Residence Life Office Assessment Plan - March 15, 2002
 Prepared by Ron Brunell, Director of Residence Life

Mission Statement

The Residence Life Office provides residence halls and apartment facilities at University Villages that serve as an integral component of the academic program and support services to The University of Montana.  This mission includes providing a living/learning environment and related academic and co-curricular educational, personal development and social programs that support the student and institutional goals as well as nurtures the spirit and principles of community living.  Our mission also includes providing facilities that are healthy, safe and student preferred at a competitive market cost. Lastly fiscal responsibilities and operational effectiveness must be preserved to balance the immediate student needs and the long-term stewardship responsibilities of The University.

Department Goals

Promote and facilitate prominent co-curricular activities and programming with faculty, staff and students within campus based housing. Continue to offer and promote substance free living and a total wellness concept. Continue to improve accessibility to housing facilities for students with disabilities. Continue to work toward technology access for every student in campus based housing by installation of the internal network backbone so each student can have ready access to technology. Continue to improve the work environment in the Residence Life Office through training, staff development programs, MAP, and communication. Enhance student leadership and volunteerism through employment and programming opportunities and partnerships with the Student Involvement Program. Emphasize and promote a “Community Living Model” in our campus-based housing. Components of Community Living include values, behavior, diversity (celebrating and acceptance of differences), healthy choices, positive relationship building, and developing integrity, character, and self-reliance. Assess outcomes of goals.

The Residence Life Program must provide housing for University of Montana students that is reasonably priced and meets all life safety and health codes.  Additionally this environment must be one that promotes learning and engenders the positive aspects of community living.  Programs must support the educational mission of The University and provide co-curricular opportunities for students.  These facilities, environment, and programs must be student preferred and meet the ever-changing needs of today's students.

Outcomes

Intended Student Learning Outcomes

Programs that fosters student learning to analyze, formulate and confirm values. Participate in programming activities designed to help students acquire and use knowledge. Participate in programming activities for making educational and career choices. Use technology to complement learning activities. Develop the quest for learning and make learning a life long endeavor.

Intended Student Development Outcomes

Opportunities for students to develop self-reliance and management. Explore and appreciate different ideas, cultures, lifestyles and celebrate diversity. Develop and formulate a sense of self and their identity Experience community living.  Learn to live cooperatively with others and develop the values and interpersonal skills necessary for a successful community. Develop a sense of respect for self and others, property, and fairness. Intended Staff Development Outcomes

Understand and promote our mission statement. Assist in development of a safe, healthy and productive work and living environments. Develop a sense of community within the housing units. Promote and celebrate diversity. Promote student learning and intra and interpersonal development of students. Provide accurate information and excellent services to students.

Evaluation Method

Target Audience

The target audiences will be professional, support, and student staff members, student customers, campus customers, and the participants in our summer convention program.

Data Collection

Data will be gathered in various ways including formal and informal surveys of targeted audiences, professionally developed assessment tools, and data gathered from surveys, informal and formal, conducted by the University.

Tools Used

Various methods of evaluation of outcomes will be used. Including questions concerning housing in the various student satisfactory inventories conducted by the University, ACUHO-I External Review (every 10 years), EBI/ACUHO-I Assessment Survey (every three years), and various in-house surveys of student satisfaction and performance information will be used.

Data Analysis

The instrument designer will evaluate professionally developed survey and the results forwarded to the Residence Life Office. Formal and informal surveys will be reviewed and evaluated by the management staff in the Residence Life Office in consultation with campus professionals with expertise in survey analysis as necessary.

Implementation of assessment

The Residence Life Office Management Team will be responsible for assessment activities. The time line for assessment activities is as follows:

University Assessment Activities-Annually In-house assessment activities-Annually EBI/ACUHO Assessment Survey-Every three years and next administration January 2003 ACUHO-I External Review-Every ten years and next review scheduled for July 2008

Results

The results of the assessment activities will assist in making fiscal, student life, policy, and services decisions. This information will also help us determine appropriate staff training and capital project prioritization.