Department Name: UEP Assessment and Report.201415
Assessment Plan for Academic Year:
Director:
Department Mission Statement:
2014-2015
Raven Jones
Assessment Contact(s)
(if not the director):
The mission of the Urban Experience Program (UEP) complements the larger mission of the University of Houston by expanding opportunities for academic and economically underserved students.
Department Vision Statement:
Department Goals:
The Urban Experience Program is dedicated to ensuring that students of UEP are equipped with comprehensive services that meet the holistic needs of the UEP students.
Strategic Objective 1: Program Enrollment/Membership - Identify, recruit, and retain students in UEP. (DSAES:1.a,1.b,1.d,1.e,1.f)
Strategic Objective 2: Academic Support Programs - Create a greater/stronger variety of academic opportunities through enhanced services from
UEP.(DSAES: 1.b, 1.c, 1.e, 4.a,4.c, 6.a)
Strategic Objective 3: Policies and Procedures - Implement a variety of protocol and initiatives that support the development of a comprehensive academic and financial assistance program. (DSAES: 2.a., 2.b, 2.c, 4.a, 4.c, 6.a)
Strategic Objective 4: Communication and Marketing - Enhance marketing strategies and produce materials according to the UH branding standards to create a UEP brand image that aligns with mission of UEP. (DSAES: 5.a, 5.b, 5.c)

Program or Services Being Assessed: Retention within UEP
Learning Outcome(s) and/or
Program Objective(s)
Method
Program Objective: Better understand the reasons behind enrollment and participation in program offerings. To increase overall enrollment in UEP Learning
Outcome: Students who participate in UEP will develop academic goals that promote overall achievement and degree attainment.
Online Surveys and Interviews with active/registered participants will determine trends. Survey participation will be limited to actives UEP members through login of PSID. Focus
Group data will show how UEP contributed to retainment and academic achievement. Focus groups will be divided into subgroups based on established members, new member.
Once
Frequency
Timeline
(Month)
Survey will be administer mid January and focus group data will be April
2015
Purpose
To collect data that will allow for an accurate and experiential profile of the UEP community.
Goal(s)
Supported
Department Goal
1-DSAES Strategic
Initiatives:
1a,1.b,1.d,1.e,1.f
Results
Assessment changed from survey and two focus groups to two focus groups of students already in UEP and new students to UEP. The active members and new members were asked questions about what parts of UEP they found helpful, and resourceful. Question topics ranged from academic advising, financial seminar, personal coaching, and UEP events. Freshman did not participate in the focus group. The emerging themes: Financial obstacles are as significant as academic demands of school o UEP students are aware that not all Financial Aid is equal and do not want to be encumbered with debt but see not other options.
o Students feel anxiety about career projection and finding real world experience and internships now to help them be competitive. o Fears of isolation, home-sickness, reverse culture shock, selecting the right academic program, and adjustment to college and others being culturally sensitive; are subjects that UEP students, feel commonly if not widespread among study participants.
Action
Although difficult to address, the themes that students came up with present an opportunity for UEP to serve students. 1) Change efforts and UEP staff power to events and actions that drive the major themes. Most of this work is in grants and partnerships to offer student more of what they need to be successful at UH. 2) Focus on improving the programming that is moving the needle for students like the financial seminar and campus traditions. 3) UEP will change from defining students as active and inactive to further define levels of engagement

Program or Services Being Assessed: Programs Offerings
Learning Outcome(s) and/or
Program Objective(s)
Method
Program Objective: As a result of academic programming: Evaluate and execute effective events that offer students value academically, personally, and professionally.
Two focus groups
Frequency
Once in fall and spring semester.
Timeline
(Month)
December and May
Purpose
Data will be used to evaluate interest and effectiveness of various
Goal(s)
Supported
Department Goal
2; DSAES Strategic
Initiative: 1.b, 1.c,
To identify gaps in learning that can better frame program offerings.
Results
This assessment was combined with the previous one.
Action
UEP Students know that there are many options available to them within the UH system. But they are not necessarily clear about what these choices are or what the differences are between these programs. Although students want to enhance thier college life, UEP students are hesitant to give their investment in programming to other providers, including non-
UEP events, if their personal and/or professional interest are not taken into account. UEP will make studenst aware of the events and programmings on/off campus and link students to appropriate resources based on needs.

Program or Services Being Assessed: Policy and Procedure in UEP
Learning Outcome(s) and/or
Program Objective: Evaluate UEP policy and procedures to align with
UEP mission to foster academic achievement.
Method
Document Review of past policy to implemented policy and procedure.
Frequency
March
Timeline Purpose
Once a Year-Spring semester Spring 2015 February or To measure the knowledge that students gain and retain from UEP.
Goal(s)
Department Goal
3; DSAES Strategic
Initiative: 2.a.,
2.b, 2.c, 4.a, 4.c,
6.a
Results
The UEP office conducted document and policy reviews—the purpose was to evaluate UEP policy and procedures to align with UEP mission of fostering academic achievement. The review of program documents revealed a difference between formal statements of program purpose and the actual program implementation. The review was important to determine that indeed a difference exists and to clarify the program intent before moving forward with other UEP program evaluations. 1. Rewrite Educational Equity and Leadership
Advancement Award (EELAA) grant and Good Citizenship grant requirements for eligibility.
Established hard and soft deadline for students to turn in applications and supporting materials.
Action
UEP has thoroughly changed the policy and procedure in the UEP office. 1) UEP is moving towards paperless office in advisor roles. UEP staff has been trained on advising modules in
PeopleSoft. 2) ELAA grant has been structurally revamped to Empowerment and Encouragement, Travel Grants.
Program or Services Being Assessed: UEP Brand
Learning Outcome(s) and/or
Program Objective(s)
Program Objective: Evaluate marketing and communication procedures for align with UEP mission and foster academic achievement.
Method
Use of Baseline to develop and implement a online survey of random sample of faculty, staff, and students across campus. Drop down menu that asks survey participants how much knowledge they have about UEP and its services.
Frequency
Once a semester
Timeline
(Month)
End of September 2014 and Spring 2015
Purpose
To measure the increased visibility and awareness of UEP on the UH campus.
Goal(s)
Supported
Department Goal
4; DSAES Strategic
Initiative- 5.a, 5.b,
5.c
Results
Assessment was put on hold until next year due to time and resource constraints. There was also a lack of clear marketing baseline data from previous year for assesments of trends.
Action
This year we will establish baseline data to begin measurements from now on. Additionally, In the future this assessment will look at marketing and communication.