As the Director of Student Affairs, the Vice President asked me to develop a comprehensive assessment plan of one of the departments within Student Affairs. Being one of the most progressive departments in Student Affairs, I chose the department of Multicultural Affairs. The purpose of the comprehensive assessment plan is to evaluate existing programs and services within multicultural affairs, and determine if the benefits are worth the cost of the programs. Upcraft and Schuh defined assessment as gathering, analyzing, and interpreting evidence which describes the effectiveness of an institution, department, or program at any level (as cited in Bresciani, Gardner, and Hickmott, 2009). As our student population diversify, the department of multicultural affairs adjusted to this change with the creation of programs that fit the need of each population. This involves programming that allows students to feel inclusive to their own culture, and immerse themselves in another culture different from their own. Being aware of other cultures allows students to interact with peers that’s different than them, something they may not have done prior to participating in these programs. Multicultural Affairs celebrates different cultures and heritages each month to allow students to learn about different cultures, and engage in meaningful experiences. …show more content…
Many of the professional staff in Student Affairs are not performing to their full potential. To encourage staff to be interested in this assessment plan, personalizing tasks will ensure them that their presence and knowledge is needed in this department. It’s imperative to be on the same page, with teamwork and effective leadership, we can protect our department and its programs from being cut from the operating