Changing Advising Through Assessment

Abstract

By asking assessment questions that have direct policy implications, a committee of Harvard advisors, faculty members, and administrators was able to implement specific and concrete on-campus advising initiatives. Only modest amounts of data were collected to effect meaningful changes in student behavior, course design, and assignments. Interviews conducted by undergraduates decreased faculty workload and increased student investment in the findings. Although the outcomes are university specific, the collaborations and processes by which they were generated can be used to guide assessment efforts at any type of postsecondary institution.