The Data Identity Framework from Amelia Parnell’s You Are a Data Person (2021) empowers higher education professionals to use data effectively by leveraging their unique strengths. Its six components—Curiosity and Inquiry, Research and Analysis, Communication and Consultation, Campus Context, Indu…
SAAL aims to routinely share recaps of key assessment conferences through blogs to disseminate our observations that benefit the broader student affairs assessment community. In line with SAAL’s 2024 strategic priorities, this blog marks the first in a new series that aims to provide consistent, int…
We are excited to announce the formation of the Consortium of Organizations for Student Affairs Assessment (COSAA), a collaborative effort across key student affairs assessment organizations.
The mission of the consortium is to align the efforts of student affairs assessment organizations to adva…
Hello SAAL Blog readers! Here is the next installment of our conversation series getting to know the leaders that make up this wonderful group of Student Affairs Assessment Leaders and learning from their personal stories. I joined the SAAL blog team after starting a new role as the Director of Asse…
Hello SAAL Blog readers! Here is the next installment of our conversation series getting to know the leaders that make up this wonderful group of Student Affairs Assessment Leaders and learning from their personal stories. I joined the SAAL blog team after starting a new director role and, being new…
In my recent interview with Paul Holliday-Millard at UNC-Charlotte, we connected over both having developed and piloted an equity-centered assessment professional development training for staff over the past year. Below, I expand on this section of our conversation and add more about our approach to…
As we reach the midpoint of the year, the Student Affairs Assessment Leaders (SAAL) Board has taken a moment to reflect on our strategies, goals, and the practice of what we preach. In a year marked by heightened tensions and divisions, our commitment to reflection, unity, and community has ne…
Hello SAAL Blog readers! Here is the next installment of our conversation series getting to know the leaders that make up this wonderful group of Student Affairs Assessment Leaders and learning from their personal stories. I joined the SAAL blog team after starting a new director role and, being new…
June 26th to 28th saw the convergence of Student Affairs folks at the ACPA Assessment Institute hosted in Costa Mesa, California. For those that have not been, the ACPA Assessment Institute is a professional development opportunity for all levels of assessment experience and roles. Attendees roles a…
Hello Daniel,
You do not know me, but I feel like I know you. Okay, I do not know you, but I know your monsters. Perhaps more importantly (or more frightening), at least five cohorts of University of Connecticut (UConn) Higher Education and Student Affairs (HESA) master’s students know your monst…
Introduction: Origins, Purpose, and Design of the Higher Education Assessment Syllabi Project
The syllabi project began in 2023 with a simple observation: despite the growing emphasis on assessment as a critical competency area for higher education and student affairs (HESA) professionals, the expe…
Hello SAAL Blog readers! Here is the next installment of our conversation series getting to know the individuals that make up this wonderful group of Student Affairs Assessment Leaders and learning from their personal stories. I joined the SAAL blog team after starting a new role as the Director of …
I’ve always been a slow adopter. Uggs? Never had them. The curly plastic hair tie? I was gifted one once. I donated it. Pickleball? Haven’t played a single game.
So every time I hear that I should be using AI or ChatGPT at work, it’s not that I roll my eyes… but late adoption of trends is how…
From horse-drawn carriage to advanced data visualization tools: Key considerations to keep in mind when designing a dashboard
Shaun Boren, EdD
The term “dashboard” came from a board at the front of a horse-drawn carriage that blocked mud flying up from when the horse was dashing.
It starts with strategy: Intentional goal setting, strategic planning, & pickleball
Sophie Tullier, Blog Team write and Director of Assessment, Data Analytics, & Research at the University of Delaware
Hello SAAL Blog readers! Here is the next installment of our conversation series getting to know …
AI and Assessment in Student Affairs
Natasha A. Jankowski and Gavin W. Henning
While most people in higher education have likely heard of generative AI, it is useful to start any discussion of it with a brief introduction to what it is and why it is causing such a stir. Generative AI is a …
The Committee for Community Development and Engagement created the inaugural SAAL Awards. The purpose of the SAAL awards is to recognize the assessment work of members that advances the field of Student Affairs assessment and furthers the mission and values of SAAL. In total, we received 29 nominat…
Unpacking History to Understand the Future of Student Affairs Assessment
Sydney Kayne, Blog Team writer and Assessment & Evaluation Analyst at University of Colorado Boulder
For many student affairs divisions across the United States, co-curricular assessment is a practice that feels like it’…