Advances, Contributions, Obstacles, and Opportunities in Student Affairs Assessment

Oct 15, 2026

NILOA occasional paper April 2021 examines how student affairs assessment professionals have responded over the past decade to calls for demonstrating student learning through meaningful programs and services. It reviews advances made in linking student affairs to institutional missions, building partnerships with faculty and academic administrators, and using evidence to confirm value to students. The paper also outlines obstacles overcome and the opportunities ahead amid higher education challenges shaped by COVID-19 and calls to address institutionalized racism.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Advancing, Aligning, and Assessing Student Learning and Development in Partnership with Academic Affairs

Contributions of Student Affairs Assessment Professionals

Student Affairs Assessment Today

Sharing Expertise with Campus Partners to Assess Student Development

Challenges in Assessing Co-Curricular Learning

Role and Use of Technology

Student Affairs Assessment During the Global Pandemic

Institutionalized Racism

Right Place and Right Time: The Opportunities Ahead

References

About the Authors

About NILOA

April 2021 N0 52 National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment Advances, Contributions, Obstacles and Opportunities in Student Affairs Assessment [www.learningoutcomesassessment.org](www.learningoutcomesassessment.org) A. Katherine Busby & Robert W. Aaron Contents Abstract 3 Advancing, Aligning, and Assessing Student Learning and Development in Partnership with Academic Affairs. . . . .4 Contributions of Student Affairs Assessment Professionals 6 Student Affairs Assessment Profession 6 Sharing Expertise with Campus Partners to Assess Student Development.. ..8 Student Affairs Assessment Today. . . . .8 Challenges in Assessing Co-Curricular Learning. . . . .9 Role and Use of Technology. . . . .10 Student Affairs Assessment During the Global Pandemic. . . . .11 Institutionalized Racism 12 Right Place and Right Time: The Opportunities Ahead. . . . .13 References 14 About the Authors 16 About NILOA 17 Please Cite As: Busby, A. K., & Aaron, R. W. (2021, April) . Advances, contributions, obstacles, and opportunities in student affairs assessment (Occasional Paper No. 53). Urbana, IL: University of Illinois and Indiana University, National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA). NILOA Mission The National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA), established in 2008, is a research and resourcedevelopment organization dedicated to documenting, advocating, and facilitating the systematic use of learning outcomes assessment to improve student learning. National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment | 2 Abstract Just over ten years ago, John Schuh and Ann Gansemer-Topf authored NILOA Occasional Paper \#7, The Role of Student Affairs in Student Learning Assessment (2010) . The authors identified contributions and challenges for student affairs assessment and called on student affairs professionals not only to develop meaningful programs and services, but also to verify that those experiences add “value to the student experience at the institution” (p. 6). A decade has passed since student affairs professionals were called to demonstrate student learning through their initiatives and some questions come to mind. How did student affairs professionals respond to this challenge? How did they implement their assessment efforts over the past ten years? Moving forward from 2020, how will student affairs professionals respond to the challenges now facing higher education including challenges induced and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and calls to address institutionalized racism? In this paper, we examine some of the advances student affairs assessment professionals have made to student learning, the contributions they made to the field of assessment, the obstacles they overcame, and the opportunities that lie ahead. National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment | 3 Advances, Contributions, Obstacles, and Opportunities in Student Affairs Assessment A. Katherine Busby & Robert W. Aaron Just over ten years ago, John Schuh and Ann Gansemer-Topf authored NILOA Occasional Paper \#7, The Role of Student Affairs in Student Learning Assessment (2010) . The authors identified contributions and challenges for student affairs assessment and called on student affairs professionals not only to develop meaningful programs and services, but also to verify that those experiences add “value to the student experience at the institution” (p. 6) . Schuh and Gansemer-Topf (2010) recommended that student affairs professionals link the student affairs mission to the broader institutional mission and related strategic initiatives to demonstrate student learning, form partnerships with faculty and academic administrators, and share their expertise in the areas of student learning and development with campus partners. The authors recognized the importance of practical matters and acknowledged that leaders

FAQs

What prompted student affairs professionals to focus on student learning assessment?

The paper references a prior NILOA occasional paper (No. 7) that urged student affairs to develop programs and services and verify that they add value to the student experience by demonstrating student learning.

How do student affairs professionals advance assessment work in partnership with academic affairs?

It highlights linking student affairs mission to broader institutional mission, forming partnerships with faculty and academic administrators, and sharing expertise in student learning and development to capture learning across curricular and co-curricular experiences.

What challenges and opportunities does the paper emphasize for the future?

It discusses advances and obstacles alongside opportunities ahead, noting challenges amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic and calls to address institutionalized racism.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Alex Sinclair