Perceptions of Assessment Competency among New Student Affairs Professionals

Jaimie Hoffman   |    Volume Ten  |   

The landscape of assessment in higher education in the United States is changing; stakeholders are calling for an increased level of accountability with evidence of the impact on student learning becoming a pervasive expectation. Student affairs professionals are not exempt from this responsibility; they must be prepared to assess and articulate how their work contributes to the student learning experience. But do student affairs professionals think assessment is an important skill to possess and do they have the skills necessary to conduct assessment? This study collected data from new student affairs professionals on a web-based survey to understand their perceptions about assessment. Specifically, the researcher asked about new student affairs professionals’ perceptions of the importance of assessment, proficiency in conducting assessment, and the delivery methods most helpful to learn assessment skills. Generally, new professionals rated assessment as important but their proficiency across the assessments skills was much lower. Graduate programs and conferences were reported as most helpful for learning assessment.

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