Alverno College:

Learning Beyond
the Classroom
Alice Gao, Cenyeaa Williams, Donovan Barbarisi, Jenna Radtke, and Jocelyn Devaney
HESA 813: Assessment and Evaluation of Higher Education Programs
October 30, 2017

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 Assessment Overview

Student Services staff wanted to know how to

intentionally extend the learning environment
beyond the classroom and integrate the teaching
and learning principles into the co-curriculum

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 Demographic Makeup

Private, liberal arts college located in Milwaukee, WI

Student Body Population: 2,783

Resident students: 231

Minority Students: 34%

Having a large population of the students commute to campus could affect their level of
involvement in co-curriculars

Often times college students get involved through living in residence halls

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 Conceptualization of Assessment

Alverno College is known for its ability-based curriculum and assessment process

Unique approach that was initiated in 1973

Focus on self-assessment

Faculty expectation of students is that Students should be able to do something with what they
know

“What do students learn as a result of participating in the co-curriculum, and how is this learning
different from the classroom?”

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 Benefits of this Assessment
The student services (affairs) led the assessment process at Alverno College but worked closely
with students, faculty, and staff. Working in collaboration they created a shared approach of
the curriculum and co-curriculum working together to promote student development.

The goals of the assessment process were to:

● Explain the relationship between the curriculum and the learning environment.
● Articulate the importance of our work to the educational process.
● Describe the Alverno culture and identify future needs.
● Identify roles and components of the culture and the relationship to the curriculum.
● Incorporate what we learn so that we articulate it internally and externally and thereby
continuously improve our practice.

Regardless of institution, defining priorities, promoting training, and emphasizing commitment

to the assessment process is valuable to student success and thus institutional success. Student
services collaboration with stakeholders allows all to be invested in the process and outcomes.

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 Delivering Expected Results

The expected results:

● Strengthen collaboration among faculty and staff

● Promote student learning through curriculum and co-curricular experience

The process well delivered the results:

● Hosted workshops both for educators and staff

● Developed learning outcomes to avoid the time-consuming confusion
● Focused on individual student learning outcomes (training, coaching, and supervising)

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 Division’s Purpose and Institutional Culture
Mission: Partner with others in building community

Vision: Collaborate with students, faculty, and staff to create a shared view and experience of learning where
the curriculum and co-curriculum work together to promote personal and professional development of
students

Institutional culture: Focus on student learning, a commitment to quality improvement, and collaboration

The process well sustained the purpose of the division:

● Linked the department mission to the college mission

● Set the goals for partners and clarify their roles
● Aligned structures to serve student learning

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 Sustaining Processes

1. Understanding that each role plays an important part in the teaching and learning process
2. “Partners in Learning: Staff Collaborations in Promoting Student Learning Across the
College” (Paper provided during orientation)
3. Found reasons why developing the learning outcomes was helpful, although it is
time-consuming

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 Assessment Process and Adjustments
Staff of various departments met with following goals
1. The relationship between curriculum and learning environment
2. The importance of this work within the education process
3. The current culture and future needs
4. Roles and components of the culture as if effects the curriculum
5. Articulating learning outcomes both internally and externally to continue improvement

These goals were based off the vision that was created to collaborate students, faculty, and staff to promote
personal and professional development of students.

Six Step Process to achieve the goals listed above: 1) Link department and college mission 2) Align structures
3) Articulate assumptions 4) Find frameworks that work 5) Develop outcomes 6) Determine methods

Potential adjustments:
Develop several standard ideas for methodologies to refer to.
Develop outcomes that are all measurable and specific to the population.

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 Barriers, Obstacles, and Overcoming

Training New Staff

● Alverno has a unique culture surrounding student learning, so their assessment needs to
be more uniquely taught.
● Focus on learning outcomes as well as self-assessment and feedback.
● Invite staff as out-of-class assessors to promote understanding and foundation.

Creating Outcomes

● As with many other higher education institutions, common language is an issue.

● Consultations with local and national leaders in assessment.
● Invite students to provide feedback on outcomes.

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 Utilization of Results and Other
Implementation

Due to the co-curricular nature, the primary use of the results was to promote the engagement
of Student Services in the college as co-educators and involve faculty in understanding.

● Focus on making sure goals are met.

● Means of finding balance between student learning and college expectations.
● Evidence of what is improving, what still needs to.

Other Implementations:

● Questioning ability-based curriculum and assessment.

● Improving new staff training methods.

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 Use of Time and Resources

By focusing on not only program assessment, but also individual student assessment, the project
was time consuming.

Alverno College’s educational philosophy is unique in that it approaches teaching and learning
on its ability-based curriculum, performance assessment across curriculum, and self assessment.
Fortunately, this educational philosophy gave them a framework to build on.

Ultimately, they achieved the collaboration and student outcomes that align with their mission.

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 Admiration of the Practice

● Problem-solving skills in terms of explaining and clarifying the purpose

● Making sure everyone understood that their role was equally important in the success of
the student
● Practicality of students’ education
○ Concept of students being able to apply their knowledge in what they do

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 Questions?

Alice Gao
a_gao3@mail.fhsu.edu
Cenyeaa William
ccwilliams4@mail.fhsu.edu
Donovan Barbarisi
dabarbarisi@mail.fhsu.edu
Jenna Radtke
jmradtke@mail.fhsu.edu
Jocelyn Devaney
jadevaney@mail.fhsu.edu

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