Plug and Play: Developing a Flexible Program Assessment Model

Abstract

The presentation will outline a program assessment design for improving the educational and personal experiences of University of Minnesota students. A recent assessment of a scholarship program for at-risk students will be used to illustrate the approach.

Donors, alumni relations and academic affairs units are often involved in the development of scholarship programs aimed at improving the success of at-risk students. Often these programs have a financial, programmatic and/or advisory component aimed at improving student success. Collaborations across these units with institutional research and assessment professionals can provide meaningful exchanges of ideas/perspectives and open up unique opportunities for assessing the impact of participation in these programs.

Student success is often measured in terms of academic performance, retention and graduation rates. Plugging a general program participation variable into comprehensive regression model of student success provides a baseline for assessing the effectiveness of a program while controlling for the effects of other factors. Used in conjunction with qualitative approaches [i.e., focus groups, surveys] we can broaden our outcomes of interest as needed. Along with developing a standard reporting template, this approach provides a flexible framework for assessing similar programs in a timely, consistent, and responsible manner that serves multiple needs.