Student Affairs Assessment

“Student Affairs Assessment: Theory to Practice is one of a handful of new publications directed specifically at student affairs practitioners and graduate students who seek to study assessment. As the title indicates, this is a comprehensive text that includes topics not always covered in similar texts, including the history of assessment in student affairs, the importance of epistemology or ‘ways of knowing’ when it comes to thinking about assessment, the politics of assessment, and the uses of technology in practice. Henning and Roberts’ text would be ideal for course instruction as it covers theory to practice and could be taught in the order best suited for the class. Course instructors may choose to create assignments tethered to key points and discussion questions provided by the authors.”

Teachers College Record

“If my graduate program curriculum had included an assessment course, I would have liked for this new book from Henning and Roberts to be the text. And as I prepare to introduce a position dedicated to assessment and storytelling into my Student Affairs portfolio in the coming months, I’ll certainly purchase this book as a resource for our staff. Accessible to assessment newcomers and useful for seasoned professionals, Student Affairs Assessment: Theory to Practice belongs in Student Affairs libraries everywhere.”

John Austin, Executive Director, Student Affairs, Ryerson University

"Rigor in implementing assessment is emphasized throughout this volume. Rigor also characterizes the book’s contents, which are particularly thorough in explaining why and how to do assessment and how to use results to improve programs and services. The authors make unique contributions in chapters on epistemology, politics, closing the loop, and ethics."

Trudy W. Banta, Professor of Higher Education and Senior Advisor to the Chancellor - Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis

"This comprehensive primer on student affairs based assessment is a welcome and valuable contribution to the profession. This is the best kind of example of connecting theory and practice, all for the benefit of our students. In many ways student affairs has led the academy in implementing true assessment of student learning and this work enables higher education to make even stronger progress on this critically important work.”

Mike Segawa, Dean of Students, University of Puget Sound

"Henning and Roberts bring their superb scholar-practitioner orientations to this informed, accessible, and comprehensive approach to assessment. Their experience shines with practical examples embedded in solid research methodologies. Built from now-classic documents in student affairs, both graduate students and those coming into student affairs work new to assessment will find this book foundation to their professional practice."

Susan R. Komives, professor emerita, Student Affairs Graduate Program, University of Maryland and past president of both ACPA and CAS

“If tasked to spearhead assessment with little support, this single resource might be what saves you. Whether new to assessment or interested in bolstering your grasp of assessment, you will find that this isn’t simply a textbook on assessment but rather a comprehensive review of the context, methods, and implications of assessment. Important chapters on the history and mechanics of assessment are balanced by often missing discussions of political realities and implications associated with assessment activities. This is a thorough handbook for everyone in student affairs.”

Dean L. Bresciani, President - , North Dakota State University and Professor of Human Development and Education

Foreword by Marilee Bresciani Ludvik
Preface

Acknowledgements

Preface

1. Assessment in Student Affairs: Setting the Stage
2. Epistemology
3. The Assessment Process: The Big Picture
4. Planning and Designing Individual Assessment Projects
5. Types of Assessment
6. Outcomes
7. Quantitative Designs
8. Survey Design
9. Statistical Overview for Assessment
10. Qualitative Design
11. Interviews and Focus Groups
12. Additional Assessment Methods
13. Sharing Assessment Results
14. Using Assessment Results: Closing the Loop
15. Ethics
16. Politics
17. A Culture of Assessment
18. Technology
19. The Future: Where Are We Headed?

References

About the Authors

Gavin W. Henning

Gavin W. Henning is Professor of Higher Education at New England College in New Hampshire where he directs the Master of Science in Higher Education Administration and Doctorate of Education programs. Gavin is a past president of ACPA – College Student Educators International as well as a past president of the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS). He has over 20 years’ experience in higher education assessment and institutional research and frequently consults and presents regionally, nationally, and internationally on the topic. His scholarship includes over 90 peer-reviewed presentations and over 90 invited presentations and keynotes regarding assessment. In addition, he has published articles and books on assessment including Student Affairs Assessment: Theory and Practice with Darby Roberts that serves as the foundational text for assessment courses in many higher education graduate programs. Gavin earned his Ph.D. in Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of New Hampshire.

Darby Roberts

Darby Roberts is director of Student Life Studies in the Division of Student Affairs at Texas A&M University, and a faculty member in the Student Affairs Administration and Higher Education master’s program. She is a past co-chair for the NASPA Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Knowledge Community, co-editor of Learning is Not a Sprint: Assessing and Documenting Student Leader Learning in Co-curricular Involvement, and a founding member of SAAL. Darby focuses on student learning in the co-curricular to move the profession, institutions, divisions, and departments forward in documenting the learning that occurs outside the classroom.