REQUEST A TRAINING HERE
The Office of Assessment & Planning offers a range of assessment workshops that are open to all Student Affairs staff on a semester basis, along with customizable trainings that departments can request to include in retreats or planning meetings.
Please review the descriptions of the listed trainings and workshops below. To request an existing presentation, ask for a custom one, or suggest a topic, click the "Request a training here" button above.
Description:
This foundational session introduces the core purpose and principles of assessment in Student Affairs. Participants will explore the full assessment cycle, learn key terminology, and understand how assessment contributes to student learning, program improvement, and strategic alignment.
Learning Outcomes:
Participants will be able to:
Duration: 2.5 hours
This training will be offered to the Division semesterly or upon request by departments.
Upcoming scheduled training(s): September 26, 2025
Description:
This workshop focuses on crafting clear, measurable outcomes that align with divisional and institutional goals. Participants will learn to write student learning outcomes, programmatic outcomes, and develop meaningful KPIs to assess success and impact.
Learning Outcomes:
Participants will be able to:
Duration: 1 hours
This training will be offered to the Division once a semester or upon request by departments.
Upcoming scheduled training(s): TBD
Description:
This session equips participants with foundational skills for designing effective surveys and using institutional platforms such as Baseline and Qualtrics. Participants will explore how to develop meaningful questions, identify the types of data they need, and select the right format for accurate and actionable results. The training also covers platform navigation and tips for requesting institutional support through Baseline.
This training is required for new Baseline users.
Learning Outcomes:
Participants will be able to:
Duration: 1.5 hour
This training will be offered to the Division twice a semester or upon request by departments.
Upcoming scheduled training(s): TBD
Description:
This session highlights a range of methods for conducting assessment. Participants will explore qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method approaches, including surveys, focus groups, storytelling, reflective prompts, rubrics, and more.
Learning Outcomes:
Participants will be able to:
Duration: 1 hour
This training will be offered by request.
Upcoming scheduled training(s): TBD
Description:
Designed to strengthen communication skills, this workshop guides participants in interpreting, visualizing, and narrating assessment results to internal and external stakeholders in clear and compelling ways.
Learning Outcomes:
Participants will be able to:
Duration: 1 hour
This training will be offered by request.
Upcoming scheduled training(s): TBD
Departments may request a tailored half-day or full-day retreat that combines multiple workshop topics into a collaborative learning experience. These retreats are designed to build shared understanding, align departmental goals with divisional priorities, and embed assessment practices into daily work.
Don't see a topic that fits your needs? Feel free to schedule a meeting or share topic suggestions—I’m happy to collaborate on a session that works for your team.
The easiest snapshot of how your students are doing academically. Include Student ID or 4x4 and who they are (e.g., Greek members, student staff like RAs, DSO executive board members).
This lets us answer: “How do students in our program perform compared to peers?”
Student Affairs Assessment & Planning will reach out at the times below to ask departments to verify their data:
Must include the following items
Record who participates (not just the headcount): attendance scans, advising/coaching appointments, RA intentional interactions, Fit+Rec swipes, workshop sign‑ins, peer‑mentor contacts—with IDs.
This lets us test: “Do students who engage regularly with our office have better outcomes?”
| Method/Platform | Data Captured | Best for | Tips for Success |
|---|---|---|---|
| Card Swipe | Student ID via swipe; automatic timestamp. | Doors/entries, tabling with a reader. | Must coordinate with SoonerCard for readers. Please test prior to the event. Must create an access point into the event. |
| CORQ/Engage | Student 4x4; automatic timestamp. | Doors/entries, tabling with a reader. | Must create an event on Engage. Students must have an Engage account and an event pass. May be slow if there are a large number of people. Must create an access point into the event. |
| Qualtrics | Student 4x4; automatic timestamp. | QR code at the door | By using SSO as an authenticator, the department can track engagement at the event (as long as they have a 4x4). The survey content is irrelevant during the check-in process (a recommended singular tick-box question), but departments can still ask attendees quick questions. This is an easy and free way to collect engagement data. |
Baseline is the data collection module within Anthology. It has the ability to collect data via surveys, rubrics, and instant response system. Baseline can connect to other Anthology's platforms such as Engage for seamless integration. Access to data can be by department or at the project level.
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Qualtrics is an online survey and analytics tool that can be used by OU faculty, staff, and students to gather data and insights as well as conduct institutional research and generate reports. Qualtrics allows users to send branded surveys and polls in order to gain insights and data as well as easily and quickly generate reports.
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Kahoot! is an interactive game-based platform that allows you to create quizzes, polls, and surveys to engage participants in real time. It’s particularly useful for formative assessment, quick knowledge checks, or gathering feedback during workshops, trainings, or events. Its live leaderboard and competitive elements help boost participation and make assessment feel fun and dynamic. (Check the provided guide for access details.)
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Mentimeter is a presentation and polling tool designed to collect real-time input from participants. It supports multiple question types, including multiple choice, ranking, word clouds, and open-ended responses, making it ideal for gauging understanding, gathering opinions, or facilitating interactive discussions. Results update live and can be exported for further analysis. (Check the provided guide for access details.)
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To make assessment easier and more consistent across our division, this guide provides a ready-to-use bank of survey questions that align directly with our Divisional Learning Outcomes and Objectives & Key Results. Departments can copy and paste these questions into their own surveys to measure how well their programs, services, and initiatives are achieving our shared goals for student learning and success. You are welcome to use these questions as-is or adapt them to fit the unique context of your program.
CAS provides a set of standards and guidelines for over 45 functional areas in higher education, including Housing, Student Conduct, Orientation, Multicultural Services, and more. These standards support program self-assessment, continuous improvement, and external review.
How to use CAS in Student Affairs:
VALUE (Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education) rubrics were created by AAC&U to assess essential learning outcomes such as civic engagement, critical thinking, teamwork, and intercultural knowledge.
How to use CAS in Student Affairs:
Adapt rubrics to assess co-curricular learning outcomes (e.g., civic engagement from a leadership retreat)
Integrate VALUE rubrics into student reflection forms, portfolios, or capstone projects
Train student leaders and advisors to use them as self-assessment or feedback tools
A logic model is a planning and evaluation tool that visualizes data and tracks program evaluation plans. Logic models show linear connections between program activities and their intended student learning outcomes. (Adapted from UNT Student Affairs - Assessment)
Components
How to use Logic Model in Student Affairs:
Bloom’s Taxonomy (Revised) categorizes cognitive processes into six hierarchical levels (with increasing complexity)
The Dimensions of Knowledge which takes into consideration the type of knowledge you hope students to gain
How to use in Student Affairs:
Developed by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), the NACE Core Competencies outline eight essential career readiness skills:
Career readiness is the attainment and demonstration of requisite competencies that broadly prepare college graduates for a successful transition into the workplace.
How to use in Student Affairs:
ACPA/NASPA Professional Competencies
Developed together by ACPA/NASPA, this framework defines 10 competency areas essential for effective practice in Student Affairs. The professional competencies are designed to provide Student Affairs educators with a framework to guide their professional development and practice. The competencies include:
How to use in Student Affairs:
http://studentaffairsassessment.org/
Student Affairs Assessment Leaders (SAAL) provides the opportunity for educators who coordinate assessment for divisions of student affairs to discuss issues to improve their work. The organization seeks to create an atmosphere where leaders can share and advance conversations related to creating division assessment infrastructure, supporting assessment projects, and documenting student learning as it relates to the academic mission.
SAAL also offers a free online course with self-paced curriculum materials and activities focused on assessment knowledge and skills. Registration opens in December, and the course typically begins in the early Spring semester.
The Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) provides resources and standards to enhance student learning and development within higher education institutions. CAS offers a framework for student affairs assessment through its functional area standards, self-assessment guides, and learning and development outcomes. These resources help institutions evaluate the effectiveness of programs and services, ensuring they contribute to student success.
If you're interested in self-assessing your department's compliance with CAS standards based on your functional areas or identifying areas for improvement to better support students, please click the link below.
https://myacpa.org/groups/cae/
ACPA transforms higher education by creating and sharing influential scholarship, shaping critically reflective practice, and advocating for equitable and inclusive learning environments.
Within ACPA, the Commission for Assessment and Evaluation (CAE) promotes assessment skills and knowledge to facilitate and support student learning, development, and effective student affairs practice.
The key initiatives CAE offers include:
https://www.naspa.org/constituent-groups/kcs/assessment-evaluation-and-research
NASPA is dedicated to advancing student affairs in higher education. Our programs and services empower professionals to foster student success.
Within NASPA, the Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Knowledge Community (AER) encourages and supports student affairs professionals as they assess learning, evaluate programs, and conduct research. By providing quality education and networking opportunities, AER knowledge community promotes continuous improvement and AER best practices within Student Affairs.
The key initiatives CAE offers include:
