1. Why is the assessment process important and necessary to higher education and the field of student affairs?
With the overwhelming increase of budget cuts, institutions of higher education must produce measureable results. A strategic assessment plan provides validation for support programs and enhances the performance of research, customer service, and teaching methods. All factors increase institutional marketability, justifying the co-curricular initiatives.
However, there is a problem with current assessment models. A majority obsessively understate the responsibility of the student for his or her own learning, and overstate the responsibility of the faculty or staff member. Educators are responsible for instructing students on the material
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Assessment has many roles in strategic planning. It helps define goals and objectives for the department and assists in eliminating unnecessary strategies. As departments evolve, priorities shift and new needs arise. Without assessment it is difficult to determine if the results are meeting the needs of the student.
Assessment also identifies critical issues or problems that must be resolve in order to meet success. When a department begins or modifies a strategic plan, the process is bias without the involvement of external assessment. Students may be reporting other results different than the department because of varying perspectives. In order to have an effective plan, both the professional and student views must be considered.
The creation or modification of a strategic plan is a cycle that starts with the mission of the department, then assesses current initiatives, sets goals and objectives, implements the plan, and finally assesses the results. Assessment is valuable not only in starting the plan, but afterward when the data is collect. With the pre-post assessment, data can be used to verify the effectiveness of the strategic plan and create another one for the
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What role does the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS Standards) play in developing professional practice and student development and learning?
The Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS Standards) provides a foundation to guide, develop, and assess programs and services in higher education. Each standard contains 12 common criteria categories for every functional area of higher education. All standards contain minimum requirements, which are in bold print, and suggestions which are in regular font. There are currently 43 functional areas that focus on the mission, program, and sub categories of each area. CAS standards is a volunteer system that gives credibility to institutions of higher education.
5. After you have completed your assessment, what should you do with your results in order to ensure the most