Assessment Committee Charter

Committee Purpose

The Student Affairs Assessment Committee aims to promote and cultivate a strong assessment culture across student affairs departments. We define a culture of assessment as our commitment to evidence-based and data-driven decision-making regarding the accountability and improvement of the programs and services that we provide. Such culture of assessment is cultivated by adopting the following guidelines (Banta & Palomba, 2016; Schuh, 2013; Schuh, Biddix, Dean, & Kinzie, 2016):

  • Connect assessment with program, departmental, Student Affairs, and institutional missions, goals, and identified outcomes
  • Involve and engage stakeholders at all levels across the educational community
  • Embed assessment into the programs, service, or activities
  • Conduct high quality and rigorous assessment
  • Ensure transparency in data collection, use, and reporting
  • Adopt inclusive data collection and analysis practices that ensures no individuals or groups are disadvantaged or excluded
  • Close the assessment loop by utilizing assessment results to inform decision-making
  • Share assessment results with various stakeholders, considering their needs
  • Commit to continuous and easy-access professional development opportunities, resources, and support

By adopting these guidelines, the Committee supports the Student Affairs mission by providing evidence that documents the extent to which the mission is being addressed and offering recommendations for how to better support the strategic direction of Student Affairs.

Committee Membership

Each Student Affairs department shall have at least one full-time staff representative appointed to the committee by the department Director. Serving as the champions for assessment, representatives will attend Assessment Committee meetings and actively participate in Assessment Committee activities for a one-year minimum term.

wdt_ID Org Theme Department Committee Member
1 Health and Wellbeing Recreation and Wellbeing Erik Jaeke
2 University Health Services Courtney Blomme
3 Identity and Inclusion Gender and Sexuality Campus Center Tiffany Lee
4 McBurney Disability Resource Center Kyle Charters
5 Multicultural Student Center Noreen Siddiqui
6 Office of Inclusion Education Gabby Nicholas
7 University Veteran Services Amanda Venske
8 Student Advocacy Associated Students Madison Abbie Wagaman
9 Center for the First-Year Experience Brad Lanza
10 Dean of Students Office Jeff Turner
11 Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards Jennifer Lynn Van Roy
12 Parent and Family Programs Jennifer Schansberg
13 Student Leadership and Community Engagement Center for Leadership & Involvement Ariel Kaufman
14 Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life Cristian McGough
15 Wisconsin Union Jeff White
16 Student Affairs Advancement Jeff White
17 Conference Centers TBD

Committee Goals

The Student Affairs Assessment Committee guides and supports assessment activities across Student Affairs and cultivates a culture of assessment, operationalized through the following goals:

  • Review and develop assessment structure, processes, and guidelines, and make recommendations to the VCSA for establishing more effective and cohesive assessment infrastructure
  • Aggregate, analyze, and disseminate assessment data for easy data access and interpretation
  • Systematically review data sources and make recommendations to the VCSA for improving student learning, development, and success
  • Propose and sponsor assessment related professional development opportunities
  • Advocate for resources to support assessment work

Committee Member Roles and Responsibilities

Committee Chair: Ning Sun, Director of Student Affairs Assessment

  • Set agenda for and coordinate monthly meetings
  • Update VCSA Chief of Staff on Committee work results and progress and solicit input

Committee Members

  • Monitor assessment activities taking place in the department
  • Communicate information shared via committee to appropriate staff in the department
  • Collect department feedback and share with the Committee
  • Attend monthly committee meetings

(Note: Committee members shall not be solely responsible for implementing and completing assessment projects. Staff overseeing a program/service area shall be the primary lead on assessment for that program/service area. Department directors are responsible for providing resources, as well as ensuring the progress and successful completion of assessment projects.)

Sponsor: Argyle Wade, Chief of Staff

  • Receive and evaluate funding requests from the Committee as deemed necessary via the Committee Chair

References:

Banta, T. W., & Palomba, C. A. (2015). Assessment essentials: Planning, implementing, and improving assessment in higher education (2nd Ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Schuh, J. H. (2013). Developing of culture of assessment in student affairs. New Directions for Student Services, 2013(142), 89-98.

Schuh, J. H., Biddix, J. P., Dean, L. A., & Kinzie, J. (2016). Assessment in student affairs (2nd Ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.