with historically underrepresented groups (Braxton
& Hirschy, 2005)such as students of color, women, and returning adult
learnerscan help examine and interpret information about retention and
graduation rates of these groups. Student affairs professionals are also among
the most knowledgeable people on campus for designing and implementing
programs to enhance the student learning and success of these students.
For example, Grinnell College, a small, highly selective liberal arts insti-

National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment | 7

tution, discovered that student attrition was greater between the second
and third year of college than between the first and second year. To better
understand the second-year student experience and the factors that may
have contributed to student attrition, staff members from Grinnells student
affairs and institutional research offices conducted focus groups (GansemerTopf, Stern, & Benjamin, 2007). The results from this study led to the
development of a second-year student retreat designed to address many of
the challenges identified by the student participants. Initiatives such as these
can both improve campus programs as well as positively impact the overall
accountability measures of persistence and graduation.

Developing and Maintaining Collaborative Partnerships

Effective campus-wide student learning assessment activities require collaboration among various campus units, but given differences in the values,
reward structures, and socialization patterns between academic and student
affairs units, collaborative partnerships can be difficult to create and sustain
(Magolda, 2005; Manning, Kinzie, & Schuh, 2006). To a degree this is
understandable. Academic units are primarily concerned with disciplinebased in-class learning, while student affairs departments focus on outof-class experiences. In assessment, faculty members tend to focus on
measuring student learning that occurs within their academic major or in the
general education component of the curriculum, while student affairs staff
members tend to focus on measuring the learning and personal development
associated with participating in student affairs programs and services. Consequently, the assessment activities of these different units can easily be siloed.
Therefore, it is important to find opportunities where faculty and student
affairs can work together in assessing student learning so that the students
total learning experience can be understood for both accountability and
improvement purposes.

It is important to find
opportunities where faculty and
student affairs can work together
in assessing student learning so
that the students total learning
experience can be understood
for both accountability and
improvement purposes.

Student learning is not the result of discrete experiences but rather the
product of many different kinds of experiences in and outside the classroom
over an extended period of time. Indeed students social and extracurricular
involvements have important implications for what is learned in college
(Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005, p. 120). Thus, assessment activities should
be designed to discover how various combinations of experiences both in
and outside the classroom impact student learning.
Outcomes assessment, as Kuh and Banta (2000) have suggested, may be
one area where academic affairs and student affairs can contribute equally.
Student affairs staff have expertise in the area of student development and
student learning as well as understanding of student characteristics, values,
and outside-of-class experiences. Whereas faculty naturally focus on students
within their academic departments, student affairs professionals serve a
broader range of students. While faculty assess learning within an academic
discipline, student affairs can assess learning that results from participating in
a club or organization, from living in a residence hall or fraternity or sorority,
or from participating in a leadership development program. Compiling and
synthesizing the results from these various assessments can provide useful
information to the institution, the student, and the public through a broader
perspective on the entire student learning experience.

National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment | 8

Campus initiatives such as learning communities, service learning, and

study-abroad trips often feature both an in-class and out-of-class experience and frequently require coordination from both faculty members and
student affairs practitioners. These activities lend themselves to collaborations between faculty and student affairs professionals with the potential to
improve student learning and its assessment. Through such collaborations,
student affairs practitioners can better understand and appreciate faculty
objectives and perspectives, and faculty members can learn firsthand how
out-of-class experiences contribute to student learning and personal developmentwhile, perhaps, also getting an informed view of the contributions
of student affairs toward attaining the institutions mission. Tinto (2003)s
research on learning communities discovered this advantage: One of the
many benefits of such collaboration, where all voices are heard, is that the
academic staff come to discover the wealth of knowledge that student affairs
professionals bring to the discourse of teaching and learning (p. 5). Such
collaborative efforts reaffirm the role and the importance of student affairs
professionals in student learning and its assessment.

Through their assessment work

as well as through their daily
interaction with students,
student affairs practitioners
become campus experts on
student characteristics, interests,
and attitudes.

Sharing Expertise
The expertise of student affairs professionals is often underutilized in
campus-wide assessments. Many student affairs professionalsthrough
educational preparation and training in graduate school or through professional developmentare very knowledgeable about how students learn and
develop throughout college and about the type and scope of experiences that
can enhance students learning and development (Sandeen & Barr, 2006).
Moreover, through their assessment work as well as through their daily interaction with students, student affairs practitioners become campus experts
on student characteristics, interests, and attitudes. Student affairs professionals working in counseling, disability services, and student judicial offices
are able to observe student behavior patterns and can be among the first on
campus to note changes in such patterns. Student affairs professionals are
also well positioned to help the institution reach a deeper understanding of
the student learning experience through the interpretation of local data in
the context of findings from national surveys such as the National Survey
of Student Engagement (NSSE) (see http://nsse.iub.edu/html/about.cfm)
or the Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) (see http://www.
heri.ucla.edu/abtcirp.php). Although student affairs professionals may
engage in these assessment activities, they unfortunately often lack the means
to communicate their results to the broader university community; they
must find mechanisms through which they can communicate their knowledge of student learning and the results of their efforts to enhance student
learning.
On some campuses, administrators and faculty members invite the involvement of members of their student affairs division to participate in interpreting assessment results with an eye toward modifying institutional policies
and practices. The University of Maine at Farmington (UMF) provides a
good example of how changes resulted from the careful analysisby the
collaboration of academic affairs and student affairsof the UMF student
experience (Kuh, Kinzie, Schuh, Whitt, & Associates, 2005/2010). As a
result of this study, which is ongoing, UMF expanded its annual spring
celebration of student research projects to include a showcase of works by
students in fine arts when the study revealed that the important contributions of these students had been overlooked.

National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment | 9

Because regional and specialized accrediting bodies require institutions to

document student learning outcomes and what the institution is doing or
plans to do to enhance student learning, the role of student affairs in the
self-study process should be clarified. Are representatives from student affairs
included in the institutional self-study committees? While providing data
for the report, are student affairs representatives involved in the larger discussions that involve the institutions role in what, where, and how students
learn? The self-study process can be one mechanism for student affairs to
communicate its role in campus-wide student learning.

Valuing and Providing Leadership

Successful assessment efforts require strong leadership at many levels. It is
unrealistic to expect entry and midlevel professionals to conduct assessments
when the senior leaders of the organization do not value them. More critically, as Seagraves and Dean (2010) found, it is important for senior leaders
not only to support assessment activities but also to be involved in assessment activities on their campuses.

Assessment must be viewed as an

investment in the future, not as a
diversion or misappropriation of
financial and personnel resources.

If strong working relationships have not been developed between student

affairs leaders and other senior administrators on campus, it is difficult
for staff to connect and collaborate with individuals in other areas of the
campus. Thus, senior leaders who can collaboratively take a holistic view
of the student experience need to provide leadership for staff members who
actually may do the work of conducting the assessments. This leadership
can take many forms: providing adequate training and resources to conduct
assessment, incorporating expectations for assessment into job descriptions
and performance evaluations, and, perhaps most important, using the data
produced by assessment. Conducting an assessment can be frustrating when
it appears as though nothing is done as a result of assessment. Leaders who
value assessment data and make decisions based on this data demonstrate
the value of assessment and ultimately advance the mission and goals of their
institution (Kuh et al., 2005/2010).

Devoting Resources to Assessment

As with all successful campus initiatives, assessment efforts need to be
supported by adequate resourcesincluding time, personnel, funding, and
training. Assessment studies need not be tremendously resource intensive,
but they do require staff time and adequate financial resources (Swing &
Coogan, 2010). In cases in which the resources for assessment are perceived
to be lacking, the critical question to pose may be Can we afford not to do
assessment? Good studies may require extra effort on the part of staff or a
reallocation of financial resources to purchase instruments, hire consultants,
or acquire technical support. While resources on college campuses are in
short supply, student affairs units function in a high-stakes environment
where assessment must be viewed as an investment in the future, not as a
diversion or misappropriation of financial and personnel resources.
A lack of trainingespecially among student affairs practitionershinders
assessment efforts at many institutions (Seagraves & Dean, 2010). Virtually all faculty and many student affairs staff are trained in various areas of
research. Yet, while similar to research, assessment is different in significant
ways (Upcraft & Schuh, 2002), and providing the tools and training that
practitioners need to conduct assessments is vital for their success. Graduate
preparation programs for prospective student affairs practitioners provide
one way to develop these skills. There are also numerous professional development opportunities that faculty and staff can access. Student affairs
National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment | 10

professional organizations such as NASPAStudent Affairs Administrators

in Higher Education and ACPACollege Student Educators International
provide conferences focusing on assessment. The Assessment Institute
(http://planning.iupui.edu/conferences/national/nationalconf.html), the
Association for Institutional Research, and the regional accreditation agencies
provide resources and workshops for faculty, staff, and administrators who
wish to learn more about designing and conducting effective assessments.

Designing and Completing Activities for Sustainable Assessment

At some institutions, assessment activity surges with the arrival of the accreditation self-study process. If an institution is being considered for renewed
accreditation, for example, the senior student affairs officer may decide to
conduct a couple of studies to have results available for the institutions selfstudy and accreditation teams visit. Once the self-study has been completed
and the team has visited the campus and submitted its report, the pressure is
off and, typically, assessment is set aside for seven or eight years until it is time
for the next accreditation visit. This short-sighted approach to assessmenta
response to the accreditation cycleis not taken by an institution with an
ongoing commitment to improvement.

Assessment ought to be part

of the annual administrative
cycle, providing ongoing data
collection for reports that outline
assessment activities, their
results, and the changes based on
the results for dissemination on a
yearly basis.

Assessment ought to be part of the annual administrative cycle, providing

ongoing data collection for reports that outline assessment activities, their
results, and the changes based on the results for dissemination on a yearly
basis. This approach demonstrates an institutional commitment to accountability and improvement. Conversely, institutional claims of commitment to
improving student learning may ring hollow if assessment activities flourish
only when an accreditation visit is on the horizon.
Sustainability of assessment is most at risk when it is the sole responsibility of
one person. While one person can have a significant impact on assessment at
an institution, if this person leaves, the assessment very well may stop. The
momentum developed by a series of assessments can come to a halt because
the leaders successor is not interested in assessment, has other priorities, or
simply does not support the staffs work in assessment.

Implementing Assessment Plans

In some cases of campus assessment, a significant amount of time is dedicated
to developing assessment plans and activities, but disappointingly too few
plans actually are fully implemented to the point of using assessment findings
to guide changes in policies and practices that are subsequently evaluated. In
other cases, data have been collected but no time has been spent on analyzing
the results and making changes based on the information generated by the
study. In still other cases, assessments have been conducted, but the results
and changes based on the results are never communicated or distributed.
Kuh and Ikenberry (2009) and Jankowski and Makela (2010) illustrate this
point: Campus leaders are able to articulate the assessment activities being
conducted on their campuses, but information about the results and implications of the assessment activities often are not available.
Very few student affairs divisions outline their assessment activities and report
the results. California State University, Sacramento, is an exception. The
Division of Student Affairs at Sacramento State has developed a comprehensive assessment plan for many units in the division. The plan (retrievable
at http://saweb.csus.edu/students/assessment.aspx) incorporates the departmental mission, planning goals, objectives, measures, and results of assessment initiatives within their division. The Sacramento State plan provides
an excellent example of an approach that articulates assessment activities and
results.

National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment | 11

Presenting plans, of course, is not enough. Results also need to be shared

widely in accessible language. One of the best examples of routinely
collecting and reporting assessment findings is found in the Penn State Pulse
Program (see http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/assessment/pulse/), which since
1995 has provided insights into student perceptions and experiences to the
larger community through short, well-crafted reports that are timely and
attractive.

Asking Toughor TougherQuestions

Many assessment activities focus on issues that, while interesting, do not
provide information about student learning. The reader will recall that the
historical section of this paper identified assessments of student usage of
facilities, participation in programs, or satisfaction as being central to assessment practice of the earlier era of student affairs. Campuses that are just
beginning assessment may need to start by examining what data already exist
or, if data are not available, collecting these preliminary data. Once this
information has been collected, assessment efforts need to ask more difficult
questions. Unfortunately, many student affairs assessment activities do not
progress to this next level. For example, the number of recreational opportunities on campus may be well publicized, but likely to be less available are
data describing who uses the facilities and what students gain from participating in recreation programs. Similarly, surveying students to assess if they
were satisfied with their tutoring may be somewhat helpful, but assessing
student performance after tutoring provides data more relevant to the institutional mission. Thus, the emphasis in assessment changes from How many
students participated in the campus-wide event? to What did students
learn by participating in the campus-wide event?

Student affairs staff members

need to have more than
programs, activities, and
experiences they think would
contribute to student learning.
They need to have the empirical
evidence to be confident that
these programs, activities,
and experiences actually do
contribute to student learning.

Student affairs staff members need to have more than programs, activities,
and experiences they think would contribute to student learning. They need
to have the empirical evidence to be confident that these programs, activities,
and experiences actually do contribute to student learning. This is the point
in student affairs practice where assessment is vital.

Conclusion
Concluding this paper where it began, we note the progress that student
affairs practitioners have made in incorporating student learning outcomes
assessment into their professional practice. Through their knowledge of
student characteristics and attitudes, through their ability to design services
aligned with the academic mission of the institution, and with their understanding of student learning outside the classroom, student affairs practitioners bring a distinctive, informed perspective to their institutions assessment
program. On too many campuses, however, for various reasons, these potentials and such contributions have not been valued or utilized. Fully understanding and documenting what and how students learn both in and outside
of class requires collaboration between the two groups on campus who know
the most about studentsfaculty and student affairs professionals. We are
confident that student affairs practitioners are ready, willing, and prepared to
embrace these challenges in a manner consistent with their fields historical
trajectory and will continue to make progress in assessing how student affairs
activities and the out-of-class experience contribute to student learning.

National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment | 12

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National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment | 14

intellect curiosity challenge create achievement connection self-reflection educate action under stand communicate listen learn access qualit
innovation success ingenuity intellect curiosity challenge knowledge accountability connection under stand communicate listen learn access qualit
innovation success ingenuity self-reflection educate action under stand intellect knowledge accountability connection self-reflection educate actio
under stand communicate curiosity challenge create achievement connection self-reflection curiosity challenge create achievement connection sel
reflection knowledge accountability connection self-reflection educate action under stand communicate listen learn access quality innovation succes
ingenuity intellect curiosity challenge educate innovation success ingenuity intellect curiosity challenge create achievement knowledge accountabilit
connection self-reflection educate action under stand communicate curiosity challenge create achievement connection self-reflection under stan
communicate listen learn access quality action educate action under stand communicate listen learn action under stand communicate listen learn acces

Endnote

A Historical Review of Assessment in Student Affairs Through Selected Seminal

Documents
Over a period of nearly eight decades, the contributions of student affairs to student learning have evolved from a
peripheral to a central role. Similarly, assessment in student affairs has evolved, with changing perspectives about
how student affairs offices and programs contribute to student life and how that contribution can best be assessed.
While the first student personnel dean was appointed in 1890 (Rhatigan, 2009, citing Cowley, 1937), it was not
until 1937 that student affairs became a more permanent, formal feature of higher education in the United States
(see The Student Personnel Point of View, 1937 [NASPA, 1989]). The student affairs profession has shifted from
1937 to now, so as to critically address not only the students intellectual development but the students personal
development as well. Student affairs professionals take various roles on campuses, among them advising, career
counseling, and orienting students to their colleges. While assessment has not been among the functions of
student affairs for the entirety of the profession, evaluating and understanding programs and their usefulness to
students has been a foundational element of the student affairs purpose, as shown in seminal professional statements.
Not until around 1949 did student affairs offices begin to be acknowledged for their role in student learning (see
The Student Personnel Point of View, 1949 [NASPA, 1989]). Learning experiences provided by student affairs
were considered to be extracurricularmeaning outside of the formal course of study in which students were
engagedand student affairs staff began to connect these experiences with the total experience of the students
collegiate life through a focus on evaluation and continuous improvement (p. 44).
In 1987 student affairs professionals reflecting on their role in colleges and universities released a document to
publicize what should be expected of student affairs offices on campuses, placing their role in student learning as
central to the purpose of student affairs (NASPA, 1987). The field was challenged to go beyond providing services
for students and supervising the social activities of students by becoming collaborators with academic affairs in
providing learning experiences for students. In addition to the major publications that document the shifting trends
in student affairs, scholars began to support the assertion that student affairs plays a major role in students development on campuses, with cocurricular activities having significant meaning (Kuh et al., 2005/2010; Pascarella
& Terenzini, 1991, 2005). Professional organizations also supported the changing role of student affairs and
its importance to the student collegiate experience, as expressed in the ACPA publication, The Student Learning
Imperative: Implications for Student Affairs (1996), and the American Association for Higher Education (AAHE),
NASPA, and ACPA publication, Powerful Partnerships: A Shared Responsibility for Student Learning (1998). Advocating assessment as the important function in advancing student learning, these documents reflected the common
conceptions of student affairs at the time.
By 1999, conceptualizations of the roles and contributions of student affairs included learning and assessment of
learningwith [g]ood practice in student affairs [occurring] when student affairs educators ask, What are students
learning from our programs and services, and how can their learning be enhanced? (Blimling, Whitt, & Associates,
1999, pp. 206207). By taking this question seriously, student affairs educators were encouraged to assess students
learning and to use this assessment information to revise programs for both student and institutional improvement.
Another principle, articulated in Good Practice in Student Affairs: Principles to Foster Student Learning (Blimling et
al., 1999), had to do with measuring the effectiveness of programs and services: Good practice in student affairs
occurs when student affairs educators ask, What are students learning from our programs and services, and how
can their learning be enhanced? (pp. 206207). Moreover, in defining the role of student affairs staff, the authors
assert, Student affairs educators who are skilled in using assessment methods acquire high-quality information;
effective application of this information to practice results in programs and change strategies that improve institutional and student achievement (p. 207). The publication of this seminal document advanced student affairs
practice to where it is today: focusing on how to develop programs, experiences, and activities that contribute to
student learningand also providing evidence of this contribution.
National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment | 15

NILOA National Advisory Panel

Trudy W. Banta
Professor
Indiana University-Purdue University
Indianapolis
Douglas C. Bennett
President
Earlham College
Robert M. Berdahl
President
Association of American Universities
Molly Corbett Broad
President
American Council on Education
Judith Eaton
President
Council for Higher Education Accreditation
Richard Ekman
President
Council of Independent Colleges

Charlene Nunley
Program Director
Doctoral Program in Community College
Policy and Administration
University of Maryland University College
Randy Swing
Executive Director
Association for Institutional Research
Carol Geary Schneider
President
Association of American Colleges and
Universities

Belle Wheelan
President
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
George Wright
President
Prairie View A&M University

Vice President, National Center for Public

Policy and Higher Education

Ex-Officio Members

Paul Lingenfelter
President
State Higher Education Executive Officers
George Mehaffy
Vice President
Academic Leadership and Change
American Association of State Colleges and
Universities
Margaret Miller
Professor
University of Virginia

NILOAs primary objective is to

discover and disseminate ways that
academic programs and institutions
can productively use assessment data
internally to inform and strengthen
undergraduate education, and externally to communicate with policy
makers, families and other stakeholders.

David Shulenburger
Vice President
Association of Public and Land-Grant
Universities

Joni Finney
Practice Professor
University of Pennsylvania

Susan Johnston
Executive Vice President
Association of Governing Boards

NILOA Mission

Peter Ewell
Vice President
National Center for Higher Education
Management Systems
Stanley Ikenberry
President Emeritus and Regent Professor
University of Illinois
George Kuh
Director, National Institute for Learning
Outcomes Assessment
Adjunct Professor, University of Illinois
Indiana University Chancellors Professor
Emeritus

NILOA Occasional Paper

Series
NILOA Occasional Papers
are commissioned to examine
contemporary issues that will inform
the academic community of the
current state-of-the art of assessing
learning outcomes in American higher
education. The authors are asked to
write for a general audience in order
to provide comprehensive, accurate
information about how institutions and
other organizations can become more
proficient at assessing and reporting
student learning outcomes for the
purposes of improving student learning
and responsibly fulfilling expectations
for transparency and accountability
to policy makers and other external
audiences.

Comments and questions about this

paper should be sent to
[email protected].

National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment | 16

About NILOA

The National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA)

was established in December 2008.
NILOA is co-located at the University of Illinois and Indiana University.
The NILOA web site went live on February 11, 2009.

www.learningoutcomesassessment.org

The NILOA research team has scanned institutional websites,

surveyed chief academic officers, and commissioned a series of occasional papers.
One of the co-principal NILOA investigators, George Kuh, founded
the National Survey for Student Engagement (NSSE).
The other co-principal investigator for NILOA, Stanley Ikenberry,
was president of the University of Illinois from 1979 to 1995 and
2009 to 2010. He also served as president of the American Council of
Education from 1996 to 2001.
Peter Ewell joined NILOA as a senior scholar in November 2009.
NILOA Staff
National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment

Stanley Ikenberry, Co-Principal Investigator

George Kuh, Co-Principal Investigator and Director
Peter Ewell, Senior Scholar
Staci Provezis, Project Manager and Research Analyst
Jillian Kinzie, Associate Research Scientist
Natasha Jankowski, Research Analyst
Gloria Jea, Research Analyst

NILOA Sponsors
Carnegie Corporation of New York
Lumina Foundation for Education
The Teagle Foundation

Produced by Creative Services | Public Affairs at the University of Illinois for NILOA. 10.032

National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment | 17

ucate innovation success ingenuity intellect curiosity challenge create achievement knowledge accountability connection self-reflection educate act
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ion under stand communicate listen learn action under stand communicate listen learn access quality innovation success ingenuity intellect curiosity
llenge knowledge accountability connection access quality self-reflection curiosity challenge create achievement learn access quality innovation su
enuity self-reflection educate action under stand intellect knowledge accountability connection self-reflection educate action under stand knowledge
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en learn access quality action create achievement connection self-reflection educate action under stand communicate listen learn access quality inn
cess educate action communicate listen learn access quality action educate action under stand communicate educate innovation success self-reflec
owledge accountability communicate listen learn achievement connection self-reflection educate action under stand communicate listen learn acces
ovation success ingenuity intellect access quality innovation success self-reflection curiosity challenge create achievement connection self-reflectio
der stand educate action under stand communicate listen learn action under stand communicate listen learn access quality innovation success ingenu
iosity challenge create achievement connection self-reflection under stand communicate listen learn access quality action create achievement conn
f-reflection educate action under stand communicate listen learn access quality innovation success educate action communicate listen learn access
ality action educate action under stand create achievement connection self-reflection under stand communicate listen learn access quality action cre
ievement connection self-reflection educate action under stand communicate listen communicate educate innovation success self-reflection knowle
ountability connection self-reflection educate action under stand communicate listen learn access quality innovation ingenuity intellect connection
ection under stand communicate listen learn access quality action create achievement connection self-reflection educate action under stand commu
en learn access quality innovation success educate action communicate listen learn access quality action educate action under stand communicate

National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment

For more information, please contact:
National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA)
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
340 Education Building
Champaign, IL 61820
learningoutcomesassessment.org
[email protected]
Fax: 217.244.3378
Phone: 217.244.2155