Mission

To support assessment efforts in the Division of Student Affairs through coordination, leadership, and education as each department participates in evidence-based continuous improvement of programs and services to promote student learning and development opportunities. Testing services will be provided at the highest level of professionalism through high quality customer service in an environment which is conducive to student success.

Vision Statement

The vision of Assessment and Testing Services in the Division of Student Affairs is to values assessment and evaluation and to use the results to inform strategic decision-making for continuous improvement.

Goals

• To be a Division of Student Affairs which values continuous improvement and evidence-based decision-making
• To provide a system of assessment services that effectively meets the needs of constituents in the DSA, participating in local and national testing, benchmarking and continuous improvement activities
• To have a successful, professional, staff with a commitment to excellence, providing services at the highest level of professionalism and using planning and assessment to improve effectiveness throughout the DSA
• To continue to comply with testing procedures set forth by Educational Testing Services and other testing clients as well as maintaining the standards of the National College Testing Association.
• To develop a plan for growth of services offered to the campus community, including computer and internet-based testing and new tests offered to incoming freshmen students, graduate students and others
• To increase student and prospective student usage of testing services offered on campus through ATS.

Major Programs and Service Areas

Assessment Services
Assessment services provides coordination, leadership, and education for assessment of programs and services in the Division of Student Affairs. Coordinates participation of campus and national surveys and utilizes national benchmarking data for evaluation.

Testing Services
National standardized exams to facilitate students in pursuit of their educational and professional goals are administered. These exams are provided in an environment that is conducive for testing and which provides information for faculty and staff to assist students to reach the next level of academic success.

2005-2006 Highlights

• Merging of the Office of Assessment and the Testing Services Center to create Assessment and Testing Services
• Administered more than 1,675 computer-based exams
• Assessment consultants from Texas A&M University worked with the individual departments in the Division of Student Affairs to work toward development and implementation of departmental assessment projects
• Implementation of the freshmen orientation survey, College Student Expectations Questionnaire, (CSXQ), to assess new students' goals and motivations which has been used to assess how we are meeting students' expectations as they begin their academic career at MSU