OATdb Archive - Sam Houston State University

OATdb Archive

2011 - 2012

Student Activities

Goal

Foster Bearkat Spirit

Foster Bearkat Spirit through traditional and engaging programs during Welcome Week 2012.

Objective

Student Spirit And Pride In University

By attending and engaging in Welcome Week programs, students will increase knowledge on SHSU spirit and tradition, therefore feeling more connected to their university.

KPI

Welcome Week Involvement Survey

Due to attending certain Welcome Week events, at least 80% of surveyed students will report a greater sense of pride for, and connectedness to, the SHSU community and at least 80% of surveyed students will report the location of the event familiarized them with campus buildings and resources.

Result

Welcome Week Involvement Survey Results

69% of participants completing the survey agreed or strongly agreed that by attending the Kat's Meow Karaoke event they felt a greater sense of pride for and connectedness to the SHSU community. 77% participants completing the survey agreed or strongly agreed that the location of the event familiarized them with campus buildings and resources.

Action

Need Title Help?

Because benchmarks were not hit for either of these indicators, program goals should be communicated more clearly to staff. Welcome Week 2013 will have more signage at individual events and verbalization to students concerning familiarity to facilities on campus. To instill a greater sense of pride among new and returning students, new events that relate to tradition will be created by the Student Activities event coordinator and implemented during Welcome Week 2013.

Also, Welcome week occurs each year during the last week of our fiscal (reporting) year. Therefore, it is difficult to receive an acceptable amount of surveys to base justified decisions. However, additional data received after report date will be reviewed to make any needed adjustments. Also, staff members did not retrieve participant emails at all welcome week events, therefore limiting the true impact of the overall events. Next year, more events will be tracked to measure impact.

Goal

Leadership Development

Support student learning by transforming theory into practice.

Objective

Leadership Development Application

By participating in the Center for Leadership and Service's Discover Your Strengths and Emerging Leaders programs, students will be able to transform theory into practice.

Discover Your Strengths is a seminar for students who are interested in learning more about their natural strengths and talents. Participants take the Clifton StrengthsFinder inventory, prior to attending the seminar, to learn their top 5 StrengthsQuest Themes of Talent. Knowledge of these talents allows students to learn how best to lead themselves in order to be prepared to lead others.

Emerging Leaders is an on-going leadership series based on the Social Change Model of Leadership Development offered for Transfer Students at SHSU. A cohort of selected participants commit to attend all programs as they journey together to learn about Leadership, Communication, Individual & Group Values, Team Building, and Active Citizenship.

Indicator

Discover Your Strengths Participant Survey

A survey for the CLS Discover Your Strengths program will address participant's ability to utilize their top 5 themes of talent.

Criterion

80% Of Strengths Participants Apply Learned Information

After participating in the CLS Discover Your Strengths program, 80% of participants will agree or strongly agree that information learned about their personal strengths can and will be applied to other areas of their lives.

Finding

91% Agreed Information Is Transferable

91% of survey participants agreed or strongly agreed that information they learned about their personal strengths will be applied to other areas of their lives (outside the provided program).

Criterion

80% Of Participants Think More Critically

After participating in the CLS Discover Your Strengths program, 80% of participants will agree or strongly agree that the program helped them think more critically about utilizing their personal strengths.

Finding

91% Agreed Critical Thinking Increased

91% of survey participants agreed or strongly agreed that the Discover Your Strengths program helped them think more critically about utilizing their own personal strengths (outside of the program).

Indicator

Emerging Leaders Participant Survey

A survey addressing the Emerging Leaders program will be used to assess participant's ability to transform the Social Change Model theory of leadership into practice.

Criterion

80% Of Emerging Leaders Participants Apply Learned Information

After participating in the CLS Emerging Leaders program, 80% of participants will agree or strongly agree that information learned about leadership in relation to the Social Change Model will be applied to other areas of their lives.

Finding

100% Agreed Information Is Transferable

100% of survey participants agreed or strongly agreed that information they learned about leadership in relation to the Social Change Model will be applied to other areas of their lives (outside the provided program).

Criterion

70% Of Participants Will Think Critically Concerning The Social Change Model

After participating in the Emerging Leaders program, at least 70% of survey participants will agree or strongly agree that the program helped them think critically about leadership from an individual, group and community values perspective (based on the Social Change Model).

Finding

100% Agreed Critical Thinking Increased

100% of survey participants agreed or strongly agreed that the Emerging Leaders program helped them think critically about leadership from an individual, group and community values perspective (based on the Social Change Model).

Action

Improve Program Data Collection

With high percentages of participants indicating critical thinking and applied learning after attending both the Discover Your Strengths and Emerging Leaders programs, the program effectiveness is clearly noted. Further assessment noted overall success for both programs. However, participant feedback was self reported. Both programs can be improved and further developed by adjusting assessment tools to include rubrics or surveys in a pre/post setting for more detailed and measureable data. Additionally, since we met every criterion, we will raise the criteria next year.

Update to previous cycle's plan for continuous improvement

Plan for continuous improvement Campus Activities and Leadership Initiatives aims to develop students holistically, thereby increasing their desire to remain engaged on campus. We strive to retain students and initiate and increase meaningful involvement across the SHSU campus and surrounding community. Welcome Week serves to welcome new and returning students back to the SHSU campus with a wide range of opportunities for involvement. 2012 events showed record attendance; however, not all events were tracked and assessed. Also, assessment goals were not clearly communicated to staff, thereby limiting valuable data. Based on feedback received from The Kat's Meow Karaoke, goals were not met in regards to increasing spirit and pride in new and returning students. Information and materials informing students about campus facilities where events are held should be disseminated at Welcome Week 2013 events. This is somewhat taking place already; however, those actions were not assessed. Also, more information on at least 3 SHSU traditions should be presented in Welcome Week events, in lieu of just advertising through the fall calendar.

Through both the Discover Your Strengths and Emerging Leaders programs, assessment shows that students were able to think critically and apply learned information in relation to their own personal strengths, Top 5 Themes of Talent, and the Social Change Model of leadership. Participants' comprehensive positive feedback regarding the usefulness of Discovering Your Strengths also justified the need to offer the same if not more opportunities for students to be involved in Discover Your Strengths in the coming year. This is the first year the Emerging Leaders program, which caters to transfer students, was offered. Participants’ overwhelming positive feedback not only justified further program development and improvement for the coming year, but also justified the creation of a mentor/participant relationship for future cohorts. One student quoted, “Emerging Leaders has taught me how to be the absolute best leader I can be. The activities were meaningful and engaging, the leaders were awesome, and the cohort was amazing. I can say without a doubt that this program is life-changing and highly recommend it to future students.”

This year's assessment revealed areas for improvement in data collection and survey construction. In lieu of receiving self-reported data, more effort should be made in pre/post observations and retrieving objectively measureable data. Most findings did indicate that we met our goals and our department will use suggestions gained from those surveys to further improve program logistics and structure. Finally, we will raise our criterion next year for each area where benchmarks were hit.