Adult and Continuing Education Assessment Plan for 2005-2006, 10-18-04, p 1
Adult & Continuing Education (ACE) Assessment Plan
ACE Mission
The mission of Adult and Continuing Education (ACE) is to advocate for and serve the adult and
non-traditional student, including both credit and noncredit students, and members of the
surrounding community such as youth and older adults. ACE currently has professional staff
with adult learner expertise in four locations: Downtown Campus, Midtown Center, Pleasantville
and Hudson Valley Center, and is uniquely situated to lead the delivery of adult and nontraditional learner-focused services and programs. ACE generates revenue which in part covers
the cost of its support services. ACE also serves as a central point of contact for all of Pace
University’s distributed continuing education units.
Linkage to Pace University Mission
The ACE mission, through its dedication to adult and nontraditional students, supports the Pace
University mission of “providing the best possible private education to a diverse and talented
student body at each Pace University location” and retaining and strengthening the University’s
“ . . . continuous commitment to Opportunitas. . . ” Through its community outreach, ACE also
supports the University’s commitment to civic engagement, and through revenue generation, it
supports the commitment to strengthening Pace’s financial base.
ACE Goals:
Linkages to the “Reaching New Heights Strategic Plan” are in parentheses after each goal.
1. To provide centralized support and community for adult and non-traditional students.
(Core Obj. I, #3a, 3e and 3f; Core Obj. II, #1 and 2; Core Obj. III, #1 and 9a)
2. To partner with Enrollment Management to recruit adult and non-traditional students.
Recruit non-matriculated and noncredit students who are prospects for degree programs.
(Core Obj. III, #1 and 9a)
3. To provide a central point of contact and clearinghouse for all of Pace University’s
continuing education units (eg, information clearinghouse, central website, Workforce
Investment Board contracts, etc.) (Core Obj. II, #2)
4. To generate alternative revenue for the University by offering high-quality noncredit
programs and also by brokering business for other CE units (Core Obj. II, #2; Core Obj.
III, #9a).
5. To contribute to the University‘s community outreach and thus reputation by offering
high-quality programs for constituents in Pace’s surrounding communities such as
employees, youth, parents, and retirees. (Core Obj. I, 3a; Obj. II, #1 and 2)
6. To explore new opportunities for extended programs (local, national, and international)
(Core Obj. II, #1: Core Obj. III, #9a)
Adult and Continuing Education Assessment Plan for 2005-2006, 10-18-04, p 2
For reference:
University Core Objective I: Strengthen Pace’s Academic Excellence and Reputation
3a. Increase the recognition and reputation of our academic strength and emphasize the value added for
each student.
3e and 3f. Increase the undergraduate retention rate and graduation rates.
University Core Objective II : Reinforce Commitment to Be a Student-Centered University
1. Continue and strengthen the University’s commitment to a diverse student body by adding or
expanding programs that foster diversity.
2. Implement programs, training and administrative reorganization where necessary to emphasize quality
in all student, staff and faculty contacts.
University Core Objective III: Strengthen Pace’s Financial Situation
1. Student enrollments at the graduate and undergraduate levels are to grow at 1.5% per year for the next
five years.
9a. By 2005, revenues from adult education should be increasing by 10% per year while expenditures
increase by no more than 3% per year.
What does ACE do?
 The ACE staff at NYC and PLV provide advisement and registration to all non-degree/nonmatriculated undergraduate students, many of whom are adult or nontraditional students.
ACE staff work closely with the Adult Admission counselors in Undergraduate Admission
and actively encourage conversion of non-matriculated students to matriculation.

ACE serves as the Prior Learning Assessment Center for current and prospective
undergraduate students, both matriculated and nonmatriculated: ACE staff coordinate the
Experiential Learning Assessment (ELA) program and administer CLEP testing every
month.

ACE is the umbrella for a portfolio of noncredit programs which generate revenue, including
the English Language Institute, English for Professionals, Real Estate, SHRM Human
Resource Management, and Test Preparation.

ACE develops and supports programming for the surrounding community, including the
Summer Arts program for youth and PARC (the Pace Adult Resource Center) for older
adults.

ACE designs and delivers contract training for corporations, government agencies, hospitals
and other organizations. In some cases, ACE partners with the other Noncredit/CE units of
the University, such as the Computer Learning Center, Nursing CE and the World Trade
Institute.

ACE serves as a portal for inquiries about adult and continuing education, and ACE staff
refer inquiries to the other Noncredit/CE units of the University. Through its Corporate
Learning activity, ACE staff actively seek leads for contractual programs (both credit and
noncredit) and other new program development, and when appropriate, ACE acts as a broker
for the other Noncredit/CE units.
Adult and Continuing Education Assessment Plan for 2005-2006, 10-18-04, p 3
Note: For this initial assessment plan, we have selected seven objectives to focus on which we
are particularly interested in and which represent different areas of functioning. These seven
objectives do not cover all of ACE’s activities and do not represent all the assessment activity
that is performed. For example, the ACE departments which develop and deliver noncredit
programming carry out assessment on a regular basis as part of their ongoing operations. (These
assessment activities include course evaluation, instructor evaluation, measurement of student
learning, enrollment counts and revenue tracking.) We have not included every program’s
assessment activities.
Seven Selected Objectives and Related Assessment Activities for 2004-2005 and
2005-2006
Objective 1: By 2006, to improve customer (student) service provided by frontline staff in
ACE offices. Given the high rate of turnover, we do not currently have consistent customer
service. Customer service involves providing accurate, appropriate information to prospective
and current students, making appropriate referrals to other departments, assisting advisers with
nondegree credit registration, registering noncredit students and collecting payment for noncredit
students.
Supports Goal 1: To provide centralized support and community for adult and non-traditional
students and Goal 2: To provide a central point of contact and clearinghouse for all of Pace
University’s continuing education units.
Strategy: Provide a customer-service training workshop for student aides and part-time staff
twice a year (each fall and spring).
Means of Assessment (and Criteria for Success):
 Measure number of workshops conducted (will have conducted one workshop, of at least 4
hours, each fall and spring starting in Fall 2004)
 Measure percentage of student aides and PT staff who participate (75% will participate each
semester)
 Using a quiz, measure whether at end of workshop students can provide information about
most Adult/CE programs at Pace (all participants will achieve at least 80% on the quiz)
 Ask participants to evaluate the workshop (participants will rate it as at least 4 on a scale of
1-5)
Time Frame: Fall 04 initially and every semester after that
Owner: Brett Sherman
Adult and Continuing Education Assessment Plan for 2005-2006, 10-18-04, p 4
2. Objective: By January 2006, to be able to track and report on collaboration between
the departments of ACE, and between ACE and other units, which generates revenue or
other benefit for the University.
Supports Goal 2: To provide a central point of contact and clearinghouse for all of Pace
University’s continuing education units and part of Goal 3: To generate alternative revenue for
the University by brokering business for other units.
Strategy: Create database of referrals made between departments of ACE and between ACE
and other CE units. The database will record referrals and subsequent follow-up.
Means of Assessment (and Criteria for Success):
 Has the database been created? (Database will have been created by January 06)
 Measure number of records. (Staff have entered referrals they made)
 Measure number of records which have been followed up on. (Staff have entered follow-up
information on referrals they made)
Time Frame: Jan 2006 initially and every 6 months after that
Owner: Brett Sherman
3. Objective: By June 2005, to be able to track and report on all Experiential Learning
Assessment (ELA) activity within the University.
Supports Goal 1: To provide centralized support and community for adult and non-traditional
students.
Strategy: Create a central database of all ELA activity within the University (including
NACTEL) so that ELA activity can be reported on a regular basis (annually). No such database
exists now because the ELA activity had become decentralized over the last 15 years and no one
has been coordinating it.
Means of Assessment (and Criteria for Success):
 Has database been created? (An ELA database will be created to document and monitor all
aspects of the ELA program.)
 Measure amount and type of data made available by the database. (Database will provide
data for reporting number of credits awarded including total and average per student, number
of portfolios submitted per year and per school, number of students who pursue the portfolio
independently vs. through INT 196B, etc.)
Time Frame: June 2005 initially and every 6 months after that
Owner: Nickie Foster
Adult and Continuing Education Assessment Plan for 2005-2006, 10-18-04, p 5
4. Objective: By Spring 2006, will have increased the number of non-matriculated
students who enroll in INT 196B (the course in which students are guided in preparing a
portfolio for assessment of prior learning) and thus the number of prospects for conversion
to degree programs.
Supports Goal 1: To provide centralized support and community for adult and non-traditional
students and Goal 2: To partner with Enrollment Management to recruit adult and nontraditional students. Recruit non-matriculated and noncredit students who are prospects for
conversion degree programs.
Strategies:
 Provide ELA (Experiential Learning Assessment) information sessions for adult students
(sessions would be open to non-matriculated and matriculated students) who may be able to
earn credit toward a Pace degree.
 Continue to expand the web site with new information to remain current and consistent with
university policy and Strategic Goals.
Means of Assessment (and Criteria for Success):
 Compare number of non-matriculated students enrolled in INT 196B each year from
02-03 through 04-05 (number of non-matrics will increase by 50% over 02-03)
Time Frame: March 2006 initially and every semester after that
Owner: Nickie Foster
5. Objective: To expand the Summer Arts Program in 2005, increasing its offerings,
enrollments and revenue.
Supports Goal 3: To generate alternative revenue for the University; Goal 4: To contribute to
the University‘s community outreach and thus reputation; and Goal 5: To explore new
opportunities for extended programs (local, national, and international).
Strategy: Program Summer Arts 2005 for six weeks of arts classes (compared with three weeks
in 2004), increasing options for teens; promote earlier and more extensively.
Means of Assessment (and Criteria for Success):
 Measure number of registrations and compare to 2004 (increase by 15% over 2004)
 Measure revenue (increase by 15% over 2004)
 Provide comparative timeline of promotion activities (will shows earlier exposure by at least
2 months compared to 2004; will show increase in promotion means/venues)
Time Frame: Summer 2005
Owner: Tamra Plotnick
Adult and Continuing Education Assessment Plan for 2005-2006, 10-18-04, p 6
6. Objective: By June 2005, to develop a quality Cross-Cultural Communications
curriculum for off-the-shelf and customizable use by ACE Corporate Learning Services
(CLS).
Supports Goal 3: To generate alternative revenue for the University; Goal 4: To contribute to
the University‘s community outreach and thus reputation; and Goal 5: To explore new
opportunities for extended programs (local, national, and international).
Strategy: Through collaboration, study, conference attendance and testing, Corporate Learning
Services staff will develop and pilot a student-centered, participatory series of workshops
deliverable at companies, hospitals and other organizations.
Means of Assessment (and Criteria for Success):
 Pilot curriculum has been developed (by Jan 2005)
 Evaluations of pilot program (80% good or better)
 Degree of confidence on part of original source of referral (Original source of referral, an
internal partner program, will have sufficient confidence by March 2006 to provide CLS with
additional referrals to health care organizations)
Time Frame: June 2005 initially; continue to assess program each year after that
Owner: Tamra Plotnick
7. Objective: By June 2006 (end of FY 06) To expand Human Resources and Real Estate
Continuing Education programs while maintaining high quality.
Supports Goal 3: To generate alternative revenue for the University by offering high-quality
noncredit programs and Goal 4: To contribute to the University‘s community outreach and thus
reputation.
Strategies:
 Perform detailed market analysis
 Develop marketing plan
 Pilot new courses and offerings
Means of Assessment (and Criteria for Success)
 Measure enrollment (increase 3-5% over FY 04)
 Measure gross and net revenues generated (increase 3-5% over FY 04)
 Measure quality of programs offered
- Approval by Human Resources Certification Institute HRCI (receive approval)
- Approval by New York State Division of Licensing Services (receive approval)
- Monitor passage rates on National and State Examinations
(75% passage rate on HRCI National Examination)
(90% passage rate on New York State Real Estate Licensing Exam)
- Evaluate instructor and course using surveys (90% of participants rate instructor and course
above average or high)
Time Frame: June 2006 initially and every year after that
Owner: Cathy Pagano