DSA Benchmarking Workshop

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DSA Benchmarking Workshop

• Assessment and Planning for Student Affairs
• Craig Morton
• Fall 2008

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AGENDA AND GOALS

• Purpose of workshop
• Assist departments with creating strategic
  planning benchmarks that can be used for program
  assessment and annual reporting.
• Agenda
• Review TTU strategic planning model.
• Application of benchmarks.
• Definition of benchmarks.
• Writing benchmarks.
• Examples of benchmarks.

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TTU STRATEGIC PLANNING MODEL

• Updated July 24, 2008
• Department
• Mission The department promotes student learning
  by
• Values
• 1. DSA
• 2. Additional department specific
• Learning Outcomes
• 1. __________________
• 2. __________________
• 3. __________________

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TTU STRATEGIC PLANNING MODEL

• Strategic Priority
• Goal- Broad Category Department Specific
• Benchmark
• Measurable degree of success
• Measurable degree of success
• Objective 1 Statement of objective
• Strategy
• Intended action
• Objective 2 Statement of objective
• Strategy
• Intended action

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APPLICATION OF BENCHMARKS
DISCUSSION How do the benchmarks for your
departments strategic plan adequately represent
the intended goal?
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APPLICATION OF BENCHMARKS
What we can learn about strategic planning from
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TTU STRATEGIC PLANNING MODEL

• Dora has a clear plan.
• She uses assessments
  to determine her progress.
• She keeps evidence of
  her progression.
• She has clear benchmarks to
  guide her toward her goal.

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APPLICATION OF BENCHMARKS
Benchmarks are a measure to indicate the extent
to which areas/ units are moving towards their
strategic vision.
Benchmarks
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APPLICATION OF BENCHMARKS

• There are 3 reasons why developing good
  benchmarks is beneficial to your department
• Strategic Planning
• Annual Reporting
• Program Assessment

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APPLICATION OF BENCHMARKS

• Strategic Planning
• Benchmarks are an essential tool in the
  strategic planning process that will guide the
  department.
• Benchmarks provide clear evidence of either the
  success or failure of intended goals.
• Met and even unmet benchmarks can help
  departments update strategic plans to be more
  effective and intentional.

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APPLICATION OF BENCHMARKS

• Annual Reporting
• Established benchmarks give the department
  clear direction for annual reporting.
• Reporting accomplishments that are tied to
  benchmarks can create a more succinct report.
• Time can be saved with reporting because the
  department has already clearly stated in its
  strategic plan those benchmarks that are going
  to reported.

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APPLICATION OF BENCHMARKS

• Program Assessment
• But the most important reason to implement and
  use developed benchmarks is because they give
  an accurate and predetermined assessment.
• By using benchmarks in conjunction with
  strategies, the department can create
  assessments that are meaningful and give
  valuable feedback about how well the department
  is meeting its goals, including learning
  outcomes.

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APPLICATION OF BENCHMARKS
DISCUSSION How has your department been able to
use the benchmarks within its strategic plan for
improvement?
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DEFINITION OF BENCHMARKS

• Benchmark
• Souce http//techdata.irs.ttu.edu/stratreport/ind
  ex.asp
• Measures of the degree of success or achievement
  desired of the goal, measureable outcomes.
  Measures (observable outcomes) of the degree of
  success in reaching the goal over a specific time
  period (usually over a number of years).

• Key Words/ Phrases
• Measures
• Degree of success
• Over a specific time period

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DEFINITION OF BENCHMARKS

• Key Words/ Phrases
• Measures
• Benchmarks are a measurement of the intended
  outcome for the objectives of each goal.
• Degree of success
• Benchmarks represent to what extent the
  department is progressing toward the goals of
  the department.
• Over a specific time period
• Typically, the time period should be five years
  or less. Benchmarks can be rewritten once the
  benchmark is met.

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DEFINITION OF BENCHMARKS

• DISCUSSION
• How would you improve any of the
  following in your departments strategic plan?
• Measures
• Degree of success
• Over a period of time

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WRITING BENCHMARKS

• Steps in the Benchmarking Process
• Define the outcome you want benchmarked.
• Determine if the benchmark will be Comparative or
  Best Practice.
• Determine what evidence will help you understand
  the learning and development outcome.
• Select comparable organizations to benchmark
  against- - either from within the institution,
  form another institution, or form outside higher
  education.
• Incorporate benchmark into strategic plan.
• Plan to use benchmarks in assessment activities.
• Disseminate findings and action plan for
  improvement.
• Reference Bresciani, M.J., Zelna, C.L.,
  Anderson, J.A. (2004). Assessing student learning
  and development, NASPA.

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WRITING BENCHMARKS

• Tips
• Make sure that there is an objective that
  matches each benchmark.
• Limit the number of benchmarks to a manageable
  number (1-3).
• Use absolute and capture-able language. Avoid
  words such as
• Increase
• Provide
• Maintain (unless maintaining strategically
  accomplishes a goal)
• Set realistic benchmarks.
• Make benchmarks a part of the strategic
  planning process with regular reviews and
  revisions.
• Make sure they accurately represent the
  accomplishment of the goal.

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WRITING BENCHMARKS
ACTIVITY Create an original benchmark
based on your strategic plan.
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EXAMPLES OF BENCHMARKS

• Examples of quantitatively assessed benchmarks
• Head Counts/ Participation
• Surveys
• Expenditures
• Completed Projects
• Number of Events
• Scores
• Scoring Rubrics
• Number of Presentations, Events, Publications,
  etc.
• Human Resource Activity
• Specific Accomplishments

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EXAMPLES OF BENCHMARKS

• Examples of qualitatively assessed benchmarks
• Interview Notes
• Executive Summaries
• Coded Dialogue
• Focus Groups
• Case Studies
• Observations

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EXAMPLES OF BENCHMARKS
ACTIVITY Create a benchmark that would require
a qualitative assessment.
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DISCUSSION Questions and Comments.