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Data is effective at helping us....oops! Did I lose you? Not. So. Fast.

We all use assessments in our daily lives. Based on a quick analysis of the most economically sound decision, we decide at which gas station to stop to purchase fuel or which restaurant to visit for lunch. The same should be true at work, especially when customer service is a priority. Many of our Student Affairs offices have already started using data to improve the student experience. To support our assessment efforts, the Division continues to offer workshops that feature best practices, so we can hone our assessment-gathering skills.

Carlos Parker, an Academic Advisor in É«ÀÇÉçÇø Global's Office of Advising and Student Information Services (OASIS), recently used assessment surveys to improve the experience of his Construction Management cohort. “The numbers drive everything that you do,” says Carlos. “That evidence-based decision making drives your customer service model. You can’t make decisions about students unless you know who they are and what they want. How do you know what they need unless you ask?”

In one of Carlos’ first surveys, he discovered that the faculty and students weren’t using Starfish. Starfish is typically used University-wide for gauging academic performance and identifying any gaps in learning. He knew it was important to student success to get everyone on board with using the system. His survey results gave him the agency to implement the use of Starfish within the program. Since implementation, Carlos has see a marked improvement in student engagement and communication regarding academic difficulties. He now has processes in place to indicate when to reach out to students who may be need academic help before it is too late.

Another of Carlos' surveys identified issues in the onboarding processes, as shown in the graphic above. The survey results showed that some Construction Management students felt their experiences with the onboarding process were less than ideal. Carlos concluded that the typically non-traditional students might require more communication and guidance than anticipated. Carlos is working with his colleagues to improve communications efforts in the areas of admissions, matriculation, course registration and academic advisement. He is hoping that improved communication will smooth the processe and help the students feel more connected to É«ÀÇÉçÇø. His ultimate goal is to administer a full exit survey to poll his graduates, so that he can continually improve the program for prospective students.

Carlos recently attended an assessment workshop offered by the Division of Student Affairs. Though he already had a few surveys under his belt, he wanted to learn more and improve his assessment skills. “There’s always more to learn - and I enjoy hearing new ideas from my colleagues.” At the training, he discovered ways to make his surveys more student-friendly, collect information more efficiently, and produce more evidence-focused results. “An important thing to remember is to not overreact. There are going to be some bad numbers in there and it may hurt to see them. You need to focus on what you can do to improve.”

If you would like to find out how to strategically create and gather data that can help increase your customer service efforts, be sure to check out !