USING UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH TO MAXIMIZE

STUDENT AFFAIRS ASSESSMENT PLANS

ACPA 2014

Jodi Thesing-RitterJacqueline BonnevilleLissa Martinez Greer

University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

University of Wisconsin System

One of 13 4-year campuses

Undergraduate students: 10,578

Graduate students: 655International students: 251Multicultural students: 797

Campus population:93% White7% Multicultural students1% Multicultural staff

Session Learning Outcomes• Envision how they might utilize undergraduate researchers to

assist in assessment projects within the division of student affairs

• Maximize faculty resources for research projects

• Consider how to develop their own research project and engage undergraduates in the process

• Create high impact practice opportunities in research for students interested in student affairs as a profession

Future Student Affairs Professional Program

Program designed to connect student leaders to the student affairs profession early in their college career

Students are paired with a mentor from academic staff in Student Affairs or Academic Affairs

Topical Minor Development

Facebook SiteConnect current students with graduates

Clearinghouse for job searching information

Calendar of Events Kick-off dinner

Offer educational opportunities for mentees including workshops on graduate schools, networking events

OPE Workshop

Mock Interviews prior to OPE

Plan events for mentees and mentors to connect and get to know each other

Consider what is already happening on campus

Mentor/Mentee ProjectsMentor and Mentee select a project to work on together.

Examples:Film seriesGrant writingEvent planningResearchVideo productionWebsite enhancementsProject manualsCreated a curriculum for programTaught lessons in course

SWOT and Reverse Resume

Reverse Resume Planning List strengths and weaknesses

○ How to purposefully improve your weaknesses! Develop project ideas Create goals for both internship/professional

development and academic career○ Example: Communication is a weakness

- Enroll in Speech class- Join Toast Masters- Give Presentation- Mock Interview- Writing Center to improve written communication

Research Project Goal Wished to improve written and verbal

communication in a way that would benefit students’ personal and professional aspirations

DOS Office also benefits in assessment of services provided

Student ProfileGiney Rojas

Evolution as a ResearcherStarted with simple project using purchased instrument

CORE Alcohol and Other Drug survey

Designing own survey and study

Linguistic Word Count

Qualitative Project

Multiple Teams

Encouraging Others

Student Affairs Assessment PlanEstablish Learning Outcome

s

Provide Opportunitie

s for Learning

Assess Student Learning

Use the Results

First project was extremely basic:

Five minute qualtrix survey

Modern Racism Scale

Used to support request for campus support for the project

Literature Review

AAC&U’s Intercultural Knowledge and Competence VALUE Rubric

MethodsAssociation of American

Colleges and Universities Intercultural Knowledge and Competence Rubric

A set of 16 questions were developed by the researchers to accompany the AAC&U Rubric to assess participants’ cultural competency (Rhodes, Terrel, ed, 2010) (e.g. “I ask questions about what belonging to a certain culture or group means in terms of stereotypes and their effects on everyday life”).

Research Findings• Reduction in Racism

• Movement on AAC&U Intercultural Competence and Knowledge Rubric

• Increased White Privilege Awareness

• Qualitative Findings

Results: Modern Racism

t(199) = 3.63 p = .00

Pre-Survey Scores Post-Survey Scores0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Ave

rage

Mod

ern

Rac

ism

Sco

res

How we’ve used our findings Project Continuous Improvement Course Instructional Design Improvement Grant Funding Donor and Annual Reports Student Learning Assessment Institutional Support for Project Continuation Evaluation of Learning of Researchers

Blugold Beginnings Research

Diversity MentoringAAC& U defines undergraduate research as a high impact practice

UW-Eau Claire is the System Center for Excellence in Undergraduate Research

UW Eau Claire was a part of the LEAP study; learned that low income and first generational students were significantly underrepresented in undergraduate research at our campus

Significant effort to engage the students we serve through Blugold Beginnings in research opportunity

Survey 1 Survey 21

2

3

4

5

6

7

Students' Reported Level of Knowing the Steps Needed to Get Into CollegeSt

uden

ts' R

espo

nses

(1-7

Sc

ale)

Among high school students in the program (N = 45), participants reported a significant change in their self-confidence of knowing the steps they need to take to get into the program of their choice from the first survey (M=5.47, SD=1.56) to the midyear survey (M=6.31, SD=1.00), t(44)=-3.80 p<.001.

Survey 1 Survey 21

2

3

4

5

6

7

Students' Beliefs That They Can Afford an Ed-ucation After High School

Stud

ents

' Res

pons

es (1

-7

Scal

e)

Among high school students in the program (N = 45), students reported a significant increase in their perceptions of being able to afford an education after high school from the first survey (M=4.96, SD=1.87) to the midyear survey (M=5.60, SD=1.32), t(44)=-2.27 p=.029.

North High School

Memorial High

School

78.5

79

79.5

80

80.5

81

Overall Retention of Program Concepts

Survey 1Survey 2

Perc

ent o

f Sur

vey

Que

stio

ns

Cor

rect

High school students participating in the program (N=45) improved on a survey of financial literacy, knowledge of prerequisites needed to enter higher education, and knowledge of the post-secondary application process from the beginning of the year survey (M=71.58, SD=12.01) to the midyear survey (M=80.02, SD=11.58), t(44)=-4.15 p<.001.

Researchers’ Presentations

Researchers’ Presentations

How we’ve used our findings Project Continuous Improvement Grant Reporting Grant Funding Requests Donor and Annual Reports Student Learning Assessment Institutional Support for Project Continuation Evaluation of Learning of Researchers School District and Community Partner Reports

Learning Outcomes in Conduct Process Research

Survey will be sent to all students involved in the conduct process.

Data will be part of a national sample and aggregated across groups for our campus.

Plan is to use data to both improve process and strengthen our learning outcomes.

Researcher LearningGreg Hofmann

Student Learning Summary How to write a research proposal How to write an IRB Proposal Human Subjects Protection Certification Literature review Development of Research Questions Survey Design Survey Data Analysis Abstract Submission for Presentation Presentation Development Public Presentation Record Project on Resume

Research Benefits For Programs Program Reports Presentations Board of Regents Foundation and Donors Grant Reports and Applications Program Performance Continuous Improvement

Benefits for the Students Understand the importance of assessment in

Student Affairs - Student Affairs Professionals often need to prove the effectiveness

of programs and services

Learn how to effectively utilize resources for researching

Provides foundation to begin a career as a Student Affairs Professionals.

Hands-on research experience as an undergraduate

Public Speaking opportunities to improve communication

Networking

What are you currently doing on your campus?

What are two things you might be able to involve students in helping you assess?

Contact Us:Jodi Thesing-Ritter thesinjm@uwec.eduJacqueline Bonneville bonnevjk@uwec.edu Lissa Martinez Greer martinlj@uwec.edu