State of the NASPA Assessment, Evaluation, and Research KC

Building on the impact of previous AER KC leadership teams, the 2023-2025 leadership team sustained and built new strategies that will bring the AER KC into the next decade of assessment support and community building. We have accomplished the following:

Sustaining the AER KC
In order to help the organization thrive:

• We developed a new leadership structure and welcomed more than fifteen new folks to the team. Each of these talented individuals brings their unique strengths and perspectives in order to fulfill the mission of the AER KC. 

• Under the leadership of Scott Radimer, we held our first fundraising campaign in several years and raised more than $1,500 to support the AER KC awards. The awards include funding for graduate student participation at development events and grants to further the scholarship in student affairs assessment. 

• The KC celebrated a historic milestone at the annual conference with our celebration of the 20th anniversary and a party to match. Co-hosted with the University of Houston and Rutgers, we had a completely packed room that spilled into the hallway. The energy was truly palpable, and we are grateful to everyone who was able to join us. 

• We have been evaluating our presence and communication strategy. About a year ago, we made a switch to developing a LinkedIn group. We now have 365 members in this public group and regularly post about engagement opportunities, insights from the field, available assessment-related positions, and much more. This group allows up to provide more frequent and bite-sized updates to professionals in the field. It has also helped us to increase our engagement with the community. Join the page by following this website, tinyurl.com/naspaaerkc. 

• We examined the role and opportunities presented by the regional representatives, reinvested in sending region-specific information and holding regional meetings in Fall 2024, and invested in ongoing opportunities to engage with regional members and to address specific needs and topics. For example, Region IV-E will host the Student Affairs Assessment Drive-In Conference on June 12, 2025 with the generous support of Illinois State University.   

• We developed a funding strategy to support two coordinators in planning and advancing the SSHE conference branch, which is dedicated to assessment, planning, and data analytics. 

 

Collaboration
Working with others to advance student affairs assessment:

• The NASPA AER KC joined with several other student affairs assessment organizations to develop the Consortium of Organizations for Student Affairs Assessment (COSAA). More information about the group can be found here.

• Shaun and Kim attended the Assessment Institute put on by the University of Indiana - Indianapolis and sat on a keynote panel discussing “The Student Success Landscape: A Conversation and Call to Action.” We also presented a successful pre-conference focused on ‘Closing the Loop: Strategies for Acting on Results.”

• We prioritized developing relationships with other knowledge communities in the NASPA community. We worked closely with the NASPA Wellness and Health Promotion KC and co-hosted a watercooler conversation focused on strategies and best practices for assessing well-being on college campuses. This program had more than fifty participants and sparked a number of excellent conversations and opportunities for shared understanding and collaboration. 

• Darby Roberts hosted a webinar with the Fundraising KC that combined assessment, communication, and fundraising in order to support the development of skills to tell evidence-based stories that motivate donors. 

• KC members have also participated in two scholarship projects: the assessment course syllabi project and the SAAL listserv project, published in JSAIII: https://journals.indianapolis.iu.edu/index.php/jsaiii/article/view/28006. The “Listserv” project will provide analysis about themes and topics that have been discussed over the past few years and provide insights about the assessment landscape. 

 

Strategic Planning Competency
For many assessment professionals, strategic planning is an ‘other duties as assigned’ role. However, we believe it is a bridge to improve the student experience at any institution. Therefore, we have committed to creating opportunities for the AER KC to develop these skills:

• We created a new coordinator position that supports the engagement and development of strategic planning as a competency and often a duty assigned to assessment professionals. 

• Hosted a strategic planning pre-conference session at the 2025 annual conference that sold out. 

 

Career Development and Exploration for Student Affairs Assessment Professionals
The AER KC is uniquely positioned to engage with professionals in the field of student affairs and to prepare our community to find pathways into assessment and for their growth. 

• In June 2024, the AER KC hosted ‘A Conversation with the Incoming Board Chair Michael Christaskis.” This conversation focused on the importance of participating in NASPA knowledge communities, the role of KCs at NASPA, the role of assessment in higher education, and a reflection on the value of assessment skills in his career and in the role of a vice president of student affairs. 

• In support of the 20th Anniversary of the AER KC, we hosted a panel focused on the past, present, and future of the AER KC. More information about this panel will be available in future publications, but the value of AER KC community was on full display as we discussed the importance of collaboration and opportunities in the field. 

• In October, the AER KC celebrated a number of professionals in the field of student affairs and their career paths. While each of these professionals has a unique path, the common theme was the importance of decision-making and being strategic in our efforts around change. 

• The leadership team is also planning an institute for leaders in student affairs assessment to be held at the annual conference. 

 

Practitioner-Scholars
It is imperative to support the development of our colleagues and friends as practitioner-scholars in the field. Sharing this knowledge in a variety of ways will help to elevate our practice and strategies to impact the student experience. 

• Led by Brenda McKenzie, with support from others, the community has developed a writing support group that meets every month. This is a space for higher education professionals to gather, collaborate, and support each other in their writing endeavors. We hope you will join us! 

• Ongoing work to develop a definition of practitioner-scholar is occurring and will be available to the community in the fall. 

• Designed a webinar to decode APA Style. 

• Ania Peczalska wrote an outstanding article in the 2024 NASPA KC Publication titled “How Can I Work With Data in This Environment? Conducting Student Affairs Assessment Today.” https://www.naspa.org/report/2024-knowledge-communities-publication. Ania also wrote an article in the NASPA Leadership Exchange describing the value of assessment for senior leaders in student affairs.  

 

Research in Student Affairs
The leadership team has made a commitment to examining and growing the research in the field of student affairs assessment. This includes investing in members to conduct research and to strategize about opportunities to advance knowledge. 

• Erica Eckert and D’Arcy Oaks established the promising practices grants. This award incentivizes the planning and execution of thoughtfully constructed, equity-centered projects that are shared with the NASPA community. 

• Celebrating the achievements of individuals in the community through the Excellence in Education, Excellence in Publication, and Graduate Student Travel Awards. This past year, we had the privilege of awarding the Excellence in Publication Award to Dr Sara Finney at James Madison University. 

• During the 2025 annual conference, the KC sponsored several sessions that advance ideas and grow our practice of assessment in student affairs. This year, we sponsored the following presentations “Strategic Leadership in Times of Change: Harnessing Data to Inform Decision-Making,” “Championing International Students’ Agency and Voice in Assessment at US Institutions of Higher Education,” and “Assess and Progress: A Strategy for Building Time and Space for Assessment, Evaluation, and Research in Student Affairs.” 

 

It is an understatement to say that Shaun and I are proud of the work the Assessment, Evaluation, and Research KC leadership team has done over the past two years. We are deeply grateful for the chance to work with all of these amazing people. 

 

The work being done by assessment professionals in student affairs is essential to the success of our students, colleagues, institutions, and communities. Thank you for the opportunity to amplify, support, and champion this work. We look forward to seeing you at other AER KC events.

 

All the things,
Kim & Shaun