Bringing Culturally Responsive Approaches to Your Residence Life Assessment (Part 4)

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. In Part 1, an introduction to culturally responsive evaluation and working through step 1 and step 2 of the CRE framework was shared. In Part 2, we worked through step 3, step 4, and step 5 of the CRE framework with our case study focused around the design process. In Part 3, we worked through step 6 and step 7 focused on creating instruments and collecting data. In this final part of the series, we will work through step 8 and step 9 where we will make meaning of our data through analysis and by disseminating and using the results. As a reminder, below is the most often conceptualization of CRE which showcases that cultural competence is centered in every step of the assessment process:

Culturally Responsive Evaluation by Hood, Hopson, and Kirkhart (2015)

How To Apply CRE 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 8 – Analyze the Data

During and after data is collected, analysis can occur. We must recognize that the data itself does not tell a story, but instead the voice given to it by the data interpreter does. This is to say that our own bias and ways of knowing are likely to sneak into our data analysis, from the analysis we decide to perform and how we interpret it within quantitative designs to the themes we highlight in qualitative designs; whether we realize it or not. That is why it is crucial to understand the cultural context we are interpreting data within, cultural context allows us to more accurately interpret the data we have. Often, this means bringing in a cultural interpreter to highlight nuanced meanings that may otherwise be overlooked. For our STEM LLC, I wonder how generational differences may impact specific feedback from fully being understood. I would recommend bringing the STEM LLC Resident Advisor or another student leader in as a cultural interpreter into the data analysis process. Oftentimes, cultural interpreters are also stakeholders that were identified earlier on in the process (meaning they likely have already been exposed to this project already). Beyond cultural interpreters, stakeholders as a whole can assist in the interpretation process by providing alternate explanations of findings or confirming findings. As data is being analyzed, questions to consider include:

How should we disaggregate (or split up) data to make meaning? Are there specific demographics that we want to split up by to see if the experience is similar across the board?
What can outliers from this data tell us about the complexities of the student experience?
What patterns are surfacing around the intended outcomes of the STEM LLC?
What were unintended outcomes that have surfaces from the STEM LLC? Are these positive or potentially causing harm?
How can we use this data to prevent harm and expand the understanding of the STEM LLC benefits?

Step 9 – Disseminate and Use the Results

The last aspect of the CRE framework is to close loops by sharing results, this stage is set to be one that can move the needle for positive change. Before wider dissemination, inviting STEM LLC participants to review and comment on the findings is considered best practice. This could take multiple formats, including sharing a preliminary report or doing a presentation, which is why it is important to consider your cultural context and decide on a sharing process that makes sense within your context and is respectful of your community

Given that the STEM LLC lives on campus, could it make sense to do a presentation at a hall council meeting or during a class period? I would encourage you to do it in a space where you know people will be present and to also follow up digitally if possible, since sometimes students are working or have other commitments that make it near impossible for them to be present. I would also encourage you to consider if there are specific subsets of the population that you want to share this with in a closed-door session. For example, you may have noticed in your data analysis that your engineering students were having a drastically different experience from their peers in the STEM LLC, so it might be helpful to share your findings to that subset of students in advance of any larger group meetings and to receive their feedback. The knowledge gained in the assessment needs to be constructively communicated to vast and ranging groups of individuals interested in the findings of the assessment, so it may mean creating multiple formats and procedures for sharing results to meet the needs of specific audiences. To complete your reporting phase, questions to answer include:

Who should have preliminary results and what is the best way to communicate with them?
Are there specific subsets of the STEM LLC we should meet with and where can we find them?
Who is best fit to present results and findings? Does this differ based on the population we are presenting to?
How will we know that the results are no longer preliminary? When have we reached finality?
What continued questions does this assessment raise?

As noted above, this phase is also meant to raise possible new evaluation questions to kick the cycle off again. Probing for additional questions while sharing preliminary results is something I would advocate for you to do as your CRE consultant.

Wrapping Up

As we can see, the integration of the CRE framework into Student Affairs assessment provides a transformative approach to addressing the evolving needs of diverse student populations and the cultural context of our own specific campus. The CRE framework, with its nine-step process, ensures a holistic and culturally competent approach to Student Affairs assessment that is necessary as we continue to see increased diverse student populations. Recognizing oneself as an instrument in the assessment process and being collaborative with stakeholders throughout the assessment process is crucial for the success of the CRE framework. From preparing for the evaluation by delving into the history and context of the institution to disseminating findings, engaging stakeholders is crucial to performing CRE based evaluation. The incorporation of the CRE framework in Student Affairs assessment not only aligns with the principles of cultural competence, but also fosters an inclusive and equitable approach to student development. The CRE framework encourages continuous reflection, engagement with diverse perspectives, and a commitment to addressing systemic issues, ultimately contributing to the creation of a more just and supportive educational environment.