Just over ten years ago, John Schuh and Ann Gansemer-Topf authored NILOA Occasional Paper #7, "The Role of Student Affairs in Student Learning Assessment" (2010). The authors identified contributions and challenges for student affairs assessment and called on student affairs professionals not only to develop meaningful programs and…

The authors of this article invite disability and student affairs professionals to engage autistic college students and colleagues in program development and assessment efforts. Ten strategies to construct student support programs and assessment designs are provided that are inclusive of autistic students, staff, and faculty input and…

Women frequently benefit from focused faculty development opportunities not because they need to be "fixed," but rather it is a means to demonstrate that success, even in chilly environments, is possible. The Stepping Stones program uses a unique design to provide participants with inspiration, time for reflection, and strategies for how…

Assessment has assumed an increasingly prominent place in academic and student affairs practice. Yet, in smaller student affairs departments with limited staffing and resources, how might a department identify the resources or time to thoroughly assess student learning outcomes? This Notes in Brief details the partnership between the University of…

The phrase "best practice" is used often in student affairs, but the term lacks a common and accepted definition. This results in the implementation of programs and services that are neither grounded nor assessed. A model is proposed here that suggests a best practice process that integrates foundational student affairs documents and applies the…

In July 2011, the University of Tennessee Board of Trustees approved a new strategic plan called VolVision for the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) campus. VolVision provides the road map for UTK to become a Top 25 university. For more than a year before the board approved the plan, faculty and administrative leaders led focus groups and…

The Assessment Skills and Knowledge (ASK) standards seek to articulate the areas of content knowledge, skill and dispositions that student affairs professionals need in order to perform as practitioner-scholars to assess the degree to which students are mastering the learning and development outcomes the professionals intend. Consistent with…

Isothermal Community College (ICC) is located in Spindale, North Carolina. The college serves approximately 2,000 curriculum students every fall and spring semester and about 1,000 curriculum students in summer semesters. The Student Affairs department at ICC is divided into 10 functional areas. Over the last several years, student affairs staff…

In response to the expressed need for staff development and improved communication in a college, a 2-year program series was developed. The sessions included: valuing each other; supporting each other; motivation; how to get things done; decision making; and communicating student responsibility. The major focus of the sessions was on attendees…

This article gives an overview of a new model for assessment practice within student affairs divisions. With the current increase of accountability and greater demands from higher education stakeholders, student affairs practitioners need to understand how to demonstrate the effectiveness and value of their work as it relates to the mission of…

The first-year experience movement opens a window of opportunity for student affairs professionals to extend their educational endeavors into the classroom, thus allowing entrance into segments of campus once reserved exclusively for faculty.

The Association of College and University Housing Officers Internship Program provides an opportunity for graduate students to gain experience in the fields of college and university housing and residential life. Application, selection, remuneration, and other benefits of the program are discussed and the program is evaluated. (Author/BEF)

An evaluation scheme for determining appropriate types of funding for student services in a changing academic environment is given. (Author)

Student affairs practitioners often rely on anecdotal evidence when asked to demonstrate their contributions to the community college, but their future may depend on their ability to become more data-based and outcomes-oriented. This chapter discusses the need for a culture of evidence in student affairs, describes how to build such a culture, and…

Among the numerous approaches that are employed to prevent sexual violence, the performance of scenarios has become one of the "promising practices" in U.S. postsecondary education. This article describes findings from a pilot study to analyze scripts used for theatre-based sexual violence prevention programs. Employing the method of…