Ensuring a Bright Future for Our Student Leaders NODAC 2007

Transcription

1 Ensuring a Bright Future for Our Student Leaders NODAC 2007 Lisa Gruszka, juhli001@umn.edu Orientation & First-Year Programs Shelly Wymer, nich0191@umn.edu Office of Measurement Services University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

2 What we hope to accomplish History of the U of M s Development Outcomes and supporting research OFYP: Training overview and positions Assessment process Assessment implications

3 Orientation & First-Year Programs In Fall 2005, we were charged with assessing seven Development Outcomes within two leadership positions in OFYP: Orientation Leader New Student Weekend Co-Chair

4 History of the Development Outcomes Jerry Rinehart, Vice Provost of Student Affairs Job recruiters identified characteristics they were looking for in college graduates Partnered with the Council for Enhanced Student Learning Received feedback from University community Share the development outcomes at freshman orientation and outlined in the Gopher Guide

5 Learning Reconsidered Learning=comprehensive, holistic, transformative activity that integrates academic learning and student development. No longer two separate and independent processes. Need for integrated, intertwined academic and developmental institutional outcomes. Student Affairs is integral to the learning process because of opportunities it provides students through action, contemplation, reflection, and emotional engagement as well as information acquisition.

6 Student Development Outcomes Responsibility & Accountability Independence & Interdependence Goal Orientation Self Awareness Resilience Appreciation of Differences Tolerance of Ambiguity

7 Hypothesis Student leadership development training positively impacts student development.

8 Social Change Model: Training Model Collaboration Common Purpose Controversy with Civility Consciousness of Self Commitment Congruence Group Citizenship Individual Citizenship/Society

9 Orientation Leader (OL) 24 students participate in spring semester personal leadership development training, 4 hours/week Summer training on orientation logistics, 2 weeks, 14 hours/day Students facilitate groups of 25 first year students during their orientation day Example of relationship between training, Social Change Model and Learning Outcomes

10 New Student Weekend (NSW) Co-Chair 12 students participate in 19 weeks of personal leadership training, 3.5 hours/week Facilitates and trains groups of NSW Leaders, 3 hours/week spring semester Balances supervisor and peer relationships Oversees NSW program Example of relationship between training, Social Change Model and Learning Outcomes

11 Assessment Tool Development Development of Questions Gathered tools from other colleges/universities and combined statements to adapt to our needs (Marquette University) Office of Measurement Services (OMS) Review statements and provided guidance in creating the assessment tool

12 Assessment Tool Implementation Pre, Mid, Post Tests 31 statements related the development outcomes Rated on a scale of 1, not at all to 5, to a huge degree of how the statements relate to their behavior Essay question In 2007, students completed the Post test in the same format as the Pre and Mid test 1-1 Meetings Slightly different assessment process between two positions

13 Results from OL Assessment Pre-Test to Mid-Test: Significant/Not Significant Outcome Accountability/Responsibility Significant Significant Independence/Interdependence Significant Not Significant Self Awareness Significant Significant Goal Orientation Significant Not Significant Resilience Significant Significant Appreciation of Difference Significant Significant Tolerance of Ambiguity Significant Not Significant Conclusions: *Demonstrated what we thought, our training positively affects student s development *Gives us a means to justify training resources and staff time

14 OL Results 2007 Outcome Pre to Mid Mid to Post Pre to Post Accountability/Responsibility Significant Significant Significant Independence/Interdependence Significant Significant Significant Self Awareness Significant Significant Significant Goal Orientation Significant Significant Significant Resilience Not Significant Significant Significant Appreciation of Difference Significant Significant Significant Tolerance of Ambiguity Not Significant Significant Significant

15 Results from OL Assessment Post Test: Changed a lot or a little Outcome Accountability/Responsibility 83.3% 100% 91.7% Independence/Interdependence 82.6% 91.7% 83.3% Self Awareness 73.9% 100% 95.8% Goal Orientation 75% 91.7% 79.2% Resilience 95.7% 95.8% 91.7% Appreciation of Difference 83.3% 95.9% 95.9% Tolerance of Ambiguity 91.7% 95.9% 95.8% Conclusions: *Recognized in 2006 that we needed to change the process and in 2007 the students completed the same assessment in the Post Test round.

16 Results from NSW Assessment Pre-Test to Mid-Test: Significant/Not Significant Outcome Accountability/Responsibility Significant Not Significant Independence/Interdependence Not Significant Not Significant Self-Confidence/Humility Not Significant Not Significant Goal Orientation Not Significant Not Significant Resilience Not Significant Not Significant Appreciation of Difference Not Significant Significant Tolerance of Ambiguity Not Significant Not Significant Conclusions: *NSW Co-Chair position assumes prior knowledge in program, training is designed with this in mind *NSW Co-Chairs have room to create their own experience, they are responsible for implementation *NSW Co-Chairs are paired up mid-year and work in pairs for the rest of their experience, therefore more likely to have changes on an individual level instead of a team level

17 NSW Results 2007 Outcome Pre to Mid Mid to Post Pre to Post Accountability/Responsibility Significant Significant Significant Independence/Interdependence Significant Not Significant Significant Self Awareness Significant Not Significant Significant Goal Orientation Significant Not Significant Significant Resilience Not Significant Significant Significant Appreciation of Difference Significant Not Significant Significant Tolerance of Ambiguity Significant Significant Significant

18 Results from NSW Assessment Post Test: Changed a lot or a little Outcome Accountability/Responsibility 85.8% 100% 100% Independence/Interdependence 92.8% 100% 91.8% Self Awareness 78.6% 91.7% 81.9% Goal Orientation 92.9% 83.3% 63.6% Resilience 100.0% 83.3% 81.8% Appreciation of Difference 92.9% 91.7% 100% Tolerance of Ambiguity 85.7% 91.7% 100%

19 What we learned Need to start somewhere Set aside time to make assessment a part of the process so it is not forgotten Makes you look at your training from a holistic perspective, not just program components Makes you think about the training components and how they lead to student learning Use resources on campus!

20 What we learned cont Assessments should be given before major initiatives or shift in job responsibilities Always going to be revising the assessment process Measuring growth versus reporting program benefits

21 Future Implications Changes in our positions Job descriptions New student leadership model Future Assessment With new training model, be strategic about when assessments are administered Monitor leadership training effectiveness over time

22 Creating Your Own Assessment Tool What are your assessment needs? What do you want or need to know? What steps do you need to take to move forward? Find partners on campus. Who can help you? Your next step

23 Questions?

24 References Development Outcomes: Astin & Astin. (1996). A social change model of leadership development. HERI. U of CA, Los Angeles. Learning Reconsidered: A campus-wide focus on the student experience (ACPA & NASPA, 2004).

25 Outcomes of Assessment Process of assessing data collected OMS analyzed the data and ran significance tests to identify differences between the pre- and mid-, mid- and post-, and pre- and post- student ratings. Identified significance based on 95% confidence level Tested both individual questions and outcomes areas. OFYP met with OMS to summarize and understand results