Proof in the Pudding: Implications of Measure Selection in Academic Outcomes Assessment

Stacy J. Priniski & Erin Winterrowd   |    Volume Twelve  |   

Academic outcomes assessment in student affairs is integral for both service improvement and demonstrating the unit’s value to the university’s academic mission. However, identifying the right measures is challenging. We implemented three common measures (pre-post self-reported academic functioning, retrospective perceptions of service impact, and semester grades) within a single counseling center client sample (N = 368) and examined the impact of measure selection on the representativeness of client subsamples and the conclusions that might be drawn about service effectiveness. Students’ perceptions of academic outcomes suggested greater impact than pre-post or grade measures overall but all three showed positive effects for clients identified as academically at-risk at baseline. No single measure captured a fully representative sample of clients. Rather than providing evidence for one “best” measure, results point to the importance of using multiple measures to assess academic outcomes. Implications for best practices in service outcomes assessment are discussed.

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