Exploring Key Issues in Student Retention and Assessment

The Division of Student Affairs seeks to continually reimagine the student experience and increase success in the classroom. (Photo by Mark Schmidt)

ALBANY, N.Y. (January 8, 2016) -- As part of the University's goal to enhance the student experience, the Division of Student Affairs will host an Assessment Conference, Jan. 13. The conference is expected to draw university professionals from throughout the state and beyond.

This is the fifth consecutive year the Division of Student Affairs has offered this opportunity as it seeks to continually reimagine the student experience and increase success in the classroom, improve student retention and completion, and ultimately enhance affinity for the alma mater.

Linda Endersby, experiential learning coordinator for Queen's University and the national chair for the NASPA Technology Knowledge Community, will open the conference with her keynote, "#Assessment: Digital Data, Learning Outcomes, and Social Media."

Other key conference discussions will include creating a culture of assessment, student affairs involvement and issues pertinent to the LGBTQ community with Courtney D'Allaird, assistant director of Intercultural Student Engagement at the University and director of the Gender & Sexuality Resource Center.

UAlbany’s Division of Student Affairs is dedicated to providing its students with programs and activities that will enhance their educational and personal development, and contribute to the overall college experience. Student affairs’ assessment initiatives provide evidence of our commitment to the student experience and serve to:

• Measure student learning outcomes,
• Align program outcomes with divisional goals,
• Share findings with administrators, students, parents, and other stakeholders, and
• Provide assessment education opportunities for staff.

"I strongly believe that using assessment findings effectively can significantly guide our efforts as we continue to work to enhance our students' experience," said Vice President for Student Affairs Michael Christakis, Ph.D. "A student's college experience is not a series of discrete activities in the classroom, out of the classroom, and/or in the community, but rather a continuous, integrated educational journey that provides students with the skills to succeed in a fast-paced, ever-changing, complex, and diverse global society."

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