“Assessfest” It’s All About Assessment!

1. “Assessfest”It’s All About Assessment! Robyn Reafler, M.A. Karen Violanti, Ph. D. First-Year Enrichment Program Rochester Institute of Technology Students in Transition Conference: 11/5/07

2. Presentation Agenda • Presenter Introductions/Background • Overview of the First-Year Enrichment (FYE) Program at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) • Overview of the Assessment Program in the FYE Program at RIT • How “Assessfest” was born - what was the NEED? • Discussion of Model: “Assessfest” • Pre-Planning • Day of • Post-Event • Questions/Closure

3. Presenter Background • Karen Violanti, Ph.D. • FYE Instructor/Performance Coach • Assessment Coordinator (04-07) • FYE Coaching Coordinator (07-Present) • Robyn Reafler, M.A. • FYE Instructor/Performance Coach • College of Engineering Academic Advisor

4. Essential Question…. • Does your organization use assessment to implement change? • Take a minute - define what “Assessment” is for you and your organization. • Ideas? For RIT… • It was about CHANGE….

5. First-Year Enrichment Program at RIT • Two Components of the Program: 1.FYE Course 2. FYE Coaching • Approximately 2300 First-Year Students • FYE Course is required for all First-Year Students (Approximately 100 sections) • 20 week (2 quarters) FYE course/Once per week for 50 minutes • Classes are enrolled by college and/or college program (student cohorts) • 7 Full time FYE Instructors/Coaches (5 Sections each, Approximately 140 student caseload) • 33 Adjunct and Single Section Instructors • All instructors are Student Affairs Professionals

6. FYE Performance Coaching FYE Coaching is an action-oriented, collaborative process between the student and coach providing the opportunity for students to: • Transition to RIT and collegiate life • Connect to appropriate support services and resources • Make good informed decisions (thoughtful or deliberate) • Set and achieve goals • Maximize academic performance • Make positive changes in their collegiate life

7. The RIT Assessment Process • Student Assessment • Pre/Post-Test for FYE, Course Evaluations, Individual Coaching Session Assessment, Student Focus Groups, Assessment of Peer Mentors in FYE, Student Panels, in class assessments, CIRP, YFCY, Bader Internal Survey, Academic (GPA, DWF Reports) • Instructor Assessment • FYE instructor feedback on program, curriculum, coaching • Peer Mentor Program Assessment • End of quarter summary report • Skill development series and discussion groups • Performance appraisal process of all instructors • Training of current and incoming FYE instructors • Curriculum Assessment • Curriculum Committee • Annual and ongoing meetings with key college personnel (College Leads established) • Faculty Advisory Board • White Paper

8. Our Need for “Assessfest” • High level of data collection • Lack of resources to analyze and utilize data effectively • Need for shared collaboration and knowledge among department • Need to raise awareness and justification of assessment • Need for Curriculum and review & revisions • Need to update FYE assessment plan (assessment tools, design, protocols, etc.) • Need for FYE programmatic evolution • Need to identify staffing and resource challenges, over and under assessment of first year students, examine gaps in assessment plan • A NEED FOR CHANGE….

9. “Assessfest” – Model of Change • Annual event – Held in Spring Quarter (April) post FYE course completion. • Full day event - 8am-5pm. • Main Participants: FYE Director, Associate Director, all full time and adjunct staff, Student Affairs Assessment Coordinator • Select staff from various Student Affairs offices asked to attend to offer varied perspective. • HANDOUT - AGENDA & CHECKLIST

10. Goals for “Assessfest”! • Keep everyone interested - get people excited about Assessment! • Break up and examine the data in unique ways! Be creative….. • Allow opportunity for staff to work with and across department with colleagues! • Make the data and process “less boring”. • Use Assessfest to gain staff/faculty buy-in and excitement for CHANGE!

11. Pre-Planning of “Assessfest” • Invitation sent to FYE staff and invited guests (*Consider your “theme” for the day if appropriate) • Assessment committee weekly meetings/updates • Creation of summary data reports for Fall and Winter Quarters. (Copying, delivery, etc.) • Distribution of data packets to all participants with sufficient time for review before Assessfest. (*Prior to or day of event) • Pre-Assignment for participants - professional development activity assignment. • Group assignments for day of event (pre-assign or set up random selection strategies) • Logistics of event (location, food, copies, facilitation guide for day of event, tech needs, communications to participants).

12. Day of “Assessfest” • Early Arrival - physical set up of room, welcome table, refreshments, tech set up, etc. • Opening/Welcome: Director of FYE/Assessment Coordinator • Random selection of groups throughout day and agenda (varied strategies for selection giving people a chance to work with different people throughout the day). • Organize breaks/refreshments/lunch/assign facilitators for different components of the day - variety of facilitator and type of activity. • General overview and supervision of event typically by one person.

13. “Assessfest” Model - Activity Outline • Assessment “Quiz” • Builds awareness around FYE assessment process - puts everyone on the same page/level. • A “fun” way to start and introduce the day! • Assessment Process Review Activity: • In small groups: What are we assessing? Should we be assessing it? Why/why not? At what point of the year? • Instrument Revision Activity: • What instruments are we using? Small group review of instruments/questions/language/recommendations for change.

14. Continued…. • Program Data Review Activity: • Small group review and analysis of data reports, report back of what the data is saying/recommendations for change based on the data. • Professional Development/”Lunch Activity” • Article sharing of national trends and assessment in the field of FYE - every participant brings an article to highlight and share - in small groups. • “Hits and Misses” - End of day overview of data - participants share “Hits” and “Misses” of FYE program based on the data reviewed. • Short, 1 minute reflection paper to finalize day - each participant completes this task.

15. The Process Continues… • Assessment of “Assessfest” - evaluation review by committee • Assessment Committee forms and meets to pull Assessfest data together for the entire department. • Creation and distribution of reports of data reviewed at Assessfest. • Report of recommendations for change across program. Shared with director and staff. • Follow up with specific committees (curriculum, coaching, Peer mentoring, various aspects of program) • Follow up informational discussions at weekly staff meetings and on discussion boards/instructor website - make reports accessible! • Implementation of programmatic and assessment changes for the following academic year.

16. Authentic Feedback • “Assessfest itself! Committee should present at conference.” • “Fantastic infrastructure to collect and analyze data.” • “We caught the spirit! Assessfest created excitement about FYE changes.” • “Good model for collaboration. Changing groups and inviting non-FYE = Great.” • “Working in small groups and with different people.” • “National Data information-sharing (lunch-time).” • “Great process – to be reflective – based on collective perception of overall program.”

17. Future Implementation: Are You Ready for Change? To Consider in YOUR “Assessfest” Model: • Management style of your department • Consider current Assessment practices/coordination • Level of team collaboration - willingness to be open to process and to change • Structure of committees to support event (pre/during and post support) • Resources to organize event and implement effectively

18. Questions? • Thank you for your attention and participation! • Karen Violanti • kmvcst@rit.edu • Robyn Reafler • rmrldc@rit.edu