Assessment in Student Affairs: Tough times call for good measures

ACPA Student Affairs Assessment Institute
June 17-19, 2010
Charlotte, North Carolina, USA

Register Online

Early Bird Registration ends May 17, 2010

Overview of Institute

In the last two decades, legislative bodies, students, and parents have demanded greater accountability from higher education. Colleges, community colleges, and universities are being asked to provide evidence that students are reaching the outcomes promised by their institution.

Student affairs divisions are not exempt from this challenge. We, too, are called upon to assess the impact our programs and services have on students in areas such as leadership development, critical thinking, ethical development, and interpersonal relations. And while student affairs professionals often learn basic research and assessment skills in their graduate programs, many find themselves looking to publications and organizations such as ACPA for guidance in further developing the skills and knowledge necessary to do assessment. By combining assessment with accountability, student affairs professionals can be more successful in improving their students' education.

The 2010 ACPA Student Affairs Assessment Institute has been designed to meet these critical continuing education needs to promote the success of student affairs professionals. The three-day conference is organized around the ASK (Assessment Skills and Knowledge) Standards developed by ACPA and endorsed by assessment experts on staff at the Association of American College and Universities, the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association, and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. As a common professional foundation for the assessment skills and knowledge expected of student affairs professionals, the thirteen ASK standards and three thematic clusters offer a roadmap for professional development.

Built on the ASK Standards, the 2010 institute will help you develop critical assessment skills and knowledge in the specific areas you most need. From Foundational Issues (ASK Standards 1-2), to Tools and Techniques (ASK Standards 3-9), to Advanced Issues (ASK Standards 10-13), this conference is designed with your needs in mind. The ASK standards and themes are the basis for programs, plenary speakers, and pre-conference workshops that will provide "hands on" exposure to the ASK Standards whether you are new to assessment or come with questions and a need for consultation based on experience. Daily plenary sessions with nationally-known assessment scholars and practitioners and numerous concurrent sessions have been purposefully selected to allow you to develop the skills and knowledge outlined in the ASK Standards.

Intended Outcomes - 2010 ACPA Assessment Institute

The primary purpose of this institute is to build our individual and collective capacity to conduct assessment in student affairs. This skill and knowledge allows us to hold ourselves and our colleagues accountable for the impact we have on students.

Toward that end, the institute will bring together scholars, nationally-known assessment experts, and student affairs practitioners of all career levels, institutional types and functional areas within student affairs. After participating in this institute you will be able to:

• Articulate the thirteen ASK Standards;
  
  
• Implement an assessment plan from start to finish;
  
  
• Develop new assessment skills that you will use when conducting student affairs assessment projects on your home campus;
  
  
• Increase your confidence in assessment;
  
  
• Describe other student affairs assessment projects conducted in a variety of institutional types and functional areas that will help you in your own assessment work;
  
  
• Develop relationships with student affairs professionals from a variety of institution types;
  
  
• Address assessment issues specific to your institution;
  
  
• Develop contacts with student affairs professionals from a variety of institutional types who are committed to learning about and implementing assessment projects; and
  
  
• Address specific institution-based assessment issues by consulting 1-on-1 with an assessment professional.

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Intended Audience

The institute is designed specifically for student affairs professionals who are new to assessment, but may or may not be new to student affairs.

Although all attendees share a common interest in learning about the basics of higher education assessment and the skills associated with making strong inferences about the learning that takes place due to developmental and experiential programming, past institute participants have represented a diverse cross-section of the profession, including:

• Student affairs professionals at all levels – entry, mid-level, and senior student affairs officers
  
  
• Graduate faculty
  
  
• Academic administrators
  
  
• Graduate students in student affairs, higher education administration, or other related programs

Importantly, this is a working institute for those who are new to assessment, and, as such, attendees can expect to leave the institute with many of the skills and knowledge necessary to conduct assessments back on their home campuses.  Please note that the institute is only open to higher education professionals from regionally or nationally accredited institutions.

Keynote Speakers

ACPA is pleased and fortunate to have excellent keynote speakers for the 2010 institute. All have expertise in assessment and have written numerous publications and presented nationally and internationally on this topic.

	Dr. Marilee Bresciani, Associate Professor of Administration, Rehabilitation, and Postsecondary Education at San Diego State University
Dr. Charles Schroeder, Senior Associate Consultant for Noel-Levitz and former President of ACPA
	Dr. Jan Arminio, Professor & Chair - College Student Personnel at Shippensburg University

Schedule

The ACPA Assessment Institute is a curriculum-based learning experience designed to ensure attendees leave Charlotte with the assessment skills and knowledge necessary to begin crafting quality assessment programs on their home campuses.  The Institute schedule reflects this curriculum-based philosophy on assessment education: Sessions build off one another and attendees learn assessment techniques within the context of actual assessment questions and issues that are generalizable to their home institutions. 

For travel purposes, the Institute begins at 8:00am on Thursday, June 17, 2010 and ends at 12:30pm on Saturday, June 19, 2010.  We suggest that attendees arrive on Wednesday night and book flights that depart after 2pm on Saturday, June 19, 2010.

Click here for a tentative schedule.  

Registration Information

Register Online | Download the registration form: Word [96KB] PDF [115KB]

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Payment and Cancellation Policy

Registrations can be paid by check, VISA, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express. All fees must be prepaid. Purchase orders are not accepted. Refunds will be given for cancellations, received in writing at ACPA by June 1, 2010 less a US$50 processing fee. After June 1st, there are no refunds. ACPA reserves the right to charge a service fee of US$50 for returned checks. A processing fee of US$20 per registration will be charged for credit cards declined or to change payment methods after the initial payment is processed. Registrations are non-transferable. The conference may be cancelled or postponed due to insufficient enrollment or other unforeseen circumstances. In this case, the fees will be fully refunded; however, ACPA will not be responsible for other additional costs, charges or expenses, including cancellation/change charges assessed by airlines and/or travel agencies.

ASK Standards Booklet

The ASK Standards serve as a foundation to the ACPA Student Affairs Assessment Conference. You may wish to obtain a copy of the standards to bring to the conference with you. Copies of the ASK Standards are free to ACPA members. You can obtain your version by going here.

Lodging Information

The host hotel for this year’s institute is the Hilton Charlotte Center City. 222 East Third Street   Charlotte, North Carolina   28202. Phone Number: 704.377.1500. The negotiated rate is $129.00 a night (single and double rooms). Attendees can register online here or by calling the hotel at the number above. Be sure to mention the “ACPA Student Affairs Assessment Institute” to receive the discounted rate. Rooms must be reserved by May 19, 2010 to ensure that you will receive the institute rate.

Charlotte, North Carolina

It’s impossible to miss the more than 20 cranes among Charlotte’s architecturally-striking skyline at first glimpse. But to the Queen City, these cranes are far from an eyesore. They’re the sign of the times, which just happens to be progress. Museums showcasing the world’s wonders, mixed-use developments touting dining and nightlife for every persuasion, quality hotel brands, and attractions like the NASCAR Hall of Fame (coming soon) are among some of the recent additions sure to enrich visitors’ experiences. All combined with Charlotte’s not-to-be-missed cultural, entertainment, sporting, and historical mainstays make it a city like no other. Explore Charlotte here.

Transportation

The Charlotte Douglas International Airport is a hub for USAirways and is serviced by most of the major airlines including Delta, Southwest, Jet Blue, Continental, American and United. The airport is located 12 miles from the hotel.

The hotel does not provide a shuttle service. Taxis are available for an average cost of $25.00. Parking at the hotel: valet $25.00, self parking $18.00.

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Conference Attire

The attire for this conference is business casual.

Contact Information

For questions, contact Vernon A. Wall Director of Educational Programs & Publications at 1 202 835 2272.