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Determining Your Organization’s Value

Learn how to assess the impact and effectiveness of your organization, with a focus on honors societies. Discover strategies for demonstrating the value of your organization to key campus figures.

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Determining Your Organization’s Value

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  1. DeterminingYour Organization’s Value Jane S. Halonen University of West Florida A Consultation with Association of College Honor Societies February 7, 2014

  2. High Risk Luncheon Talk • “Assessment” and dessert may not be a good mix

  3. Why bother (in general)? • Postmodern life in higher education requires • Continuous improvement • Performance standards • Assessment of impact • Benchmarking

  4. Postmodern Assessment Drivers • Legislative Mandates (e.g., Florida’s ALCs) • Institutional Accreditation (e.g., SACS) • Program-specific Accrediting Organizations • Internal Practices (e.g.,QEPs) • Institutional Budgeting & Planning • Academia need to control its destiny • Do the Right Thing for the Right Reason

  5. Postmodern Assessment Climate • • Formal standards have been emerging in disciplines for the past decade • Co-curriculum not quite under the same mandate, but organizations recognize “positioning” for resources and profile

  6. Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. ~Margaret Mead

  7. Why bother (in specific)? • Continuous improvement helps maintain vigor • Communication of great results builds pride and development potential • Honors organizations uniquely positioned to provide elevator success stories to key campus figures

  8. College Officials • Strive to help campus catch “good-to-great” disease • Need good stories with good evidence of quality for PR and “advancement”

  9. Faculty NotAlways Thrilled • Taxonomy of Faculty Reactions to Assessment

  10. Goals for Today: Session 1: • Put assessment of honors organizations in context • Identify relevant assessment dimensions of target performance Session 2: • Design strategies to optimize evidence of quality and impact strategically Overall: • Move your taxonomic status in a positive direction

  11. Time Out for Some Reminiscing…

  12. Critical Questions Driving Assessment Decisions • Why is the existence of an honors program important? • To the honoree (and significant others) • To the chapter administration • To the campus • To the host community • To the parent organization

  13. In pairs, trios, or tables • What impact did your own honor society experience have on your development? And as a warm up for Session 2: • What tangible evidence would help “capture” that impact?

  14. Overall Value of an Honors Society • Higher caliber students for entire campus • Retention 6/year persistence rate often much higher for Honors • Intellectual and social enrichment of the campus • Social enrichment of the community through service • Personalized attention (the small College within the large university feel) • Community of like-minded individuals • Donation and development opportunities • A constant source of exemplary student performance • Faculty/student interactions/mentoring opportunities • Student Leadership & involvement on campus • Active and effective alumni base

  15. Critical Questions Driving Assessment Decisions Why should Honors be funded? (Or be worthy of any other campus resource)? What kind of evidence makes a compelling case? What strategies can promote success?

  16. The Challenges of Applying Evidence Strategies to Honors Organizations • Leadership Transience • Student Caliber Variability • Size of Chapter • Scope of Effort (recognition only or larger scope?) • Motive for Measurement (requirement, growth, or recognition?) • Level of Analysis

  17. Level of Analysis • Student Growth • Advisor Quality • Chapter Quality • Board Quality • Society Quality • Society Leadership Quality (you can begin to see out assessment possession is within reach…)

  18. “And the Survey Says…” • Many of you are engaged in evidence generation already in response to • Campus reporting requirements • Chapter annual reports But is your evidence of quality --pro forma or compelling? --efficient or time intensive? --read by anyone but the evidence gatherer?

  19. Benchmarking Adventures • Campus Profile • yours versus other honor societies on campus • National Profile • yours versus other chapters in the honor society The Big Question: Does ACHS wish to invest in distinguishing high quality performers from just functional ones?

  20. Seems like a good point for a break..On return, we will --briefly discuss value of rubrics--organize by chapter size to share strategies that are most effective

  21. Let’s get started… Session 2: Finding and Using Effectiveness Evidence

  22. Methods Best Suited to Honor Societies • Archival Data • Induction Numbers • Attendance Figures • Scheduled Events • $ Raised • # of Collaborations • # Service Projects • Performance Rubrics • Satisfaction Surveys • Inductees • Parents • Faculty in Related Discipline • Service Learning Beneficiaries • Reflection Papers DIRECT MEASURES INDIRECT MEASURES

  23. Rubric Exemplars • Handouts provide existing strategies already in play

  24. At your table Share ideas about • what works well in evidence gathering • what new directions might be optimal • communication strategies that exploit gains Scribe needed to capture key ideas. Spokesperson needed to provide report.

  25. Whatever you decide… Keep it SIMPLE! --feasible --manageable --transparent --measurable

  26. Closing the Loop:The Assessment Cycle • What do the data say about the strength and weaknesses of your target? • How can we capitalize on the strengths (showcase activities)? • How can we redress areas of weakness? • What challenges inhibit performance?

  27. Gauging Progress through Benchmarking • Set improvement goals at a static but reasonable level? (e.g., 1% improvement over last year’s metrics) • Compare your achievements to other comparable groups (this is where a bold move on ACHS’ part could help capture attention…)

  28. Exemplary Chapter Status ACHS could provide a “seal” of exemplary performance for honor societies that would --increase ACHS profile with campus administrators --provide shorthand for high quality performance --potentially increase interest in getting more ACHS members of high caliber on campus

  29. Time to Evaluate this Session Take a moment and write down the most important insight gained from our time together. Estimate how likely you are to make a change. Identify where you are taxonomically. ASSESSMENT HOSTILE RESISTANT NEUTRAL ENTHUSED ENERGIZED POSSESSED

  30. Questions or Comments? • Thanks for coming. [especially with Bourbon Street calling your name] jhalonen@uwf.edu

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