Focused Report

Core Requirement 2.10

The institution provides student support programs, services, and activities consistent with its mission that promote student learning and enhance the development of its students. (Student Support Services)

Off-Site Committee Finding

A search of the institutions web site provided documentation to support the narrative's description of programs, services, and activities provided by the institution to promote student learning and enhance their development. The institution's calendar of events and specific support program descriptions found on the web supplemented the description of programs found in the catalog and RAM Student Handbook.

Support documentation and assessment data is lacking to indicate that student support programs, services, and activities support the institution's mission to promote student learning and development. Throughout the narrative reference is made to using assessment of services utilizing the CAS Professional Standards for Higher Education and Assessment Practices in Student Affairs but no examples of assessment instruments or results are given. Considerable narrative appears related to Career Services. There is no evidence provided of assessment of the adequacy or effectiveness of Career Services programs. There is a statement that the New Student Orientation Program utilizes standard evaluation forms at each NSOP and that results are used to plan, improve and enhance the programs implemented during the NSOP process. No examples of the instrument, results of surveys, or how results used to improve the program are provided. The same pattern of narrative of assessment with no supporting documentation applies to Disability Student Support Services, Student Life and Activities, Student Union, Student Organizations, Student Activities, Student Health Services, and the Police Department. A residence life survey and a financial aid survey are found in Requirement 2.5 as documentation of assessment for those two areas. The On-Site Committee should review support documentation that provides assessment of student support programs and services.

Albany State University 's Response

Career Services assesses student support activities including career fairs [1] [2] , workshops [3] [4] , student opinions [5] [6] , and campus recruiter visits [7] [8] . Additional Career Services information is available at accreditation website under the heading “ Career Services ” on additional documents page. The ASU New Student Orientation Program (NSOP) uses a standard evaluation form [9] and documents use of the results [10] . Counseling provides students with an evaluation card [11] , Disability Student Support Services uses a standard evaluation form [12] and summarizes results [13] . University Testing uses a qualitative approach to assessment and discards notes after summaries have been produced [14] . The three units are combined in one department and document a combined report summarizing use of assessment results [15] .

Student Health Services assesses student health using the American College Health Association's National College Health Assessment [16] [17] and evaluates the effectiveness of student support within the unit using a satisfaction survey [18] [19] and its results. Albany State University 's Police Department has recently conducted and taken action based on an officer survey [20] and a building security survey [21] .

Supporting Documentation

[1] Career Fair Survey Instrument

[2] Career Fair Results Summary

[3] Workshop Evaluation Form

[4] Workshop Evaluation Summary

[5] Graduating Student Survey

[6] Graduating Student Survey Summary

[7] Student Opinion Summary – on campus recruiting

[8] Employer Opinion Summary – on campus recruiting

[9] New Student Orientation Evaluation Instrument

[10] New Student Orientation Evaluation Use of Results

[11] Counseling Evaluation Card