This year, the Journal of Student Affairs Inquiry (JSAI) Editorial Team has engaged in an exciting process of visioning and planning. First and foremost, we have given considerable thought to the journal’s unique contribution to advancing the field of student affairs assessment. Second, we have expl…
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In the ever evolving landscape of higher education, organizations such as Student Affairs Assessment Leaders (SAAL) play a pivotal role in shaping the student experience as well as for those engaged in assessment. This year, SAAL has taken a bold step forward …
In an age where information is abundant and storage is cheap, it's tempting to equate volume with value. This is especially true in academic institutions, where the pursuit of knowledge is relentless and often equated with progress. But there's a stark difference between collecting data for the …
Hello SAAL Blog readers! My name is Sophie Tullier and I recently joined the SAAL blog team after starting a new role as the Director of Assessment, Data Analytics, and Research at the University of Delaware. Being new to the Director role, I thought it would be a great time to reach out to others w…
The SAAL Board continues to make progress on implementing our strategic plan and building connections and partnerships to enhance our community. After large updates to the bylaws last year to align with our new organizational structure, the SAAL board has identified additional updates that will pro…
Graduate school is a transformative journey, providing students with the opportunity to delve deeper into their chosen fields, cultivate skills, and make valuable connections. For graduate students engaging in assessment within a division of student affairs, a unique set of skills and training is of…
In an exciting development, two prominent organizations in the higher education space, The Council for the Advancement of Standards (CAS) and Student Affairs Assessment Leaders (SAAL) have joined together to enhance the landscape of higher education through collaboration and shared resources. This c…
On day one of a typical Stats 101 course, your subject’s introduction likely revolves around these foundational concepts: the pursuit of statistical significance and generalizability. We’re taught, fifteen minutes in, that good data must meet specific criteria, including: an n > 30, p-value < 0…
Have you ever had a light bulb go off in your head after a couple years of doing the same thing? That’s what happened to us, and ultimately, what led us to creating something that turned out to be a valuable experience.
Our assessment office was roughly two years old and housed fi…
In a previous blog post, I recommended assessment professionals develop four documents that can help to guide their work. The guidance was meant to focus our efforts, especially as we get pulled in a million directions. More to the point, these documents also offer a consistent source of reflection …
The Student Affairs Assessment Leaders (SAAL) has been hard at play this summer. You can keep up with all our meeting notes and minutes. We are definitely leading the charge during a very tense time in higher education where campuses are being forced to chan…
Surveys play a pivotal role in assessment, allowing us to connect with a large number of students simultaneously to gain valuable insights into their needs, experiences, perspectives, and knowledge. When intentionally designed and utilized, surveys provide powerful data that can drive continuous imp…
Traveling to Kansas City for the NASPA Student Success in Higher Education (SSHE) Conference in late June, I was reminded by numerous people that “Barbeque Sauce” was what I should be seeking during my stay. I wouldn’t say I’m a BBQ lover, but as a diehard Ted Lasso fan, I do enjoy the reference. …
Image credit: A Little Bit Meg
Introduction.
This month marks my first full year as a Student Affairs assessment professional. In reflecting back on the year, so many things I love about this work were front and center. But it’s not completely uplifting. Imposter syndrome s…
2023 Assessment Institute Faculty
(Backrow: Paul Holliday-Millard, Heather Strine-Patterson, Melissa Brown, Kristyn Muller, Sarah LaFrance, Chris Patterson, Shaun Boren, and Jerri-Ann Berry Danso.
Frontrow: Jennifer Lowman, Amy Pilcher, Britt Spears-Rhymes, Ciji Heiser, Renee Delgado-Ril…
Allow me to paint a picture: You, an assessment leader, have been given a seemingly impossible task: to tell the story of a failing program.
Now, you didn’t know going into this project that the program was failing. Anecdotal evidence was positive. The program has been around for some time …
New to Assessment and looking to connect? SAAL recently hosted a gathering for folk who have been working in assessment for less than two years. A group of 16 folks gathered to meet each other and talk about their experiences beginning their journey into assessment in Student Affairs work. The g…
Every year the needs of our students seem to become greater—and the expectation we will be able to help address these needs grows in parallel. In an era where universities seek to better understand and support student well-being, it's worth considering the relevance of Maslow's hierarchy of need…
As an assessment specialist with a deep passion for equity work, I stand firm in the belief that the more one knows, the more one sees. For this reason and more, it was a pleasure to join in Dr. Divya Bheda’s SAAL Structured Conversation, “Exploring New Frontiers Together: Taking Equity Wo…
At my institution, we talk a lot about telling the stories of our work. It’s central to everything we do in assessment. The problem is … this can be tough to do in our profession. Why? Well, when you think of storytelling, you might imagine something like this:
A neat, narrative arc.
…
