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 At Southern Illinois University Edwardsville we have student evaluations of individual advisers, but we do not assess academic advising per se. However, it is easy to assume that individual data are true for the aggregate, that the whole is merely the sum of its parts. Of course this may or may not be true. The only sure way to know about the aggregate is to assess the aggregate. And, by the way, I will not use “assess” and “evaluate” synonymously. I have come to believe that the two terms have different meanings, that evaluation involves judgment and assessment does not. Assessment merely generates data that indicate whether objectives are being met.The process for assessment, then, is to begin with objectives that are stated in measurable terms and then determine what will be accepted as evidence that the objectives are being met. In many instances it's possible to do assessment with various kinds of questionnaires or surveys, but it is not always possible to do assessment by this method. For example, in advising at SIUE our overarching goal is to achieve for every student the best possible fit between the student's needs and goals and the University's programs and resources. This is a goal, larger than an objective, but how do we measure it except by asking our graduates if they feel that the University helped them to do what they really want to do? That's really just measuring student satisfaction. An objective in pursuit of that goal might be stated as follows: “to assist students in examining their personal, academic and career goals.” Objectives are often stated in this way, but it's not really an objective at all; it's an activity or a function. Measurable objectives would be stated in this way: “students can identify their personal, academic, and career goals”; “students know what the University has to offer them in terms of programs that fit their needs”; “students know the relationship between their university course work, their intended career, and their desired lifestyle.” These are measurable objectives, and they can be assessed using interviewing or brief essays. And I think that this is the way advising should be assessed to truly determine if we are achieving what we say we want to achieve with students. ~ William G. Hendey, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, March 13 The Mentor is published by Penn State's Division of Undergraduate Studies Available online at www.psu.edu/dus/mentor/ Privacy and Legal Statements | Copyright | © The Pennsylvania State University | All rights reserved | |
