Using Undergraduate Research to Maximize Student Affairs Assessment Plans

1. ACPA 2014 Jodi Thesing-Ritter Jacqueline Bonneville Lissa Martinez Greer Using Undergraduate Research to Maximize Student Affairs Assessment Plans

2. 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% White • 7% Multicultural students • 1% Multicultural staff

3. 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

4. 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

5. Facebook Site Connect current students with graduates Clearinghouse for job searching information

6. 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

7. Mentor/Mentee Projects Mentor and Mentee select a project to work on together. Examples: Film series Grant writing Event planning Research Video production Website enhancements Project manuals Created a curriculum for program Taught lessons in course

8. SWOT and Reverse Resume

9. 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

10. 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

11. Student Profile Giney Rojas

12. Evolution as a Researcher Started 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

13. Student Affairs Assessment Plan

14. First project was extremely basic: Five minute qualtrix survey Modern Racism Scale Used to support request for campus support for the project

15. Literature Review AAC&U’s Intercultural Knowledge and Competence VALUE Rubric

17. Methods Association 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”).

18. Research Findings • Reduction in Racism • Movement on AAC&U Intercultural Competence and Knowledge Rubric • Increased White Privilege Awareness • Qualitative Findings

19. Results: Modern Racism t(199) = 3.63 p = .00

20. 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

21. Blugold Beginnings Research

22. Diversity Mentoring AAC& 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

23. 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.

24. 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.

25. 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.

26. Researchers’ Presentations

28. Researchers’ Presentations

30. 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

31. 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.

32. Researcher Learning Greg Hofmann

33. 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

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

35. 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

36. What are you currently doing on your campus?

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

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