Assessment

Welcome to the University of San Diego Student Affairs Assessment Website

Mission: The mission of Student Affairs Assessment & Research is to promote a culture of evidence based decision-making throughout the division to continually advance co-curricular programming and services for our students.  This is achieved through ongoing training, consultation, and support of all activities in the assessment cycle (Yousey-Elsener, 2013), from identifying outcomes to implementing change based on findings.

Vision: Every Student Affairs professional will leverage assessment to inform their work.

Values:
  • Purposeful: Assessment needs to have goals that align with the organization and can be measured.  The findings then need to inform decisions moving forward.  
  • Trusting: Assessment can be a vulnerable process, but it is all about learning and growth; it is not punitive. 
  • Collaborative: Assessment should leverage the strengths of the entire division.  Each individual brings their own knowledge, experience, and ideas to the process.
  • Respectful: The assessment process should be respectful of staff and students.

 

Icon with no meaning Levels of Assessment Assessment within the Division of Student Affairs happens simultaneously on several different levels. This section explains the logic, timelines, and expectations for the various levels of assessment: 1) Divisional; 2) Unit; and 3) Program.
Assessment Committee Learn about the committee that works to ensure that assessment work aligns with divisional and institutional goals, supports the Student Success Model, is done in accordance with industry best practices, and is actively used to inform program, department, or division decisions.
Icon of a lightbulb Trainings & Events Learn about upcoming trainings and access resources on various assessment topics such as Qualtrics, survey construction, designing and facilitating focus groups, writing reports, and more.
Icon of a computer screen Reports & Outcomes Access reports and results from variation assessment efforts within the Division Student Affairs. Note that this page is only accessible with a USD faculty or staff login. For public results, please go to the University Student Outcomes wesbite.
Icon of a computer screen Learning Strategies It is important to think about how students will best achieve the desired outcomes when designing a program or initiative. These strategies (e.g. train the trainer, reflection, role play, etc.) help focus the appropriate interaction needed to facilitate learning.
Icon of magnifying glass Additional Resources This section contains assessment templates, links to external assessment websites, as well as more detailed information on various assessment topics.