Academic and Student Development
Responsive to the demands and expectations of the marketplace, community colleges, colleges and universities regularly reassess the breadth and scope of their educational programs and services. Likewise, efforts to intensify the impact of current programs of study in concert with related academic and student support services are endemic to the nature of the enterprise. With an emphasis on assessment and collaboration, programs have been transformed to the satisfaction of the students, their faculty and staff.
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Key Features
Our approach to academic and student development is assessment-oriented and highly collaborative, drawing on the literature in the field. Stakeholders embark on a four-step process involving problem identification and documentation, literature review and collegial consultation, intervention design and development, and intervention assessment and refinement, concluding with institutionalization.
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Process
The process begins with a comprehensive assessment which invites the participation of key stakeholders: faculty, staff and students. Integrating both qualitative and quantitative data, the assessment serves to highlight strengths, weaknesses and key problems. With the identification of key issues and concerns, potential solutions are identified throughout the literature and a series of recommendations provided. Working with the key stakeholders, the preferred solution is designed, the essential components are developed, and the solution is implemented followed with successive assessments at key junctures. Once refined, the initiative is embedded within the functioning of the institution for continuous oversight and evaluation.
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Outcomes
Having refined the developmental model over the course of twenty years, clients indicate that the most critical outcomes include:
· Collaborative ownership of improved programs and services
· Continued investment in assessment and improvement
· Satisfaction with improved student learning and achievement
· Strong sense of institutional ownership
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