University of Houston
Division of Student Affairs
2012 – 2013 Department Assessment Plan
Date: September 7, 2012
Department: Student Housing & Residential Life
Director: Don Yackley
Assessment Contact, if not the director: Mark Vitek, Assistant Director for Assessment and Student Conduct or
Rebecca Szwarc, Administrative Assistant for Assessment
Department Vision Statement:
The Student Housing and Residential Life program will emerge as a critical student service and residential
experience positively impacting student success, student satisfaction, and the universities goals, including
being a “Tier-One” residential campus.
Department Mission Statement:
We are a diverse community of students, staff and faculty who foster student success in living-learning
environments by building relationships, promoting engagement and leading with an ethic of care.
Department Goals:
Student Housing and Residential Life supports the mission of the University of Houston by fostering
communities where academic success, student growth and development, diversity, and community are
nurtured. The department exists to support students in being successful while living on campus, while
preparing them to continue their success after graduation. Within every interaction between residents and
the department, our professional and paraprofessional staff members lead with our values of student
success, student development, customer service and an ethic of care.
Specific Goals
Promote and Support Student Success
Create Vibrant/Growing Residential Communities
Create Student-Centered Housing Operation Processes
Engage in Data-Driven Decision Making
Provide a summary of assessment initiatives for this plan. For each program/service to be assessed, please provide the
following:
Name of
Program/Service
Student Housing
& Residential
Life Retention
RA-Resident
Interactions Resident
Connections
with Staff and
UH
Student Housing
& Residential
Life General
Services
Student Housing
& Residential
Life Customer
Service
Resident
Assistant (RA)
Fall RA Training
Goal
Promote and support
student success; Create
student-centered housing
operation processes.
Promote and support
student success; create
vibrant/growing residential
communities; create
student-centered housing
operation processes.
Promote and support
student success; Create
vibrant/growing residential
communities; Create
student-centered housing
operation processes;
Engage in data-driven
decision making.
Promote and support
student success; Create
student-centered housing
operation processes;
Engage in data-driven
decision making.
Promote and support
student success; Create
vibrant/ growing
residential communities;
Engage in data-driven
decision making.
Learning Outcome(s)/Program Objective(s)
Objective - Determine reasons why students are not returning to
residence halls for the following semester (Spring or Fall).
Objective - Assess the new/updated Intentional Interaction
'Programming' Model (how RAs are interacting with their residents).
Learning Outcomes – Residents will be able to:
-Identify and commit to personal goals in the areas of (a) Academic,
emphasizing academic skills and career exploration and
development; (b) Community Involvement and Leadership, (c)
Personal Wellness; and (d) Time Management.
-Describe the values, beliefs, strengths, weaknesses, perspectives,
and styles of themselves and others, and articulate an appreciation
for them in terms of unique, evolving and self-directed cultural
beings.
-Describe how their involvement in at least one curricular or cocurricular experience impacted their college experience.
-RAs will be able to describe what they have learned about
themselves related to their preferred learning style and Top Five
Strengths (based on StrengthsQuest)
Objective - Assess the general satisfaction and perceived learning
that residents experience when living on campus.
Satisfaction Measurements: Hall/Apt Student Staff; Hall/Apt
Programming; Room/Floor Environment; Facilities; Services
Provided; Room Assignment or Change Process; Safety and Security;
Dining Services.
Learning Outcomes: Fellow Residents are Tolerant; Fellow Residents
are Respectful; Sense of Community; Personal Interactions; Diverse
Interactions; Manage Time, Study, Solve Problems; Personal Growth.
Objective - Assess customer service skills and interactions of all staff
who directly engage with students/customers.
Objective – Determine the level of skills, knowledge, and abilities
RAs have learned and are able to apply after participating in the Fall
RA Training experience.
Department Name Student Housing & Residential Life
Assessment Report for Academic Year 2012-2013
Program or Service Being Assessed: Student Housing & Residential Life Department (SHRL) Retention
Learning Outcome(s) and /or Program
Objective(s)
Method
Objective - To determine reasons why
students are not returning to residence
halls for the following semester (Spring
or Fall).
Program or Service Being Assessed:
An exit survey administered through
Campus Labs will be sent to all former
residents who do not sign up for
housing or 'check-in' the following
semester.
Frequency
Timeline
Surveys will be sent to applicable
Surveys will be sent out from August
students three times (to different sets of through September to those who cancel
students):
their housing agreements or don't show
-At the beginning of the Fall semester up; in January 2013 to those who
(to those who don't show up for their
cancel their Spring contract; and from
booked housing).
the end of May 2013 through the
-The end of the Fall semester/beginning summer to those who don't renew their
of Spring semester (2013).
housing agreement or who cancel their
-The end of the Spring semester (2013). agreement.
Data will be compiled immediately after
the survey 'closes' and shared as
appropriate.
Purpose
Status
To determine what reasons may exist
for why former residents are not
returning to University of Houston
housing. If former residents are not
returning to the residence halls because
of dissatisfaction with the services or
failure to integrate into the campus
community successfully, SHRL will take
steps to see how the program can be
improved.
Ongoing. The survey has
been developed and is being
sent out to students who did
not renew or are canceling
their agreement, and will
continue through the end of
September 2012. It will be
distributed in January 2013
and then again in May 2013.
Purpose
Status
RA-Resident Interactions - Resident Connections with Staff and UH
Learning Outcome(s) and /or Program
Objective(s)
Objective - Assess the new/updated Intentional Interaction
'Programming' Model (how RAs are interacting with their
residents).
Method
Survey administered through Campus
Labs.
Learning Outcomes:
-Residents will identify and commit to personal goals in the
areas of (a) Academic, emphasizing academic skills and career
exploration and development; (b) Community Involvement and
Leadership, (c) Personal Wellness; and (d) Time Management.
-Residents will be able to describe the values, beliefs, strengths,
weaknesses, perspectives, and styles of themselves and others,
and articulate an appreciation for them in terms of unique,
evolving and self directed cultural beings.
-Residents will be able to describe how their involvement in at
least one curricular or co-curricular experience impacted their
college experience.
-RAs will be able to describe what they have learned about
themselves related to their preferred learning style and Top Five
Strengths (based on StrengthsQuest)
Frequency
Timeline
This survey will be administered once The survey will be administered in
during the Fall semester, with an option November 2012, as part of the RA
of it being administered a second time Assessment instrument.
during the Spring semester.
The purpose of this survey is to gauge In development. Survey will
the level of residents involvement on
occur November 2012.
campus, the connection/relationship
they have with their RA, and the extent
of what RAs learn about themselves.
Data received will be incorporated into
enhancements/changes of the
Intentional Interaction 'Programming'
Model.
Program or Service Being Assessed: Student Housing & Residential Life Department (SH&RL) General Services
Learning Outcome(s) and /or Program
Objective(s)
Objective - Assess the general satisfaction and
perceived learning that occurs from residents who live
in residence halls.
Method
Frequency
Timeline
An assessment instrument distributed to The survey will be administered once in The EBI will be administered in
a large percentage of residents by EBI the Fall - early November 2012.
November 2012 with results generally
(Educational Benchmarking, Inc.).
received mid-December 2012. Results
Satisfaction Measurements: Hall/Apt Student Staff;
will be reviewed by SHRL staff
Hall/Apt Programming; Room/Floor Environment;
members and shared with
Facilities; Services Provided; Room Assignment or
Change Process; Safety and Security; Dining Services
department/division leadership prior to
being shared with residents and
Learning Outcomes: Fellow Residents are Tolerant;
possibly campus partners.
Fellow Residents are Respectful; Sense of
Community; Personal Interactions; Diverse
Interactions; Manage Time, Study, Solve Problems;
Personal Growth
Purpose
This survey measures resident
satisfaction with SH&RL services and
personnel; as well as with students'
satisfaction with their college
experience. Fall 2012 results will be
compared to data from 2011 used to
enhance programs and services in
order to increase overall resident
satisfaction.
Status
Survey will be 'ordered' in
September 2012 for
November 2012
implementation.
Department Name Student Housing & Residential Life
Assessment Report for Academic Year 2012-2013
Program or Service Being Assessed: Student Housing & Residential Life Department (SHRL) Retention
Learning Outcome(s) and /or Program
Objective(s)
Method
Objective - To determine reasons why
students are not returning to residence
halls for the following semester (Spring
or Fall).
Program or Service Being Assessed:
An exit survey administered through
Campus Labs will be sent to all former
residents who do not sign up for
housing or 'check-in' the following
semester.
Frequency
Timeline
Surveys will be sent to applicable
Surveys will be sent out from August
students three times (to different sets of through September to those who cancel
students):
their housing agreements or don't show
-At the beginning of the Fall semester up; in January 2013 to those who
(to those who don't show up for their
cancel their Spring contract; and from
booked housing).
the end of May 2013 through the
-The end of the Fall semester/beginning summer to those who don't renew their
of Spring semester (2013).
housing agreement or who cancel their
-The end of the Spring semester (2013). agreement.
Data will be compiled immediately after
the survey 'closes' and shared as
appropriate.
Purpose
Status
To determine what reasons may exist
for why former residents are not
returning to University of Houston
housing. If former residents are not
returning to the residence halls because
of dissatisfaction with the services or
failure to integrate into the campus
community successfully, SHRL will take
steps to see how the program can be
improved.
Ongoing. The survey has
been developed and is being
sent out to students who did
not renew or are canceling
their agreement, and will
continue through the end of
September 2012. It will be
distributed in January 2013
and then again in May 2013.
Purpose
Status
The purpose of this survey is to gauge
the level of residents involvement on
campus, the connection/relationship
they have with their RA, and the extent
of what RAs learn about themselves.
Data received will be incorporated into
enhancements/changes of the
Intentional Interaction 'Programming'
Model.
In development. Survey will
occur November 2012.
Purpose
Status
RA-Resident Interactions - Resident Connections with Staff and UH
Learning Outcome(s) and /or Program
Objective(s)
Objective - Assess the new/updated Intentional Interaction
'Programming' Model (how RAs are interacting with their
residents).
Method
Survey administered through Campus
Labs.
Learning Outcomes:
-Residents will identify and commit to personal goals in the areas
of (a) Academic, emphasizing academic skills and career
exploration and development; (b) Community Involvement and
Leadership, (c) Personal Wellness; and (d) Time Management.
-Residents will be able to describe the values, beliefs, strengths,
weaknesses, perspectives, and styles of themselves and others,
and articulate an appreciation for them in terms of unique,
evolving and self directed cultural beings.
-Residents will be able to describe how their involvement in at
least one curricular or co-curricular experience impacted their
college experience.
-RAs will be able to describe what they have learned about
themselves related to their preferred learning style and Top Five
Strengths (based on StrengthsQuest)
Frequency
Timeline
This survey will be administered once The survey will be administered in
during the Fall semester, with an option November 2012, as part of the RA
of it being administered a second time Assessment instrument.
during the Spring semester.
Program or Service Being Assessed: Student Housing & Residential Life Department (SH&RL) General Services
Learning Outcome(s) and /or Program
Objective(s)
Objective - Assess the general satisfaction and
perceived learning that occurs from residents who live
in residence halls.
Method
Frequency
Timeline
An assessment instrument distributed to The survey will be administered once in The EBI will be administered in
a large percentage of residents by EBI the Fall - early November 2012.
November 2012 with results generally
(Educational Benchmarking, Inc.).
received mid-December 2012. Results
Satisfaction Measurements: Hall/Apt Student Staff;
will be reviewed by SHRL staff
Hall/Apt Programming; Room/Floor Environment;
members and shared with
Facilities; Services Provided; Room Assignment or
Change Process; Safety and Security; Dining Services
department/division leadership prior to
being shared with residents and
Learning Outcomes: Fellow Residents are Tolerant;
possibly campus partners.
Fellow Residents are Respectful; Sense of
Community; Personal Interactions; Diverse
Interactions; Manage Time, Study, Solve Problems;
Personal Growth
This survey measures resident
satisfaction with SH&RL services and
personnel; as well as with students'
satisfaction with their college
experience. Fall 2012 results will be
compared to data from 2011 used to
enhance programs and services in
order to increase overall resident
satisfaction.
Survey will be 'ordered' in
September 2012 for
November 2012
implementation.