10.18.2011: Assessment & Strategic Planning

Collaborative writing assignments for 10.25

1. Finish assessment plan (collaborative assignment).  The draft writing should be in your personal email accounts. 

2. Develop a timeline for identifying stakeholders, contacting stakeholders, collecting stakeholder data, planning and creating data collection instruments, estimated dates for drafting/completion of sections listed in the proposed TOC.

3. Construct editable grid for a Strategic Plan Modeled on the Columbus State layout (only inserting KU SP goals/outcomes in appropriate  boxes). (see list of KUSP goals at end of this post).

As indicated by the assignments for next class, tonights' meeting focused on assessment and strategic planning.  

I.  Assessment.

We began by reviewing the assessment plan "boilerplate language" and the problems Simone and I encountered when we tried to use it.  We put in the SLOs we identified last week, but only got as far as brainstorming a line of reasoning that could 1) justify targeting sessions with college composition students as the focus for WC assessment; 2) connect this focus for assessment to the University, CAS, and WC mission statements.  

At the beginning of class next week - we will review the revised draft, make any further revisions we see as necessary, and incorporate the footnoted connections to university learning objectives.

II.  Strategic planning

The remainder of the evning's talk focused on a process for developing a strategic plan.   We began by reviewing the Columbus State WC plan (table), and the KU Strategic Plan.  While the Columbus State plan was concise and easy to take in, we decided that the culture at Kean requires a more narrative presentation.  We also made use of the detailed narrative in Kean's SP to begin a discussion about a strategic planning process.

1. Planning process.  We decided, that for our planning process, we wanted to design information gathering instruments that would ensure:

• coverage of all stakeholders
• openness =  opportunity for stakeholders to say what they want to say
• opportunities for group interaction
• opportunities for privacy

 We felt that in order to set up open, collaborative information gathering - we might want to begin with some interactive, cross-stakeholder visioning for what we want the KUWC to be.

2. First draft of stakeholders by groups 

Students

clients

students who don't come

students might come to the WC if it were different

by discipline

by language identification

(confidence)

start here (freshmen)

transfer

by year

self identified ethnicity

Faculty as clients + as teachers of writing (for their students)

Other service providers

GE  John Dob.
EEO

CAS

ESL  

EPIC  Program

Freshman Comp

Transfer Services
Graduate School

Asst VP of Academic Affairs

MA in writing studies coordinator

Writing teacher "professionals"

WC coaches
Adjunct faculty who teach writing

Faculty from across the Disciplines who focus on writing

3. Brainstorming for TOC.  We then began brainstorming a list of the headings we saw as essential for a KUWC strategic plan.

Strategic Plan TOC

i.  Executive Summary (abstract)

ii.  Background = to include history of KUWC + what other writing centers do

·         

iii. Mission

• Kean University Mission Statement
• CAS Mission Statement
• Writing Center Mission Statement

iv. Overview of where we are + how we collected the information

v.  Strategic Plan

To develop a quick & dirty Strategic plan in the form of the Columbus State document  = we considered the University goals as listed in the University SP.

1. Goal:  To implement a university-wide and comprehensive outcomes assessment plan to evaluate student learning, program quality, and institutional effectiveness, as well as address a longstanding and critical need for consistency in university-wide assessment.

2. Goal:  To enhance Kean’s overall competitiveness and reach for excellence by building on existing institutional strengths while simultaneously developing new academic initiatives that are responsive to the region’s needs

3. Goal:  To initiate and maintain academic and cultural partnerships at the local, state, national,

and international levels.

4. Goal:  To position Kean as a university of first choice for qualified prospective students

5. Goal:  To continue to attract and retain faculty with subject mastery who demonstrate a student-centered approach to teaching and advisement, who instill critical thinking, who are technologically competent, and who have strong backgrounds in scholarship or creative choice

6.  Goal:  To reaffirm Kean’s commitment to diversity to ensure that all students, faculty, staff, prospective students, and visitors feel welcome.

7. Goal:  To ensure innovation, creativity, and the entrepreneurial spirit in establishing a revenue

flow that is sufficient, dependable, and consistent to support complex financial obligations

8.  Goal: To continue physical renovations and additions to reflect Kean’s academic quality and

aesthetic features.

9. Goal: To ensure that technology enhancements anticipate and exceed current standards in meeting academic, research, instructional, and administrative needs.

10. Goal: To comply with all legislation, academic standards, academic codes, or work place requirements that may impact the provision of services, improve campus safety, or affect the work place environment

Class October 25:  We will continue to work on Strategic Planning, using the documents you are creating for homework as a basis for the evening's work.

Good class tonight!  See you next week.

General format GA Reports

1. Statement of objectives for your GA position (as listed in the application for funding) for GA positions).

• list by bullet points

2. The revised objections formulated for your position (as discussed early in the term)

• prioritized list of objectives 

Narrative discussion of differences between 1 & 2.

3. Discussion of work associated with each point in the list of prioritized objectives (in the same order as listed under 2)
For each point include a discussion of:

• Rationale/strategy/process for why and how you moved forward
• What you accomplished (include brief, clear descriptions of accomplishments/outcomes).  Put "products" = examples if your work in Appendices and refer to the appendices.
• Reflection of what worked and what did not and why

4. Recommendation for job priorities for GA who will step into your position next year.
Include a prioritized list that the WC administrators can use to submit next year's application.

10.11: Assessment Plan, Documentation Strategies, and Research Focus

IMPORTANT NOTICE:   Yes, this is a VERY long post. If you lose interest - be sure to cut to the end where the assignments are listed because I changed the readings for next week's class.


Writing Center Assessment Plan:
We started class by looking over the CAS assessment plan and the Kean University boilerplate language for developing Departmental assessment plans. This was in addition to our review of the Kean University Department of English Assessment plan on 10.4.

We also reviewed the Writing Center mission statement (one more time) as a way to set up a conceptual discussion of what we wanted to propose for the WC Assessment Plan.

Tim suggested that we might start with a focus on College Composition.  We have many students from College Composition; our primary outreach in terms of class presentations is in College Composition classes; and the course is offered to all freshman, and therefore avoids either the developmental or English Major focus that can attach itself to writing centers.  The course's GE focus also my help structure a larger study where we may eventually look at "regulars" from  Research and Writing, and the Capstone courses.

With College Composition as a target course, we  revisited the Center for Academic Success Goals and Objectives -:

Goal 1: To improve the retention and persistence to graduation rates for Kean University.

Goal 2: To ensure a student centered learning environment by delivering quality full service customer relations.

Goal 3: To provide students with the services necessary to reach their full potential in an interactive university setting.

With these goals in mind, we identified particular Student Learning Outcomes that would both reflect the objectives of ENG 1030 - and the overall goals of the CAS.



Student Learning Outcomes to serve as basis for WC Assessment Plan
1. Students will examine and use writing to learn.
2. Students can write to different rhetorical demands.
3. Students can work effectively with peers.
4. Student will integrate their personal perspective with perspectives from different cultural traditions.
5. Students will use systematic, formal methods of self-assessment.

Simone agreed to "revise" the boilerplate language for Departments so that it reflects the intentions and Learning outcomes set forward above, and to post the resulting Assessment plan at the ENG 5071 Site set up by Joe.

At this point we moved on to discussion of archiving and documentation strategies, with particular focus on the what each GA would need to do to set up focused documentation of activities associated with each job description.  The plan is for the focused documentation set up by each of you to allow subsequent GAs in your job description to continue in the kinds of research questions your documentation strategies establish.  


To get you started on establishing a documentation  [aside: I have been trying to finish this post since last night, the window has been open and I have been working on it - with interruptions since 1:45 - it is now 5:08. . . .]  we talked through a process for developing a documentation strategy. 


Developing a documentation strategy. You began by reviewing the available documentation for your job description; as you reveiw,.you consider what kinds of questions you could answer in light of the present documentation strategy, and consider what kinds of questions need to be answered.  Finally - you pose some specific areas/research questions to focus on - and describe documentation strategies, along with systems for organization and access (and periodic review + updating) that would allow for data-based answers with respect to those areas & questions.


Below I have listed your initial summary of what data you have available + the kinds of questions you might answer..

Simone
Available data (resulting from existing, general documetation strategies
tutortrac visit notes
observatioins (latina caucus)
attendance information

What kinds of questions do you think you want to answer
Are we serving our diverse populations?  Are we meeting their needs?

Plan to focus/organize your data collection

Tim
Available data (resulting from existing, general documetation strategies
protocols
event records (composition classroom presentations)
presentation materials + drafts & communications documenting their development

What kinds of questions do you think you want to answer
how are our programs and events promoting or expanding access to WC services (Tim will rephrase
Waht kinds of publicity + program outreach actually gets students to come to the center?

Plan to focus/organize your data collection

Josh
Available data (resulting from existing, general documetation strategies

minutes

email

schedules

payroll stubs

annual report

What kinds of questions do you think you want to answer

What are effective scheduling practices?  in terms of worker needs & center needs => principles to balance

Plan to focus/organize your data collection

Joe

Available data (resulting from existing, general documetation strategies

google doc
coach handbook brainstorming
original ESL training
Training protocol
Minutes
Fall 2010 orientation

What kinds of questions do you think you want to answer

what are the training needs for the center for the coming year
what are the future need (Skype - electronic coaching)

Plan to focus/organize your data collection

tiered system - changes to main training program in response to center needs
also supplemental training
documentation by category

For next class:
Post a documentation strategy and program of research for your job description on the 5071 site.  It should be a concise, narrative account that replies to the three headings for each job description above.


Write: documentation strategy and program of research, (and make sure you have posted last week's assignments for the job description & technology plan)
Simone will post the (draft) Assessment Plan.


I know I said we were going to talk about online coaching but I think I want to switch in the readings the Strategic Planning at this point

Read:  SWOT analysis  http://writinglabnewsletter.org/archives/v32/32.10.pdf; Strategic plan for (Columbus State University) @ http://writingcenter.columbusstate.edu/pdfs/StrategicPlan2009-2012.pdf

In class we will review the structure of the University's Strategic Plan + develop a timeline, a process & an outline for developing our strategic plan.

 

Class 10/6: Administrative structures & budgeting,

We started the class with the technology reports and talked about how to start collecting writing both for your individual administrative reports, and for the strategic plan.

Writing/collecting sections for GA reports/Strategic plan
The current plan is to set up a google site that will have a table of contents  (editable by all of us) with links to sections of writing (posted on a file cabinet page of the same site).  We can expand the TOC, re-arrange it, and develop it as a collaborative project.  Joe has volunteered to set up a site for the Strategic plan - and I will insert it on the sidebar.  You can add your sections to the report - and help map out the table of contents (required sections) as you develop them

I suggest that you each set up a site for your Graduate Assistant Report.  Send me your site and I will insert it on the sidebar as well.  .You can use the job descriptions in the Administrative Plan as a starting point for your report.

I think we will want to set the privacy settings for these sites so that only individuals with the link have access.

Resources/materials for work on Strategic Plan and Administrative Reports
Job descriptions for Graduate assistants
Kean University Strategic Plan
Kean University Middle States Report 


I have sent you copies of the GA reports from Fall, 2010 for all four assignments.  You can use this material as a template for your report - though we may want to make changes.

You should also look through the WC Administrative Report from Spring, 2010, and any Drafts for the 2010-2011 Report that Sam is ready to share.


We spent the next part of class discussing the readings on administrative structures - and we briefly looked at the IWCA's data on Writing Centers and placed our center within the range of statistics to see where we were on staffing, hours, budget, coach pay, etc.  As you noticed from the KUWC's proposed budget - numbers are placed within/compared to the span of what comparable institutions do - so these numbers are important resources for laying a basis for costs - or requests for changes in costs or structures.

You each signed up for conferences to discuss your program of study, and your GA report.  The times/dates for appointments are as follows:

Tuesday 10/11
3:30 - 4:30 Joe (Pan of work)

Wednesday 10/12
2:45 - 3:45 Neiha (plan of work)
3:45 - 4:15 Tim (plan of work)

Thursday 10/13
1:00  Tim  (GA report)
3:15  Simone  (GA report)

Tuesday 10/18
3:30-4:30 Joe (GA report)
4:30 Simone (plan of work)

Wednesday 10/19
2:30-3:30 Josh (plan of work)
3:30-4:30 Josh (GA report)



For next week:

Read:  Readings on research at the writing center (I will leave a copy of the WPA Administrator's Resource in the WC for you tomorrow)

·         “The WPA as Researcher and Archivist” by Shirley Rose and Irwin Weiser (from The Writing Program Administrator’s Resource:  A Guide to Reflective Institutional Practice;

·         “Documentation Strategies and the Institutional Socialization of Writing Centers” by Brad Peters (p. 103-114).

AND => look through (browse) the KU Strategic Plan to get an idea of how SPs are organized + what kind of info they contain.  
I am thinking our strategic plan will include some  info/background/discussion similar to what is in the Kean SP = but that the heart of it will look more like THIS. 

Write:
1. Technology plan for your position (it should respond to the list "needs" for your position that you developed last week (posted on the 9/27 blog)
2. Job description (adapted to the guidelines from Simpson - and in light of the description from the GA request); if you make "revisions" write a short narrative to justify them.  Post your job description on the Strategic Plan site under the appropriate section in the TOC.


Next class we will talk some more about data collection - and do some brainstorming on a process for writing the strategic plan (e.g. - flesh out the T.O.C. and stake out who will network, collect info + write for the different sections).

September 27: Digital Technology and Administration

The agenda for our meting is in google.docs.

The focus of class discussion was on using technology as part of the administrative structure.  Although Chisholm's essay focused primarily on technology and Writing Center services - she identified principles for making technological decisions that are applicable to administration.

The overall point of her article was to aim for the cutting edge - but not the 'bleeding edge' => you don't need to adopt new technology for its own sake; make sure it works in terms of your needs, your expertise, and your users.  Her rule of thumb ws that it should be cheap, easy to use, and ubiquitous.

In light of these principles we had a discussion of what we want technology to DO in our administrative structure (what is its purpose); what our workers will easily be able to do; and what program that are out there and readily available are best suited to those purposes and abilities.

We came up with the following list of "needs" = what you want software to do for each of your areas of responsibility.

Training

Hiring

Orientation= training program

introduction to WC practices + policies= creating documents, communicating with coaches, templates that trainers can share to document training

Coordination of events

                checklist = to coordinate training offered by different trainers

Post documents & to a place where coaches can read

Publicity

software for flyers, brochures, & cards

outlet to contact coaches => list or feed

cougarlink other networking site

protocol for events = archive of procedures for yearly events

Scheduling

centralized place to post an editable schedule

archive of schedules

staff shortage notice

recordkeeping: tardies, absences, behavior issues

dedicated email account

Data Collection
make spreadsheets to display & analyze data
track attendance, coaches notes, demographics of students (tutortrac)
produce and archive reports
research documentation:  digital recorder?  video equipment?  transcription equipment?
online surveys

After we identified the needs for each GA assignment - we spent some time looking at "free" software that would accomplish these purposes - and shared discoveries.

For next week:
Each GA should come to class prepared to give a short presentation on the technology solutions you would propose for your administrative responsibsilites.
Read: the data sets + documents I sent to you by email, + the readings listed on the calendar.

September 20: Data Collection, Assessment, and Strategic Planning

We used this discussion as a process for developing a data collection plan for the Kean University Writing Center.  While this will be Simone's project for this term, WC administrators play a central role in planning data collection and assessment for their Centers.

Kean and assessment. To provide some background for the press for data collection and assessment here at Kean, we looked at the form and language set up in the assessment plan developed by the English Department.  This plan was in keeping with a template developed by the University which requested"

• the mission statement, 
• a description for the process for assessment, 
• the particular learning outcomes to be assessed (these should grow out of both the mission & the process); 
• a description of the location (a particular course activity/assignment) + the tool for the assessment (a rubric, scale, survey, set of codes + analytic plan, etc) 

Writing Center data collection & assessment. A writing center plan for data collection and self assessment will be different for a department plan, in that our mission rests on primarily on effectiveness of service rather than of teaching.  Though both are connected to student learning - our assessment might also take into account the availability of our services, staffs' preparation to meet demands, how/whether the Center's administrative structure, space, and resources match demands for services, and so on.  

While we did not discuss any of the readings in particular detail- we did draw heavily from the conceptual plan presented in Hawthorne's "Approaching Assessment as If It Matters" (237).

Hawthorne set forward a 5 point process for developing a data collection plan.
1. Identify the  purpose for the assessment (how the assessment will be used)
2. Decide what to assess in order to meet that purpose
3. Prioritize (phase in a series of data collection practices - you can't do everything at once)
4. Decide on a range of data collection methods, indirect & direct = how  assessment will be carried out
5. Analyze and apply data to determine what processes work/don't work & what to change so that you can  achieve your purposes

(This list is slightly different that the written copy I gave Simone - but I am hoping it is close).

Although the specifics of our planning are not appropriate for a blog post, we talked through these points and came up with a two-fold purpose, a list of aspects of writing center work to assess, several high priority assessments (two of which were continuations from last year, and a couple to set up as priorities for this year.  We were working on approaches/plans for actual data collection when we ran out of time.

For next week. We will focus on using technology to administer writing centers.  There is not much written on this topic, we will read and discuss Chisolm's essay - which I don't think is going to tell you much that you don't know.  I am hoping each of you will come to class prepared to talk briefly about administrative technologies for:

• PR & outreach: social networking, videos (Tim & Josh)
• Training: digital training modules, videos, forums & lists, "Webinars" etc Joe
• Scheduling & payroll: Josh
• Data collection: Simone

The rest of the class will be spent on a conceptual discussion about how to use/expand the use of programs/technologies we already use.  Specifically - we agreed to talk about re-organizing how we use google.docs, making better use of google.sites, re-thinking the email accounts, and perhaps tutortrac, and anything else you want to put on the agenda.

 

September 13: Politics and issues

Agenda: on-going issues at Center
We discussed the following - see minutes for details.

•  food in the writing center except bottled water
•  protocol for logging in students
•  College Comp presentatiions (to begin 9/19) => video almost complete
• New staff - Ryan will be covering as Academic Specialist
• Discussion of de-briefing practices
• Issues with staff

We spent the rest of the class reviewing case studies describing a range of different writing centers.  These essays described the usual "struggles" writing centers face - and they resonated with the story of our center in many important ways.  We will use these readings to document (as citations) the administrative, staffing, and programatic needs of writing centers in the introduction of our strategic plan.  By referring to issues in light of how they occur and resolve in writing centers in general - we can validate and contextualize the plans and requests that we develop in our report. 

Sally reported on Remedial / Developmental Centers (Paoli, 165)
We used Paoli's discussion (and an analysis of our Writing Program as described in the course outline for College Composition - and the requirements for the porfolio) to establish that Kean's Writing Program has an emphasis on process (course outline) and academic genres (portfolio) and that while there may be variation in the way the course is taught, the overall program has more of a student-centered, developmental approach - as opposed to a remediation approach.


Because of the focus on process and genre, writing issues that may come to the writing center (because students need more "time" & practice than is provided in class to catch up) include:

• voice -how to step into academic discourse -style
• low order concerns
• ownership - motivation - how to get into the student role
• multilingual issues

We also though that students may need more support for:

• decision making skills
• critical analysis

We may refer to this analysis in the introduction to the strategic plan  - to outline connections between our GE writing program & the role of the writing center.

Tim's discussion of Abels drew our attention to  the status of the director, staffing considerations = as well as questions listed on 394.  

This discussion led us to reflect on the importance of connecting the strategic plan to the University's Mission + the Administration's priorities for achieving that mission.  Fortunately, our student-centered support for retention and graduation of our diverse students is a good match.  We may need to develop more meaningful connections to community out-reach and programs/events that publicize the University.  An analysis of the University's vision (as set forth in the opening day talk, University Planning Documents, the Middle States self assessment, the Mission Statement, and Academic Programming) will be essential for development of an effective strategic plan.


Simone discussed the two different experiences Childers had with secondary writing centers - and pointed out connections to issues in the Kean University Writing Center.  She pointed out the multiple possibilities for staffing (and ongoing issues with funding  - or lack of it - and staffing).  We discussed the importance of grant-seeking => something current staff is not in a position to do but which should be planned for in the strategic plan.


We (briefly) considered the chart at the end of the article as a "brainstorming list" of areas for development.


Joe discusseed Community College writing centers - and re-capped the Gardner & Rousculp's points (advantages & disadvantages) about two-year students & staffing - and extended the discussion to Kean.  

Discussion at the end became a little rushed - as we were running out of time - but overall I believe we covered the important points - and now have these articles "under our belts" as references for how writing centers are run.


North.  At the end of class we (briefly) re-capped North's declaration of integrity  in "The idea of a writing center" - and his re-capitulation on 4 of the points from that essay.  Joe pointed out that he doesn't want to give up on point 4 - the wish to remain as a place where real knowledge is made - a place that can somehow reach through the focus on grades and meeting academic demands to the pleasure of learning and the power (and satisfaction) in learning through writing = and I think that is awesome.  Me too.  Though I respect North's point that the Center needs to respond to what students want - it is about their work and their agenda - and sometimes that agenda is getting the grade. Period.  But that doesn't mean we can't point out the dynamics that make that the goal.


So GOOD class.


For next week:

Read:. data collection, record-keeping, and strategic planning:

·         “Approaching Assessment as if It Matters” by Joan Hawthorne (p. 237-247)

·         “Research Podcast: New Directions in Writing Center Assessment; A Conversation with Lori Salem and Harry Denny” (located at http://writing.wisc.edu/podcasts/index.html)

·         “Two Experts Talk Writing Center Assessment: A Conversation with Neal Lerner and Jason Mayland” (located at http://writing.wisc.edu/podcasts/index.html)  http://writing.wisc.edu/podcasts/index.html

tutortrac,


And I will be posting another essay or two recommended by Simone on data collection


We will discuss these readings in light of practical issues associated with your work for this fall.

• To support Simone in brainstorming and designing her data collection plan (and report).
• To determine the kind of data we need to collect  to lay the groundwork for the strategic plan (and begin to design the collection instruments)
• To plan how we will use data in the strategic plan

 See you next week.