Consultation Process for Assessment Reports in the Division of Student Affairs
Purpose
The purpose of the assessment report consultation process is to assist departments and
units in developing, refining and better reporting the outcomes of their work. We consider
this a conversation meant to help clarify and improve the assessment work in the Division
of Student Affairs.
Rationale for Assessment Report Consultation Process
The review of unit’s assessment plan and report has been altered in order to provide a
more targeted consultation with units and departments as well as to help units and
departments make updates and changes in assessment plans based upon the
consultation concerning their assessment reports.
The new Assessment Report Consultation Process has two goals:
1. To meet individual units at their level of knowledge and skill in order to help them
progress, in reasonable steps, in the area of assessment. Units within the division
are at various stages in their development of a unit culture of inquiry which includes
documenting that journey and its outcomes.
2. To make the best use of time for unit representatives and assessment council
consultants. Some units may need more consultation than others in order to
progress.
Responsibility of Assessment Council Consultants
Reviewers will arrange the meeting after they have reviewed the assessment report and
will facilitate the conversation during the review. The purpose of the review is to aid units
in developing and documenting a process and the outcomes of that process. Decisions
should be clearly documented and relate back to the data that was collected and the
meaning that the unit made of that data. The rubric and meeting notes will be posted on
Compliance Assist after the review consultation has occurred.
The reporting of data is necessary but not sufficient in the assessment process. An
evaluation of the data and its usefulness in helping to answer the question or measure the
degree to which an outcome was met is essential.
Help units to evaluate what they have done via reflection and purposeful thought about
how it could be improved in the next iteration. Praise areas of strength and ponder issues
that are a struggle. Think with the department not for them.
Responsibility of Units/Departments
Units/departments are responsible for engaging in the assessment process and the review
of their work. This includes submitting reports in a timely manner in Compliance Assist so
that they can be reviewed in either September/October or January/February and notifying
Maureen Cochran when the report is ready to be reviewed.
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The assessment council reviewers will set up a day and time to come to the
unit/department to discuss the assessment report. The unit/department head, the
departmental assessment contact and any other people the assessment contact invites
should be present at the meeting. The unit/department will be asked to present their
assessment work, addressing the points listed under “Agenda for the Assessment Report
Consultation Meeting.”
This is intended to be an intentional conversation about the work of the unit/department
and how the assessment council members can be helpful in answering questions, offering
suggestions, etc. related to the assessment work.
One of the goals of this meeting is to come up with a plan for improvement in the
assessment work. The “plan” must be able to be implemented thus the unit/department
and the reviewers should come to some agreement about what is feasible/realistic. The
assessment work is a process that must consider resources, expertise, etc. knowing that
not all units will progress at the same rate.
Assessment Report and the Consultation Process
1. All units will submit annual assessment reports in Compliance Assist during one of two
time periods:
a.
Units will choose either September 15-20 or January 15-20 to submit
reports
b.
Each unit will provide Maureen Cochran with notification of which date the
unit is going to use for their report submission date (September or
January). This is due to Maureen by August 30 so that there is sufficient
time to schedule consultants and so that we know which areas of
Compliance Assist to monitor.
c.
Assessment reports submitted at other times may not be reviewed in
order to be respectful of assessment council consultant’s time and other
commitments. Units will however be responsible for continuing to improve
their assessment plans and reports.
2. The reports are the documentation of full-cycle assessment. These reports contain the
mission, goals, outcomes, methodology for assessing each outcome, results (making
meaning), and decisions/recommendations/actions taken based upon the results.
3. For those departments who would like additional help in developing their assessment
plan for the coming year, assessment council members can serve as consultants for
plan development. This is done in order to aid units in acting on suggestions for
improvement discussed in the meeting.
4. Assessment report consultants will read through the reports and note suggestions on
the report rubric as in previous years.
5. Consultants will agree on the major points to be discussed at the meeting with the unit
and they will set up a time to meet with the unit representatives.
6. The Unit whose report is being discussed will present their report, significant findings
and decisions made using the results at the time of the review. This should also
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include any questions or issues that are of concern upon which the unit would like
some feedback or help.
7. Reviewers will document their conversations with units and the steps that the unit
agrees to engage in for the next year.
8. If a unit wants further consultation on how to further develop or refine their plan for the
coming year, the consultants can assist with this as well. The requesting department is
responsible for setting up the consultation follow-up meeting about plan improvement.
Agenda for the Assessment Report Consultation Meeting
1. The Unit whose report is being reviewed will provide an oral report/overview of their
assessment report along with any questions or issues upon which they would like
feedback. The oral presentation will address the following questions:
a. What question or questions was/were your assessment designed to answer?
What did you want to learn from your assessment?
b. To what degree did your results provide you with information to answer the
question you had?
c. What specific findings helped you to make a decision, alter a program or
teaching method, etc.?
d. How did you use the information? What actions were taken? Who will you
share this information with and how?
e. What if anything would you do differently next time?
2. The consultants will provide observations, suggestions and clarification around those
issues that are of primary importance to the unit.
3. Additionally the consultants will offer suggestions which may aid in improving the level
of the understanding or clarity of the report.
4. The meeting concludes with an agreement on what updates/changes or areas to be
worked on in the following assessment year. Consultants document the agreed upon
steps or areas for work in the coming year and post the rubric and meeting notes in
Compliance Assist and notify Maureen Cochran when this is completed.
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Preparation for Consult
Assessment Report Consultation Process Flow Chart
Assessment
Report is
Ready for
Review
Unit notifies
Maureen
Maureen
notifies
consultants
Consultants
set up mtg
with unit
Consultants
meet to
prepare for
mtg with
unit
Consultants
review
rubric
comments/
issues
Consultants read
report using rubric to
note any major issues
Note any
major
problems
with
report,
Review
agenda
Consultation Meeting Outline
Meeting with Unit: Note those in attendance (prefer that
department head takes part in this meeting)
Provide an orientation to the meeting, set parameters,
make introductions
Introductions
Any
Questions/
Issues
Presentation
of report by
unit
Conversation
with unit
What went
well
What didn’t
go so well
Was data
useful and
how
What will unit do to improve
assessment in the coming year?
Document this on the agenda form.
Completion
Closing the meeting: Praise the good things, tell them
how to get help revising their plan if they desire, confirm
steps they will take to improve assessment, thank them
for their time/interest, etc. How they can view
comments, etc. on Compliance Assist.
Consultants
type up
notes and
post in
Compliance
Assist
Send notice
to Maureen
when this is
completed
Consultants
notify unit
when notes
are posted
in
Compliance
Assist
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Hurrah! Consultants
finished unless unit
wants help with plan
in which case the unit
may contact you for
assistance.
4
Department/Unit Name:
Date of Consultation:
Names of Consultants:
Department/Unit Representatives in Attendance:
Outline: Agenda for the Assessment Report
Consultation Meeting
I.
Introductions and Purpose of the meeting
a. Personal Introductions
b. Set the tone as a meeting with a purpose but also the conversational nature of the
meeting and the clear offer of help
c. Peer to peer consultation on assessment work
d. Frame the time available (typically 1 hour) and that if additional meetings are needed,
that they can be scheduled at the end of the meeting
II.
Ask the unit what questions they would like to address first or how they thought their
assessment process went this year
a. Note these.
III.
Presentation of Assessment Report by Unit (brief—no more than 20 minutes)
a. Brief presentation of the report addressing the 5 questions
b. Addition of any other questions or concerns of the unit/department
c. Complement them on their work
1. What question or questions was/were your assessment designed to answer? What did
you want to learn from your assessment?
2. To what degree did your results provide you with information to answer the question you
had?
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3. What specific findings helped you to make a decision, alter a program or teaching
method, etc.?
4. How did you use the information? What actions were taken? Who will you share this
information with and how?
5. What if anything would you do differently next time?
IV.
Respond to the units questions/concerns and/or major areas that you believe would
make a difference in their report.
a. This is a give and take conversation that is up to the consultants how they proceed in
helping the unit move forward. Again, think with the unit and not for them. Suggestions,
ideas, etc. are fine but also help them to think about how an improvement might occur.
V.
Near the end of the meeting aid the unit/department in planning next steps. What will
they do to improve their assessment work in the next iteration?
a. Write this down as we will send it back to them after the review notes are posted in
Compliance Assist and Maureen is notified.
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VI.
Closing Remarks: What happens next??
If you would like further consultation or help in implementing some of the improvements in your
next assessment plan we are willing to help. Please let us know and offer some times/place,
etc. for this meeting. It is probably better to meet sooner rather than later for this next
consultation.
We post copies of our comments and agreed upon next steps on Compliance Assist under
your department/unit name. These are kept on file to refer to throughout the year and again at
next year’s consultation meeting. A summary report is provided to Dr. Larry Roper, Vice
Provost for Student Affairs regarding each department/unit’s status concerning assessment.
Thank you for taking your time to meet with us and to work on assessment for continuous
improvement in your unit.
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