Models of Building Staff Capacity for Assessment Practice

part of the Baseline: Professional Series

• Wednesday, January 25, 1:00 – 2:00 pm EST – Co-facilitated by staff at University of Arizona and Stony Brook University

In this webinar, two campuses will share their unique approaches to developing assessment capacity and buy-in among student affairs professionals so that listeners can evaluate which model may be best for their campus. The University of Arizona uses a “Data Monkeys in Training” Assessment Basics course for staff. Stony Brook University developed a certificate program to build staff capacity in the area of assessment planning, design, and implementation, and to help areas feel more confident in implementing their own assessment efforts.

About the co-presenters:

Angela Yancik Baldasare is the Division Manager for Assessment and Research and Jen Meyers Pickard is an Assessment and Research Specialist within the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs at the University of Arizona. Angela and Jen work to assess priority issues for the Vice President of Student Affairs, and provide consultation and training on assessment, evaluation, and research efforts throughout the division. To this end, the assessment unit has developed an 8-week course for full-time professionals within Student Affairs to increase capacity surrounding design, coordination, and implementation of assessment plans and activities. Additionally, the unit oversees the Student Affairs Assessment Coordinating Council which meets monthly to share and coordinate ongoing assessment projects; discuss and troubleshoot assessment-related issues within the division; and create and promote assessment professional development opportunities.

Jeffrey A. Barnett is Assistant Dean of Students and David R. Scarzella is Director of Residential Risk Management at Stony Brook University. Both co-chair the Assessment and Strategic Planning Committee for the Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment & Retention Management. They are responsible for the development and oversight of a comprehensive assessment plan for the thirty-two (32) department division, developing and assessing learning and operational outcomes, cultivating staff capacity in the areas of research and assessment, designing reporting processes that align strategic priorities and assessment efforts, and facilitating divisional strategic planning initiatives. The Assessment Committee has been recognized by the State University of New York (SUNY) and was awarded the 2009 Outstanding Programs Award in Assessment & Evaluation for their work on a division-wide system to assess Student Employee Learning Outcomes (SELO).

Assessment 150 – How to Prepare Staff to Engage in Quality Assessment

Content Standard 13: Assessment Education

Core Competencies: Research & Evaluation

Intended Audience: Assessment leadership