2015-2016 Student Employee Learning Outcomes Assessment Report

2015-2016 Student Employee Learning Outcomes Assessment Report

Department: University Center

Prepared by: Adrianne Donald, Associate Director for Student Involvement

I. Abstract

Student employment offers environments that foster student development outside of the classroom. Those working with and supervising student employees have a unique opportunity to teach students transferable skills and competencies in preparation for the future. Such skills learned will prove to be invaluable as they graduate and enter the work force. In an effort to measure the student employee work experience, the University Center created a performance evaluation rubric with specific learning outcomes.

II. Background Information and Relationship to Strategic Initiatives

One way higher education professionals can help students develop skills for future success is by hiring them to work campus jobs, and providing intentional learning outcomes during their employment. Learning outcomes associated with student employment must encompass a greater breadth of learning and developmental competencies that include not only skills, but personal qualities and attributes that enhance employability. Even if the work is unrelated to their college major, real life experiences gained through campus employment are transferable across all majors. By assessing student employee learning outcomes, we can demonstrate University administrators and the students themselves, the value of a student employment experience.

Over the course of the 2015-2016 academic year, the University Center employed 145 students in various positions in the areas of Administration, Audio and Lighting, Art Programs, Building Services, Fraternity and Sorority Involvement, Game Room, Gardens, Marketing, ShipEx, and Student Involvement Network.

II. Indicators and Assessment Procedure

Learning outcomes are defined as goals that describe how a student will be different because of a learning experience. Learning outcomes are the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and habits of mind students take with them from a learning experience (Suskie, 2009). For the purpose of this assessment, the student job is the learning experience.

The University Center standardized a set of learning outcomes for student employment across all areas of employment. In standardizing the student learning outcomes, the following questions had to be answered:

1. What do we want the students to be able to do?

2. What knowledge, skills, and abilities are ideal for students to apply in their employment?

3. How will the students demonstrate what their knowledge, skills, and abilities are?

4. Do the learning outcomes fit within the mission and core values of the University Center?

To be engaged in fulfilling the mission of the University Center, we want student employees to be involved in planning and decision making during their employment, to understand the role of a student union, and be empowered to apply their skills and make decisions on their own.

We identified 6 key areas of competency:

· Productivity

· Customer Service

· Organization

· Intra-Personal Skill Development

· Interpersonal

· Intra-Personal Self-Development

Necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities were identified under each key area of competency. A rubric was created in order to measure student learning (Appendix A available upon request). The rubric was utilized as a formal evaluation tool for student employees by supervisors. Supervisors were directed to approach the evaluation of students honestly and with the mindset for the opportunity for student learning and growth. The evaluations were not to be used for punitive action or to hold back any potential increase in pay.

Knowledge, skills, and abilities were assessed according to a scoring system:

· Beginner – 1

· Developing – 2

· Accomplished – 3

· Advanced – 4

· Not Applicable – 0

IV. Results

Due to attrition and the variation in the time of employment during the academic year, seventy-one (71) employees were identified as candidates to be evaluated. Fifty-four (54) evaluations were completed.

Areas that fell below a mean of 3.0:

· Productivity: Quality

· Customer Service: Difficult customers

· Organization: Vision

· Organization: Representation

· Organization: Culture

· Intra-Personal Skill Development: Creativity

Areas with a mean between 3.0 – 3.20:

· Productivity: Understanding job duties and expectations

· Productivity: Acquisition and use of knowledge

· Intra-Personal Skill Development: Dependability

· Intra-Personal Skill Development: Problem-solving

· Intra-Personal Skill Development: Professionalism

· Interpersonal: Importance of inclusivity

· Interpersonal: Meaningful relationships

· Intra-Personal Self-Development: Self-respect

· Intra-Personal Self-Development: Recognizes transferability and connection of knowledge

Areas with a mean above 3.21:

· Productivity: Task accomplishment

· Customer Service: Attitude

· Customer Service: Approachability

· Customer Service: Response

· Customer Service: Customer questions

· Interpersonal: Understanding the value of cultural differences

· Intra-Personal Self-Development: Balanced

The overall mean for all areas of measurements is 3.10.

V. Recommendations

All learning outcomes under the Organization Competency fell below the mean of 3.0 indicating that many of our student employees are “developing” this knowledge and learning how to apply it to their student employment. In our staff training, we need to focus more intently on organizational vision, representation, and culture. Employees able to connect and have buy-in with their organizations will see how their role in their employment is important to the success of both themselves and the organization.

Under the Customer Service Competency, the area of dealing with difficult customers fell below the mean of 3.0 with a mean of 2.96, whereas, all other areas of measurement under Customer Service were above the mean of 3.21. This indicates a need for on-going training for our employees in how to handle difficult customers. We need to offer strategies that will empower our employees to make skill-based decisions.

Under the Productivity Competency, the area of quality fell below 3.0 with a mean of 2.98; however, task accomplishment was above 3.21 with a mean of 3.24. Other areas of measurement in this competency were between 3.0 and 3.20. This indicates a need to focus on the importance of being less task-oriented and being more result-oriented. Future employers will be searching for employees who understand the need for quality performance and results rather than task completion.

The area of creativity under the Intra-Personal Skill Development Competency fell below 3.0; however, it also received 2 scores of “not applicable”. This may indicate a need to follow-up with supervisors as to their interpretation of the job skill and how it may be applied to all employees regardless of work unit and job duties.

There were also some areas under the Customer Service Competency that received “not applicable”. Approachability received 1 NA score; response received 2 NA scores; customer questions received 3 NA scores; and, difficult customers received 3 NA scores. This also indicates a need to follow-up with supervisors to ensure a shared understanding of the measurement of the skills under this competency. Customer service is everyone’s responsibility regardless of work unit and job duties.

With an overall mean of 3.10, our students are successfully developing and demonstrating “accomplished” knowledge, skills, abilities that will help make them viable and successful future employees after graduation. To continue assessment of learning outcomes, the University Center student employees will again be evaluated by their supervisors utilizing the rubric. An exit survey will can also be developed and used to further assess student learning.

VI. Works Cited

Suskie, L. (2009). Assessing Student Learning. New York: Jossey-Bass.