Getting Savvy with Assessment!

Resource Guide

Introduction

The purpose of this Resource Guide is to provide student affairs professionals with tools needed to be better practitioners and stewards of student affairs assessment. Using both the ACPA ASK Standards (ACPA 2006) and the NASPA/ACPA Competencies for Assessment Evaluation and Research (ACPA & NASPA, 2010) as a foundation, the resource guide is driven by nationally recognized guidelines that outline clear competencies and standards for student affairs professionals to use in assessment best practices. The guide is organized into 12 modules, each providing helpful information to build competency in a facet of assessment. The modules can be reviewed sequentially in their entirety as well as referenced as needed.

A. Competencies

What is a competency?

Competency is the combination of observable and measurable knowledge, skills, abilities and personal attributes that contribute to enhanced employee performance of one or more job functions. In a work setting, to be competent is to possess the necessary knowledge and skill in order to complete one or more job functions successfully. To understand competencies, it is important to define their various components:

• Job functions are the essential duties and responsibilities of a position. These often include the methods and tools commonly used to complete them, levels of responsibility, and type and extent of decision making.

• Knowledge is the cognizance of facts, truths and principles gained from formal training and/or experience. Application and sharing of one’s knowledge base are critical to individual and organizational success.

• Skill is a developed proficiency or dexterity in mental operations or physical processes that is often acquired through specialized training. The execution of these skills results in successful performance.

• Ability is the power or aptitude to perform physical or mental activities that are often affiliated with a particular profession or trade such as computer programming, plumbing, calculus, and so forth. Although organizations may be adept at measuring results, skills and knowledge regarding one’s performance, they are often remiss in recognizing employees’ abilities or aptitudes, especially those outside of the traditional job design.

• Individual attributes are properties, qualities or characteristics of individuals that reflect one’s unique personal makeup. Individual attributes are viewed as genetically developed or acquired from one’s accumulated life experiences. Although personal characteristics are the most subjective of the components, a growing, significant body of research links specific personality traits to successful individual and organizational performance.

• Individually recognizing and rewarding any of these sources of expertise provides a strong basis for individual performance engagement. However, it is their combination that results in the unleashing of resources that are all too frequently untapped. (Core Competencies, 2020)

B. Mapping to nationally recognized standards and competencies

In an effort to identify assessment competencies relevant to student affairs professionals at the University of Florida, Student Affairs Assessment and Research (SAAR) reviewed documents for both the ACPA ASK Standards and the NASPA/ACPA Competencies for Assessment Evaluation and Research. The comprehensive review resulted in a framework that mapped common standards and competencies to a specific area of assessment. Mapped competencies are tailored to three different groups:

• Assessment liaisons – suitable for individuals who are designated liaisons for their unit/department

• Department heads/directors – suitable for individuals who lead a specific unit or department within the DSA

• All Student affairs practitioners – suitable for any student affairs practitioner who is interested in acquiring foundational knowledge regarding assessment within the student affairs context

The competencies identified in each module are not specific to the three groups identified above. If you are interested in a detailed overview of competencies organized by group, please feel free to reach out the Student Affairs Assessment and Research office: assessment@ufsa.ufl.edu.