UWM Student celebrating their graduation.

Student Learning, Assessment, and Planning

Student Learning, Assessment, and Planning provides vision for retention and student success initiatives, coordinates the Division’s assessment efforts, and leads the Divisional strategic planning and reporting processes.

The Division of Student Affairs employs a comprehensive framework for planning, assessing, and reporting to measure the effectiveness of its programs and activities, support the Strategic Plan, and identify opportunities for improvement. By collecting and analyzing data, the Division ensures alignment with strategic goals and refines its approach to enhance student success. In collaboration with Academic Affairs, co-curricular and curricular assessment efforts are integrated to create a cohesive campus-wide evaluation of student learning outcomes.

Progress is documented through a robust reporting structure. Annual Reports summarize overall achievements, while Special Reports focus on specific issues. Additionally, Individual Unit Reports offer detailed insights into unit-level activities and assessments, ensuring transparency and accountability. Strategic planning is embedded into these processes, enabling units to establish measurable goals that align with the Division’s mission. This structured approach fosters consistent evaluation, data-driven decision-making, and continuous improvement across the Division.

Planning

The Strategic Plan defines the Division of Student Affairs’ key role in supporting students and furthering the mission of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Developed through extensive planning and feedback from more than 100 Student Affairs staff members, this plan has led to the establishment of goals focused on operations, students, and employees.

Strategic Plan (PDF) Mission, Vision, & Values

Operational Goals

Belonging
Develop and improve policies, organizational structures, programs, and services to foster and sustain an inclusive campus community.

Champion: Director of Advocacy and Engagement
Committee: Equity and Justice
Engagement Part 1
Create intentional opportunities for students to make meaningful connections to other students, faculty, staff, and the greater Milwaukee community.

Champion: Director of Athletics & AVC/Dean of Students
Committee: Campus Life
Engagement Part 2
Maximize student engagement, from point of entry to graduation, in a distinctly UWM experience.

Champion: Director of Athletics & AVC/Dean of Students
Committee: Campus Life
Learning
Structure and sequence learning and development opportunities outside the classroom.

Champion: Director of Student Learning, Assessment and Planning
Committee: Student Learning and Development
Wellbeing
Provide high-quality holistic support services that are easily accessible and available to students.

Champions: Executive Director of SHAW
Committee: Campus Cares sub-team
Efficient & Effective Operations Part 1
Enhance employee development by investing in centralized onboarding and training, regular professional development, and coordinated opportunities that support employee development and morale.

Champions: Vice Chancellor for DSA
Committee: Staff Engagement and Development
Efficient & Effective Operations Part 2
Collect, evaluate, and share data regularly to reach informed decisions and link processes for assessment, evaluation of operations, planning and budgeting.

Champions: Director of Student Learning, Assessment and Planning
Committee: Assessment

Student Goals

Connect
Panthers engage with the university community, embrace new people and diverse perspectives, and express their authentic selves.
Panthers connect to their peers, faculty and staff, and the larger Milwaukee community to help shape a holistic understanding of themselves, their passions, and goals, and an appreciation for diverse perspectives. Panthers seek and contribute to communities that foster acceptance and meaningful connections.
Prepare
Panthers build a well-rounded set of skills, practical knowledge, and experiences to ensure they are career-ready, community-minded, and well-prepared to participate in an ever-changing future.
Panthers proactively develop skills in communication, critical thinking, collaboration, professionalism, and leadership to ensure they are ready for life after college.  Panthers hone these skills and additional Panther Edge traits through engagement in personal and professional development opportunities. As they apply these practical skills in their present life, they are also investing in their future.
Thrive
Panthers thrive as they pursue personal growth and well-being, build resilience, and embrace social responsibility.
To thrive is to grow and develop in healthy ways. Panthers who thrive become increasingly self-aware, knowledgeable, compassionate, and skilled to improve their well-being and actively contribute to the well-being of others. Thriving Panthers request and offer support when needed. They engage in and reflect on opportunities outside the classroom that help them to discover talents, enhance personal strengths and abilities, explore interests, and build resilience. Panthers who thrive develop a sense of meaning and purpose.

Employee Goals

All staff feel respected and valued.
When staff work in an inclusive, safe, and open environment where all thoughts, ideas, beliefs, cultures, and identities are welcome, respected, and appreciated, morale increases, and creativity and innovation thrive.
Staff are empowered to prioritize student success.
When staff are engaged and believe their work is meaningful, they take ownership of their role in student success as well as the success of the UWM Community.
Staff thrive personally and professionally.
Continued growth through support, professional development, and networking is vital to the wellbeing of all staff.

Curricular Approach to Student Affairs

The curricular approach is a methodology for identifying what we want students to experience outside of the classroom, organize what we do based upon these goals, and provide roadmaps for students to get there.

In other words, by intentionally designing and sequencing programming and events (that align with our student goals), we will provide students with more visible pathways for engagement and skill development.

How does this relate to the Strategic Plan?

The Curricular Approach is the methodology that the Division of Student Affairs will use to help reach Operational Goal Four: Structure and sequence learning and development opportunities outside the classroom.

What are the benefits other institutions have seen from this process?

  • Help students see their own growth and development
  • Create intentional on-ramps for engagement
  • Helps staff prioritize their work
  • Improves collaboration across departments by working together towards common outcomes
  • Avoids duplicate programming
  • Develops practical blueprints that support student leaders, staff, and volunteers to confidently and consistently provide programming and events

Student Goals and Outcomes

Connect

Panthers engage with the university community, embrace new people and diverse perspectives, and express their authentic selves.

Panthers connect to their peers, faculty and staff, and the larger Milwaukee community to help shape a holistic understanding of themselves, their passions, and goals, and an appreciation for diverse perspectives. Panthers seek and contribute to communities that foster acceptance and meaningful connections.

Outcomes

Panthers will be able to:

  • Establish relationships that create a sense of belonging through supportive networks of people.
  • Express an understanding and appreciation of diverse perspectives.
  • Contribute to communities in ways that promote acceptance and connection.

Prepare

Panthers build a well-rounded set of skills, practical knowledge, and experiences to ensure they are career-ready, community-minded, and well-prepared to participate in an ever-changing future.

Panthers proactively develop skills in communication, critical thinking, collaboration, professionalism, and leadership to ensure they are ready for life after college. Panthers hone these skills and additional Panther Edge competencies through engagement in personal and professional development opportunities. As they apply these practical skills in their present life, they are also investing in their future.

Outcomes

Panthers will be able to:

  • Understand resources available to students that support personal and professional growth.
  • Engage in experiences that help achieve personal and professional growth.
  • Develop skills in alignment with the Panther Edge competencies.
  • Recognize one’s skills and express how to apply them to future goals.

Thrive

Panthers thrive as they pursue personal growth and well-being, build resilience, and embrace social responsibility.

To thrive is to grow and develop in healthy ways. Panthers who thrive become increasingly self-aware, knowledgeable, compassionate, and skilled to improve their well-being and actively contribute to the well-being of others. Thriving Panthers request and offer support when needed. They engage in and reflect on opportunities outside the classroom that help them to discover talents, enhance personal strengths and abilities, explore interests, and build resilience. Panthers who thrive develop a sense of meaning and purpose.

Outcomes

Panthers will be able to:

  • Demonstrate awareness of their personal wellness across multiple areas, such as physical, emotional, social, cultural, intellectual, financial, environmental, spiritual and occupational.
  • Develop skills to navigate challenges with openness and resilience.
  • Reflect on their evolving identities, purpose, and meaning.
  • Apply knowledge and empathy to improve their well-being and support the well- being of others.

Assessing

Each Student Affairs Unit must complete an Annual Assessment Plan and Reflection, with templates available online. The assessment process involves setting goals, planning, collecting data, reviewing data, and making improvements. This continuous cycle helps enhance student services. All members are encouraged to participate, with some leading the Assessment Committee to coordinate activities and provide feedback. Key contacts include Kelly Ball, Chelsey Tennis, and MacKenzie Ringle.

For the 2023-2024 fiscal year, reflections are due by September 30, 2024, and plans for 2024-2025 are due by October 31, 2024. UREC and DOS units have different deadlines. Early submissions are welcome, and meetings with Kelly Ball are available upon request. Each unit has a designated Assessment Coordinator to ensure assessments are completed.

Cycle

  • The assessment process involves five steps: setting goals, planning, collecting data, reviewing data, and making improvements.
  • This is a continuous cycle aimed at enhancing student services.

Timeline

  • Annual Assessment Reflection for 2023-2024 is due by September 30, 2024.
  • Annual Assessment Template for 2024-2025 is due by October 31, 2024.
  • UREC and DOS units have different deadlines: November 30, 2024, for reflections and December 31, 2024, for plans.
Assessment FAQs
A comprehensive overview of assessment practices, including definitions, methodologies, and resources to support effective evaluation within student affairs. Offering guidance on developing assessment plans, understanding key performance indicators, and aligning assessment efforts with institutional goals.
Survey FAQs
Guidance on survey creation, including recommended tools like Qualtrics and Microsoft Forms, approval processes, demographic question phrasing, and the use of incentives, to ensure effective and compliant data collection.
Key Performance Indicators
A list of data points that various university units can collect to evaluate their performance. These KPIs cover Student Affairs’ areas offering specific metrics like program attendance, student satisfaction, service usage, and retention rates to assess and enhance unit effectiveness.
Vocabulary
A glossary of key assessment terms to aid understanding and effective use in academic and student services contexts. It covers concepts like benchmarks, action research, and learning outcomes with concise definitions.

Assessment Coordinators

Each unit has a designated Assessment Coordinator responsible for ensuring assessments are completed. Coordinators are not solely responsible for all assessment work.

2023-2024 Assessment Coordinators

  • Athletics: Kathy Litzau
  • CASE First Generation + Resource Center: Amanda Soika
  • CASE LGBTQ+RC: Ariana Myer
  • CASE WRC: Kacie Otto
  • CASE MAVRC: Yolanda Medina
  • Children’s Learning Center: Shari Vinluan
  • Dean of Students: Adam Jussel
  • Divisional Budget and Finance: Stephanie Coryell
  • SHAW Medical: Aamir Siddiqi
  • SHAW Counseling Services: Carrie Fleider
  • SHAW Health Promotion & Wellness: Susan Cushman
  • Retail Services: Amber McKinney
  • Student Affairs/Enrollment Management IT Services: Bob Meyer
  • Student Learning, Assessment, and Planning (SLAP): Kelly Ball
  • Union: Eric Jessup-Anger/Brandon James
  • University Housing: Kari Dawson
  • UREC: Jamie Grenoble

For more details on assessment types and how to complete the templates, please refer to the provided presentations and documents.

Reporting

Annual

Data and evidence for assessing the impact of the Division of Student Affairs comes from individual units, from Division of Student Affairs Committees, and from UWM data as appropriate.

Special

Occasionally, the Division will release reports outside of the normal reporting structure. These special reports will be listed here.

Unit

In addition to the annual assessment reflection template, some units in the Division of Student Affairs create their own public assessment reports and/or annual reports. The reports can be found here:

Resources

Explore these comprehensive resources to find valuable support for your assessment and data needs. Whether you’re looking for guidance on effective assessment practices, tools to gather and analyze data, or insights into improving program performance, these resources are designed to assist you at every stage. They offer strategies, best practices, and actionable tips to help enhance your assessment efforts and ensure that your data-driven decisions lead to meaningful improvements and measurable outcomes.

Institutional Review Board
The mission of the IRB is to ensure the adequacy of the research plan, to minimize risks and to maximize the potential for benefit for human subjects who participate in research.
UW System Office of Policy Analysis and Research
Click on the UW Accountability Dashboard to view higher education performance measures. These can be used to compare data across institutions.
UWM Data Hub
The Data Hub, launched in Spring 2016, serves as a repository for institutional reports—a one-stop shop where campus personnel can find data reports from various offices.
Academic Affairs Assessment Resources
Academic Affairs has created a comprehensive website with guides, examples, and templates.
Office of Assessment and Institutional Research
The Office of Assessment & Institutional Research (OAIR) provides data and strategic analysis to help inform key initiatives and decision-making at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM).
Data Classification and Protection
UWM maintains policies regarding the use and security of its computer systems, networks and information resources. There are policies on information security, including data guidelines for data classification and sharing high-risk data.