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This workshop audience should include current users of TracDat, individuals or institutions considering adopting TracDat, and administrative support staff interested in getting AES units on board with assessment. |
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Abstract:
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It’s been said that Institutional Effectiveness has its own train of thought, and the rest of the campus sometimes struggles to get aboard. This workshop will investigate reasons why the assessment efforts of administrative and educational support units, in particular, sometimes get derailed, and will offer specific strategies for getting them on the right track.
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Narrative:
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The assessment process is particularly challenging for Administrative and Educational Support (AES) units for a number of reasons. Many struggle with the difference between assessment and strategic planning; others are suspicious of the process because of how the results might be used. Still others fail to see the value in the overall process. However, these obstacles can be overcome and assessment can become a tool for continuous improvement. This workshop will investigate reasons why the assessment efforts of administrative and educational support units, in particular, sometimes get derailed, and will offer specific strategies for getting them on the right track.
The following topics will be covered:
- Getting rid of the “baggage” which prevents AES units from embracing the assessment process as an opportunity for positive change.
- Differentiating between strategic planning and assessment
- Avoiding mistrust of the process
- Distancing assessment from personnel issues
- Putting AES units on the right “track” regarding their assessment
- Identifying appropriate outcomes describing services or processes
- Creating meaningful ways to assess the outcomes
- Collecting and analyzing the data in a strategic manner
- Using results to make improvements
TracDat will be used to demonstrate each step of the assessment process for a variety of AES units.
Workshop participants will work in groups to apply the principles learned in the session by creating outcomes, assessment methods, and data collection strategies for their chosen unit. In addition, workshop participants will be given a variety of materials they can use on their own campuses to assist them in getting AES units on board with assessment.
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Mary Harrington has extensive experience in working with assessment and technology. She currently serves as the Director of Institutional Research and Assessment at the University of Mississippi and was instrumental in the University's selection and implementation of the TracDat® Assessment System. Mary consults with institutions concerning planning and implementation of institutional effectiveness programs. She has reviewed assessment plans and reports for a number of institutions in different accrediting regions. In addition, she has made presentations and conducted workshops at numerous national and regional conferences concerning assessment. Mary received the prestigious Best Visual Award for work presented at the 2006 Annual AIR Conference. She is currently the co-chair of the SACS Reaffirmation Leadership Team at Ole Miss, and has served as both an on-site and off-site SACS evaluator as the Institutional Effectiveness expert. Throughout her career, Mary has assumed leadership positions in a variety of professional organizations, such as AIR, SAIR, MAIR, Regional Networks for Assessment, and the SAP Users Group. Mary currently serves as president of the Mississippi Association for Institutional Research and recently hosted that organization's annual conference at her institution. |
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Photo courtesy VisitPittsburgh
