Module 7: Establishing a Culture of Assessment (Communication)
Faculty, administration, and staff must understand the purpose and value of assessment so that they can meaningfully engage in assessment and have ownership in the processes and outcomes (Bresciani, 2006). In order to create a culture of assessment, one must not only be able to articulate the value and importance of assessment, but also have a clear understanding of what the goals and expectations are for program assessment. Overall, communication is transparent, clear, and frequent. However, communication can be one of the most difficult factors of creating a culture of assessment. It is important to communicate and reinforce the idea that assessment does improve programs and students’ educational experiences and it demonstrates steps taken to meet intended outcomes (Bresciani, 2006). We can communicate the importance and impact of our work through data collection and data-driven decision making.
A strong culture of assessment communicates data effectively and proactively shares data with stakeholders and across campus. In order to create, promote, and maintain a culture of assessment consider the following:
- Articulate the value and importance of assessment
- Make sure stakeholders have a clear understanding of the goals and expectations of program assessment
- Communicate clearly, transparently, and frequently about your data to your department, division, and institution, including students, and how your program uses data to make informed decisions
- Take action by engaging in conversations that inform decisions and recommendations for improvement using data
- Communicate with the content experts in your division (i.e., student affairs offices/departments) for interpretation of data
- Create a glossary of consistent assessment terms and definitions
Many student affairs websites offer resources for building and sustaining a culture of assessment. One of them is establishing communication through a shared common language.
- University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee Links to an external site.
- Carnegie Mellon University Links to an external site.
Furthermore, another way to increase visibility and communicate the impact of assessment is through awards and recognition.
- Encourage those engaged in assessment in the division to define how they would like to be rewarded for their hard work. Some cultures embrace individual recognition, while others prefer division-wide celebrations and appreciations.
- Create opportunities for individuals, departments, or divisions to share their data, learning outcomes, results, and decisions based on their assessment practices with one another.
- Celebrate the good work you do!
- Promote, partner and present with colleagues
- Recognize progress. Programs start at different places.