Student Development

Evolution of Assessment in Student Development

The Division of Student Development at William Paterson University has always sought to determine the effectiveness of its programs as well as student satisfaction.  Sparked in 2006 by an assessment symposium sponsored by the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) and Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA), and following our fifth annual Student Development Retreat in January 2007, we began to focus on appropriate means of assessing the actual learning outcomes of students who engage in the division’s programs and activities.

To oversee and guide the division’s assessment work we formed an Assessment Team, comprised of interested and dedicated staff members from across our division.  Since then, as the membership of the Assessment Team has evolved, so has its understanding of and appreciation for assessment.  Each year since that time the division’s assessment efforts have evolved to reflect the changing priorities of the institution and the needs of our students.  Over the years, our departmental self-assessment efforts have expanded to Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), utilization of standards from the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS), and most recently, the effort to develop departmental strategic plans in accord with the university’s strategic plan.

Feel free to use the left hand navigation bar to explore other aspects of the assessment program within the Division of Student Development and across the campus.

Please direct any communication or question you might have about our divisional assessment program to Glen L. Sherman, Ph.D., Associate Vice President and Dean of Student Development (shermang@wpunj.edu).