Other Posts in This Series: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Within Student Affairs, assessment is often an expectation of everyone’s work. Whether you are someone in an entry level role or have been around the block for 20 academic years, assessment likely comes up. I believe it is critical within our assessment efforts that we center humanizing values and perspectives. I believe that applying the Culturally Responsive Evaluation (CRE) framework to Student Affairs assessment is the best next step in using humanizing values and perspectives to reimagine assessment. Through this series, we will explore what the CRE framework is and how Student Affairs practitioners can apply the CRE framework to their assessment through a case example. This specific blog will introduce culturally responsive evaluation, go over our case study, and work through step 1 and step 2 of the CRE framework.

What is Culturally Responsive Evaluation?

The specific theoretical framework of CRE has been continually defined and developed within the field of program evaluation and measurement over the past three decades which can easily be shifted to be applied to Student Affairs assessment. CRE is a framework that holistically guides assessment planning, execution, meaning making, and reporting through recognizing and validating multiple ways of knowing. CRE is a unique theoretical approach to evaluation and measurement work that branches off from critical race theory, Indigenous frameworks, and collaborative evaluation. Coming out of the writings of Hood, Hopson, and Kirkhart (2015) the most often conceptualization of CRE is shown below:

Culturally Responsive Evaluation - Part 1 — Culturally Responsive Evaluation by Hood, Hopson, and Kirkhart (2015)

As we can see in the figure, the CRE framework is made up of nine steps. First, we prepare for the evaluation. We then engage stakeholders and move forward by identifying the evaluation purpose or purposes. Once we know the evaluation purpose, we can frame the right questions for the evaluation and design the evaluation. We then can select and adapt our instruments before we start collecting data, followed by analyzing the data. Finally, we will disseminate and use the results of the evaluation; which will kick-off a new evaluation process coming back to preparing for the next evaluation. Throughout this entire process, cultural competence is centered in every step.

How To Apply CRE to Student Affairs Assessment

Now that we know about the CRE framework and its components, let’s see how it can be applied to Student Affairs assessment. For this section, we will use the following case study created by ChatGPT. For the sake of this case example, let’s assume that you are a member of the Harmony University Housing team and have been involved for the entire history of the STEM Living and Learning Community. I am coming in as your CRE consultant and will be sharing information and posing important questions to consider within each step based on what has already been shared in the case study.

In the heart of a bustling urban campus, Harmony University prides itself on fostering a vibrant and inclusive community. The Residence Life department plays a pivotal role in shaping this community by providing students with a supportive living environment. However, recent changes in the university’s programming prompted the Residence Life team to initiate a comprehensive assessment of the Living Learning Communities (LLCs) within the residential halls.

As part of an innovative initiative, the university introduced specialized LLCs tailored to students pursuing STEM disciplines seven years ago. Recognizing the unique needs and challenges faced by students in these fields, the Residence Life team sought to evaluate the effectiveness of the STEM-focused LLCs. The decision to conduct an assessment arose from the desire to ensure that these communities not only met the academic needs of residents but also contributed positively to their overall college experience.

Feedback from students offered valuable insights into the impact of the STEM LLCs. One student remarked, “Being part of the STEM LLC has been a game-changer for me. The collaborative atmosphere and access to academic resources have greatly enhanced my learning.” Conversely, another student expressed concerns, stating, “While the focus on academics is commendable, the social aspect feels a bit lacking. It would be great to have more events that foster a sense of community outside the classroom.” These perspectives underscored the importance of a nuanced assessment to refine and tailor the STEM LLC program to better meet the holistic needs of its residents.

Step 1 – Prepare for the Evaluation

This phase of the CRE framework is focused on context setting, which includes highlighting the history of a specific location, program, and participants. Given that you are an internal member of the Harmony University Housing department who have been involved with the LLC from the beginning, this step will heavily mirror an archeological dig from the Curricular Approach. Some important questions to answer during this phase of your evaluation include:

What are the stories of this community and its people, and who is telling them?
How does one respectfully enter this community?
What dimensions of diversity are most salient within this community and how is power distributed, both formally and informally?
What relationships are valued or privileged and what relationships are discouraged or forbidden?

After we have answered these questions, we are primed to decide who will make up an appropriate assessment team for this project. Consider your own strengths, lived experiences, and knowledge gaps when building your assessment team.

Step 2 – Engage Stakeholders

After your assessment team has been built, it is time to identify and engage stakeholders for this evaluation. This group may include current LLC members, past graduates who participated in the LLC, past graduates who never participated in the LLC, past and present partners and faculty of the LLC, and leadership in Housing who oversee the LLC series. The roles and activities for your stakeholders should be collaboratively built, however having a set of general expectations for stakeholders and their roles in this process would be beneficial when both recruiting and starting engagement. Some examples of how stakeholders can assist in evaluation efforts include:

Educate evaluators on important history and background.
Help define the parameters of what is to be evaluated.
Identify priority questions to be addressed by the evaluation.
Serve as sources of information and offer advice on other sources of evidence.
Share strategies of information-gathering appropriate to context.
Aid in the interpretation of data and the skillful, clear communication of findings.
Specific roles your stakeholder could hold include: instrument developers, data collectors, data analyzers, data interpreters, and data reporters.

It is worth noting that your role in stakeholder engagement is to cultivate trust and respect. Not just between stakeholders, but also with you.

Wrapping Up

Whew, there we are and we are just getting started! Make sure to stop back next month where we will continue building out this case example by deciding on the purpose of the assessment and also the design of the assessment through the Culturally Responsive Evaluation framework.