XAVIER
UNIVERSITY of
LOUISIANA
June 15, 2010
Assessment Summit
Output Document
v.1
Assessment Summit
6/16/2010
56 Perimeter Center East, #103
Atlanta, Georgia 30346
770.454.1440
www.leadstrat.com
Overview
Xavier University of Louisiana held a one-day assessment summit on June 15, 2010. Cynthia Waisner
from Leadership Strategies served as facilitator and documenter for the session.
Retreat Purpose and Objectives:
The purpose of the retreat was to establish a strategic framework for assessment at Xavier.
Objectives of the retreat included the following:
1. Reach consensus on the purpose, or mission, of assessment at Xavier;
2. Agree on a shared vision and long-term goals derived from that vision;
3. Identify critical success factors and barriers for each of the long-term goals;
4. Develop a list of possible strategies, or projects, for moving toward the vision, achieving critical
success factors, and/or reducing or eliminating identified barriers;
5. Reach agreement on priority strategies from the list of possible strategies; and
6. Identify next steps, milestones, and accountabilities associated with the priority strategies.
Retreat Agenda
1. Opening Exercise:
Hopes and Concerns
2. Where We’re Going – The Big Picture
Mission
Vision
Goals
4. Strategy Prioritization
5. Action Plans (High Level)
6.
Session Close
3. How We’ll Get There
Critical Success Factors
Barriers
Strategies
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Documentation Contents
This document presents the results of the session as recorded by the facilitator. Comments appearing in
italic represent additions made by the documenter for clarity. The document includes the following
sections:
I.
Opening Exercise ................................................................................4
II.
Vision ..................................................................................................4
III.
Goals ...................................................................................................5
IV. Mission Statement...............................................................................6
V.
CSFs and Barriers ...............................................................................7
VI. Strategies and Priority Strategies ......................................................10
VII. Action Plan........................................................................................14
VIII. Next Steps .........................................................................................15
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I. Opening Exercise
Participants were asked to identify their greatest hopes and concerns for the day. Each of the four
table groups was then asked to agree upon and report back their top hope and top concern.
Hopes
Concerns
That we create a culture of assessment that is
useful, integrated, and coordinates all types
of assessment across the University
That our assessment process is not going to
be integrated and useful across the
University
That we are able to breach the silos, connect
the various assessments and connect
everything to the institution
That we do not achieve an Institution-wide
focus
That we develop a realistic, integrated,
usable, and transparent system across all
levels
That we develop something that doesn’t
meet the criteria listed to the left of this
concern
That we develop a comprehensive
framework for assessment, moving from the
general to the more specific and that we all
have a better feeling and sense of purpose
regarding assessment at the University
That we not fully take into account
Xavier’s learning culture – can what we
agree on here truly be transplanted across
the University?
II. Vision
A visioning exercise was used followed by breakout sessions in small groups to identify common themes.
These themes were used to develop the mission, vision, and goals.
VISION: The vision provides a picture of a preferred future state.
Proposed Vision Statement
Assessment: Driving Growth and Change
The following slogans were on post-it pages on the Green Team’s table.
They are included here for possible use as the effort goes forward:
•
Assess to be your best!
•
Data are your friend!
•
Bloom and grow!
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III. Goals
Goals identify broad aims toward which the organization will work over a long
(approximately 10-year) span of time:
BUY-IN
Maximize buy-in for assessment with all stakeholders
throughout their affiliation with the University
CULTURE OF
ASSESSMENT
Promote a more accepting culture of assessment
RESOURCES
You may want to omit the qualifying words “more accepting” in
your final version
Provide levels of resources needed to effectively carry
out assessment
Green Team edited to read: Provide resources needed to carry
out assessment effectively
EFFECTIVE
ASSESSMENT
MODEL
Promote an assessment model that is effective,
systematic, integrated, collaborative, and used for growth
and positive change. This model will include:
• Ensuring that data collection is accurate, timely,
and consistent across the University;
• Ensuring regular evaluation of the assessment
process and its usefulness to the University;
• Ensuring usefulness and use of the assessment
systems;
• Maximizing availability of comparable data sets
for analysis;
• Ensuring transparency of assessment needs, data,
and results, as well as the responsibility for these
needs, data, and results;
• Maintaining mission-oriented focus; This was
originally stated as “learning-centered focus”; and
• Maintaining coordinated (centralized?) data.
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IV. Mission Statement
A mission defines the overall purpose of an organization. The mission statement should describe what
the organization does, for whom it does it, and the benefit.
Proposed Mission Statement
•
To systematically collect, analyze, and use relevant data
from all levels – i.e., individual, departmental, and
University – in order to continuously and effectively fulfill
the mission and the overall goals of the University
Groups were asked to identify possible edits to the above. They suggested:
•
Include “identify goals”
• Fix the split infinitive and shorten it
• Add concept of “improvement”
• Move reason for assessment (“fulfilling the mission”) to the beginning of the statement
The other three draft mission statements are included below. Specific language and concepts contained
in them may be useful in crafting the final version of the mission statement:
•
•
•
To set goals and evaluate performance to ensure outcomes are met in order to drive growth and
change to the benefit of the overall University community.
The purpose of assessment at Xavier is to support the mission of the University by:
• Developing and implementing a plan for continuous cyclical improvement;
• Documenting implementation results; and
• Using the documentation to improve the plan
The purpose of assessment at Xavier is to:
• Support the mission of student learning;
• Identify critical areas for decision-making; and
• Support decision-making, growth, and improvement through the systematic collection,
organization, and analysis of information.
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V. CSFs and Barriers
The participants next identified Critical Success Factors and Barriers for each goal. First, groups
identified CSFs – those things which must go right, or the conditions that must be created – for the goals
and objectives to succeed. Participants next identified Barriers - those conditions which might hinder
success in achieving the objectives.
GOAL: BUY-IN
CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS
BARRIERS
Identifying the stakeholders and their unique roles
and responsibilities
Misunderstanding of assessment
Lack of knowledge about assessment
Accountability
Resistance to change
Having a truly effective model and resources to
follow that model
Available time
Marketing plan
Perception and/or reality that effort is top-down
Value obvious to stakeholders
Simple and easy to use
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GOAL: CULTURE OF ASSESSMENT
CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS
BARRIERS
Stakeholders understand assessment
Individual beliefs and mindset that past assessment
results have not been used for growth and change
Stakeholders have shared value for and language
of assessment
Belief that assessment is only needed/used for
administrative purposes (e.g., SACS)
Stakeholders see the value of assessment
Results are not communicated consistently to
stakeholders
Strong, consistent reinforcement of best policies
Lack of necessary resources
Competing cultures and values
Maintenance of the status quo
GOAL: RESOURCES
CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS
BARRIERS
All areas have the means for successful
assessments
Poor planning
Competing institutional priorities
Assessment at “any cost” There was considerable
discussion around this point, with the end result
being clarification that this meant that assessment
does not get shunted aside by competing priorities,
but remains a high priority and area of focus “no
matter what,” i.e., “at any cost”
Budget process is not aligned with assessment
Quality and quantity of staff
Identification and evaluation of required resources
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GOAL: EFFECTIVE ASSESSMENT MODEL
CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS
BARRIERS
The model is useful at all levels
Temptation/tendency to do what is easy vs. what is
meaningful
Data are good and of a quality that is responsive to
users and stakeholders
Standard data templates are used where
appropriate
Fear of exposing weakness
Territorial attitude towards data
Responsible, trained personnel are assigned to
each assessment
There is stakeholder knowledge regarding the data
that are already available
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VI. Strategies and Priority Strategies
Participants were next asked to brainstorm possible strategies for each of the goal areas, as well as to
assign each “potential strategy” generated earlier in the day to one of the goal areas. Participants
were asked to generate strategies that: directly affected achievement of the goal; strengthened,
leveraged, or put into place a CSF; and/or weakened, removed or lessened the impact of a barrier.
Once strategies were generated and reviewed, participants were asked to “vote,” using dots, to
establish priority strategies. Each participant was given four dots per goal area to assign as he or she
wished. Results for each goal area, in decreasing order of priority, are provided below.
GOAL: BUY-IN
STRATEGY
TOTAL POINTS
AWARDED
Develop an incentive program that highlights successful assessment efforts
combined with Conduct a festival of assessment to report successes and issues
18
Develop a campus-wide marketing plan for assessment
17
Identify the stakeholders and their roles and responsibilities
16
Conduct focus groups to solicit input and integrate their input into the model At
the bottom of this post-it, someone added the comment “Top down”
10
Develop a professional development plan for stakeholders
9
Identify resistant stakeholders and work with them combined with Invite them
to the festival and team them with assessment ambassadors
5
In the discussion, the point was made that even though this was not a top votegetter, it should be incorporated early into the plans and actions for
assessment. Resistant stakeholders may have a lot of influence, and failing to
address this early on could make the initiative more difficult or even sideline it
altogether
Compulsory entrance and exit evaluations for students and employees
1
Regularly survey stakeholders and develop a strategy to determine the
effectiveness of the model
1
Hold (monthly?) seminars: define outcomes, measurement, focus groups?
1
Communicate the work of this group and the barriers we have identified to
implementation and acknowledge problems in past systems
0
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GOAL: CULTURE OF ASSESSMENT
STRATEGY
TOTAL POINTS AWARDED
Assessment training and education
22
Develop incentive system for assessment
15
Some participants felt that this should be combined with the strategy
listed first, for a combined total of 37. This strategy also appeared
in the “buy-in” category – when the totals from the two categories
are combined, there are 33 points for this strategy. If you combine it
with “assessment training and education,” the total jumps to 55.
Add an assessment link at main Xavier web page
12
Develop a system for dissemination of results to all stakeholders
annually
10
Promote scholarship of assessment to faculty
9
Develop video of success stories
5
Publish vision and mission of assessment on a document that
includes the goals of assessment
4
Recognition for assessment – need both sticks and carrots
1
Create a video that describes the new assessment system
0
Food, entertainment, daily activities
0
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GOAL: RESOURCES
STRATEGY
TOTAL POINTS AWARDED
All-Star Assessment Team combined with Identify personnel
combined with Identify who does what with institutional assessment
25
Identify needs: personnel, equipment, know-how, and training
combined with Identify all institutional resources that support
assessment
23
Align budgetary allocations with plan
12
Appoint a separate QEP evaluator as stated in the QEP budget
9
Engage University Planning Council to elevate assessment as a
University priority
5
Adhere to the strategic plan combined with plan, plan, plan!
5
Integrate grant-funded assessment into general assessment plan
3
Attempt to identify new, external resources, especially for initial
costs of developing/launching new system
1
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GOAL: EFFECTIVE ASSESSMENT MODEL
STRATEGY
TOTAL POINTS AWARDED
Look at best practices and identify which components could work at
Xavier combined with Evaluate current model – what is useful
(strengths and weaknesses)
30
Develop official, central hub of information –who is responsible
combined with For each of the University’s priorities, common or
compatible departments across campus develop objectives,
benchmarks, and a timeline. They meet regularly to discuss SWOT.
A note connecting the two strategies read “All Star Assessment
Team.” See notes in Action Plan regarding two visions for this
assessment team
12
KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)
11
Invest in technology that will streamline processes
10
Develop uniform data sets with consistent variable names, based on
institutional data
8
University defines what assessment means
6
Develop organizational plan
4
1) Identify characteristics of overall assessment that all can agree
on; 2) identify systems that need to be integrated; 3) make
recommendations concerning next steps, actions, timelines; 4)
identify resources needed to carry out the plan
1
Develop a plan for coordinating efforts across the campus (who is
responsible, who is accountable?)
0
Have each unit or department input their data on a timely basis
0
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VII. Action Plan
After identifying the priorities, the group determined that the first step needed to be creation and
charging of the “All-Star Assessment Team.” There were two separate visions of who would be part of
this group and what its primary task would be. Some saw the group as having a high degree of
assessment subject matter expertise and doing the early analysis regarding who is currently doing what,
what resources are available and needed, etc. The group would then make recommendations and open
up the discussion to a broader, more inclusive group, eventually reporting findings and making
recommendations to the Planning Council. Others saw the group as a more representative and
inclusive body of those involved in assessment, meeting regularly to share issues and expertise,
concerns, etc. After some discussion, the group decided that the former model should be the focus for
this first group, with the understanding that the development of the more inclusive working committee
will come at a later date.
This group will be a committee of SMEs in assessment. It will be led by Dr. Brookover, who will identify
and invite other members. It was noted that it will be important to have representation from the nonacademic side of the University. Recommendations are being developed regarding this appointment.
The committee will function, in a sense, as a body of internal consultants. Its working process may
include the following steps and stages:
1) map and evaluate the current system;
2) identify best practices;
3) identify strengths and weaknesses of the current system;
4) develop a preliminary set of recommendations;
5) seek input regarding these initial recommendation; and
6) report to the Planning Council.
The specific steps and working process will be defined by the committee. Next steps and responsibilities,
including those for ensuring high-level support, are included in the next section.
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VIII. Next Steps
The following action items and responsibilities were identified during the course of the retreat.
Action
Assigned to
Due Date
1. Complete documentation from the retreat
C. Waisner
6/18/10
2. Wordsmith draft mission, vision, and goal
statements and circulate for comments
R. Durnford
6/22/10
3. Develop “one-pager” that outlines mission, vision,
goals? (Possible follow-up item)
R. Durnford
As determined by
Committee
4. Identify membership for “All-Star” committee
C. Brookover
6/22/10
5. Hold first meeting of “All-Star” committee.
Purpose: To develop charge and working plan
C. Brookover
7/1/10
L. Blanchard
and/or N. Francis
9/1/10
6. Prepare announcement to University community
reporting on outcome of this meeting, establishment
of “All-Star” committee, and indicating high-level
support and commitment to this initiative
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