OATdb Archive

2009 - 2010

Students' Legal Services And Mediation Services

Goal
Student Legal Needs
Assess and respond to students' legal needs.


Objective
Student Legal Consultation: Needs Analysis
Students will be able to determine their legal needs by the legal advice given to them in their consultation.


Indicator
Student Satisfaction With Legal Needs Analysis
An assessment survey will be given to each student after their legal consultation. We will measure whether the consultation helped the student determine their legal needs. We will measure this on a LIKERT scale of 1-5; 1 being strongly disagree and 5 being strongly agree.


Criterion
Student Assessment Of Legal Needs Analysis
At least 90% of student surveys should show ratings of 5 on the LIKERT scale.

Finding
Students Understand Their Legal Needs
As of April 1, 2010, 96% of the students indicated a 5 on the LIKERT scale showing they strongly agreed that their legal consultation identified their legal needs. This exceeded the 90% expectation.


Action
Continue Student Legal Needs Consultations
It is extremely important that students not only understand their legal needs, but also how to put a plan in action for the future. The form and type of legal interview with the student will determine if student learning has taken place. The learning outcomes will be expressed in the student's answer to the exit survey we give each student. Since student assessment ratings were 96% and exceeded the 90% expectation, the manner and form of student legal needs consultations will continue as presently exists. This same structure will assist in quality control with student interviews.  Since Students' Legal Services has met this goal repeatedly, another goal will take its place for 2010-2011.

Goal
Student Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to demonstrate learning outcomes from consultation on their specific legal issue.


Objective
Student Learning: Identification Of Issues
Students will be able to identify their legal problem, legal position, and legal rights.


Indicator
Student Learning: Identification Of Legal Issues
An assessment survey will be given to each student after their legal consultation. We will measure whether the consultation helped the students identify their legal problem, legal position, and legal rights. We will measure this on a LIKERT scale of 1-5; 1 being strongly disagree and 5 being strongly agree.


Criterion
Student Assessment Of Learning Legal Issues
At least 90% of student surveys should show ratings of 5 on the LIKERT scale.


Finding
Students Learned Their Legal Issues
As of April 1, 2010, 95% of the students indicated a 5 on a LIKERT scale showing that they strongly agree that they identified and learned their legal issues. This exceeded the 90% expectation.


Action
Continue Issue Identification For Student Learning
It is extremely important that students feel comfortable in fully explaining their legal issues and problems to the student legal advisor. Students must know that their information is confidential and will be held confidential. Thus, interviewing students must be done in a non-evasive manner that establishes trust with the student. Once the student has divulged the appropriate information, that student can relax and begin to learn what she needs to do, action wise, to work on her problem. Since student assessment ratings were 95% and exceed the 90% expectation, the Students' Legal Advisor will continue to consult with students in the same manner as surveyed. Such a consultation allows students to know their information will be held confidential and demonstrate learning outcomes on their specific legal problem, position, and rights. We have met this goal for several years in a row and will choose another goal for next year.


Goal
Professional Development
Participation in professional legal education


Objective
Attend Professional Legal Conferences
The Student Legal Advisor will attend at least one professional conference each year.


Indicator
Professional Development Participation
Provide a completed travel application to the Dean of Students' Office for attendance at a professional conference.


Criterion
Professional Development Participation
Attend and complete at least one professional legal training conference within FY 2009-2010.


Finding
Conference Attendance Exceeded Expectations
The Students' Legal Advisor attended two legal conferences in 2010. The Student Legal Advisor attended the Student Legal Advisors conference in January, 2010 and the Texas Association of Mediator Conference where he was a speaker on communication aspects of legal mediation. Attending two legal conferences in 2010 exceeds the expectation of attending and completing at least one professional legal training course within FY 2009-2010.

Action
Continue To Attend Legal Conferences
The Student Legal Advisor will attend at least one legal professional development conference each fiscal year to remain current with trends and research in providing legal services to students enrolled at SHSU.


Update to previous cycle's plan for continuous improvement

Plan for continuous improvement Goal I:
It is clear that 96% of the students indicated they understand their legal needs after consultation. This trend has been evident for several years; therefore, a new goal will be chosen for assessment in 2010-2011.

Goal 2:
It is clear that 95% of the students indicated they could identify their legal problem, legal position and legal rights after consultation. This trend has been evident for several years; therefore, a new goal will be chosen for assessment in 2010-2011.

Goal 3:
Professional Development is critical to the effective operation of Students' Legal Services as the law changes constantly. Therefore, this goal will be continued in the fiscal year 2010-2011 without change.

Only 10% of the student body out of approximately 17,000 have used the Students' Legal Services.  One goal will be to survey students as to awareness of the services, which are provided by student service fees to determine what other avenues of advertisement might be pursued to make students more aware of the services.  Although we hold a seminar each year regarding legal issues of drinking and driving, we have not assessed the seminar for learning outcomes.  A goal will be to assess for learning outcomes and whether the seminar is actually beneficial to students.