Leading Change:

1. Leading Change: Creating a Culture of Learning & Assessment

2. Presenters • Dr. Rosie Phillips Bingham, Vice President for Student Affairs • Dr. Stephanie Blaisdell, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs/Student Development • Dr. Dan Bureau, Director of Student Learning & Assessment

3. Presentation Outline • Communicating a vision of learning & assessment • Gaining division-wide support • Moving from theory to practice • Articulating a Vision for Students: division-wide learning outcomes • Strategic changes in planning and reporting • Signs of culture change

4. Learning Outcomes Participants will have the opportunity to: • Recognize the process taken by the University of Memphis’ Division of Student Affairs to infuse learning and assessment into the culture • Identify the role of a strategic, persistent leader in culture change • Apply the process of culture change to their own division/department

5. The Paradigm Shift • In the Beginning—Focus on student success. “Retention is Everybody’s Business.”

6. Books that made a difference in my Thinking • Good Practice in Student Affairs: Principles to Foster Student Learning (Blimling, Whitt and Associates; • Learning Reconsidered:… (NASPA/ACPA); • What Matters In College (Light); • Leaving College: Rethinking the Causes and Cures of Student Attrition (Tinto)

7. Student Learning • Student Learning Through Engagement and Involvement vsStudents Learning Through Engagement and Involvement

8. Consultants • Hired Greg Blimling (past ACPA President) – who emphasized focus on learning not on counting • Vince Tinto (MIMSAC Speaker) • Darby Roberts (Assessment)

9. Planning • New Vice President for Business and Finance emphasized planning before budget

10. Then Budget • Our focus pointed toward 2 things; focus on learning and planning dictating budget

11. Measuring Learning Outcomes • More consultation—Darby Roberts • How would we measure learning? • How would we know our programs, resources, services made a difference?

12. Staff Struggle • Staff was still struggling with a) lack of understanding ; b) lack of commitment that change was real; c) comfort with the familiar; d) not much money. • But we did further clarify Mission and Goals

13. U of M Mission University of Memphis Mission: • The University of Memphis is a learner-centered metropolitan research university providing high quality educational experiences while pursuing new knowledge through research, artistic expression, and interdisciplinary and engaged scholarship.

14. Student Affairs Mission Student Affairs Mission Statement

15. Student Affairs Goals Goals to increase student success, retention and graduation rates:  • Deliver high quality cutting-edge programs and services that promote and enhance student learning • Recruit and retain high quality staff • Provide physical facilities conducive to learning and discovery • Develop partnerships and collaborations with various constituencies that augment student learning • Develop communities that increase students’ sense of belonging and enjoyment of the university experience

16. Planning Before Budget • Instituted Planning Meetings • Focused on Learning Objectives (to aid in culture change) • Prioritized Budget Needs

17. New Hire • Opportunity to Hire a Director of Student Learning and Assessment

18. Phase 2: Embodying the change

19. A New Normal • Easing anxiety • Building Relationships • Skill building • The Assessment Group (TAG) • On-line tutorials • Individualized meetings • Just-in-time information sessions • Collaborative process

20. A Vision for Students • Facilitated discussions on division-wide learning outcomes with all Deans & Directors and small task force • Allowed us to struggle with our common and unique contributions to student learning • Linked Planning to these Student Learning Objectives

21. A Vision for Students

22. Planning Document

23. Planning • Learning Reconsidered (p. 28): Scope & Sequence charts “instills a sense of shared ownership and spirit of collaboration among educators [and] provides a reference tool that orients veteran and novice faculty and staff to a common structure.”

24. Analyzing our Progress • Scope & Sequence chart demonstrated how departments support each division-wide learning outcome • Used Planning Documents to populate • Imperfect process – not all strategies are created equal • Reality check

26. A Vision for Ourselves • Helped us realize we needed to articulate what was most important as a Division • Lead to a definition of our values by the Deans & Directors

27. Student Affairs Values • Learning • Excellence • Assessment • Diversity • Ethical Leadership • Relationships • Spirit

28. Mission • And while we’re at it – our mission is really a motto • Crafted a new mission • Least popular decision!

29. Student Affairs Mission The Mission of Student Affairs is to foster student learning and promote student success through engagement and involvement in community, academics, diversity and leadership. Student Affairs Mission Statement:

30. Phase 3 Learning & Assessment 2.0

31. Maintenance and Advancement • Increasing Confidence • Examining Procedures and Processes • Institutional Priorities • Retention as funding focus • Increased alignment to U of M Strategic Planand DSA Strategic Plan • Planning • TracDat • Consultation • Provision of 26 Learning Outcomes • Diversification of assessment methods • Planning document feedback • Campus Labs

32. YOU?

33. Learning Outcomes Participants will have the opportunity to: • Recognize the process taken by the University of Memphis’ Division of Student Affairs to infuse learning and assessment into the culture • Identify the role of a strategic, persistent leader in culture change • Apply the process of culture change to their own division/department

34. For more information see http://saweb.memphis.edu/sala/ http://www.memphis.edu/studentaffairs/