By Maia de Caro

My project concentrates on assessment as an overarching topic and is honing in on the Signature Program Assessments (SPAs), a unit-level assessment mechanism grounded in objectives set out by the Strategic Plan that promotes student success and development.

One key insight from my research was the emphasis made by my interlocutors on how assessment is intended to encourage improvement. Before starting this project, I held a narrow view of assessment, thinking of it more as a form of judgment that determines success or failure. I believed that it was simply the process that led to either the continuation or termination of a program—if something was deemed successful, it would persist, but if considered a failure, it would be cut. While this perspective contains some elements of truth, it ultimately missed the broader purpose of assessment. Given this, it’s clear that it is important to understand the difference between assessment and evaluation. 

The 1.0 Updated Program Assessment Guide (2023) outlines Student Life’s approach to assessment and details information crucial to understanding the culture of assessment, such as the history, practices, functions, methods, and types of data involved. The first section after the Glossary is titled “Assessment vs. Evaluation,” which clarifies that, although these terms are often used interchangeably, they are fundamentally different and provide distinct types of information. In the broader field of student affairs, the two are differentiated, and understanding this is crucial when determining what data should be collected to assess program effectiveness.

The guide defines assessment as “actions taken to gather, analyze, and interpret information and evidence to support the effectiveness of institutions, departments, divisions, or agencies, and the achievement of student learning outcomes” (5). In contrast, evaluation is “a form of inquiry that seeks to answer critical questions regarding how well a program, process, product, unit, system, or organization is working and achieving its objectives against an established set of criteria. It typically supports decision-making processes and often involves comparing against a set of standards, merit, worth, or value” (6).

The methodologies behind assessment and evaluation are distinct. Where assessment prioritizes learning and development, evaluation focuses on efficiency and effectiveness. Where assessment measures human experiences, evaluation is more concerned with enhancing organization to maximize potential. Where assessment is guided by meaningful and measurable outcomes that are inherently personal, evaluation is based on external standards that programs are measured against. Where assessment looks at achievement in terms of strategic goals and objectives, evaluation uses standardized indicators to set performance metrics and determine success with the intent of comparison (10).

Understanding this distinction has clarified how assessment practices within Student Life, specifically SPAs, are tools aligned with the goals outlined in the Strategic Plan that are rooted in values that are inherent to driving student success and development. Moreover, SPAs are not intended to be judgmental nor emphasize the need to meet metrics defined by a rigid standard of success; rather, they are about promoting a culture of assessment that supports improvement.