CAS SELF-ASSESSMENT: LGBTQ+ PROGRAMS AND SERVICES 1

CAS Self-Assessment: LGBTQ+ Programs and Services

Jesus Delgadillo, Juan Lopez, Irania Rodriguez, Cheyanna Vang

Kremen School of Education and Human Development, California State University, Fresno

HEAL 226: Assessment in Higher Education

Dr. Ray Ramirez

December 17, 2021

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CAS Self-Assessment: LGBTQ+ Programs and Services

Assessment helps guide the practice of higher education. It is a form of accountability to

determine how the goals of the programs, services, or the university are effectively using

resources entrusted to them. Educators can use the information collected from the assessment to

gain perspectives on the strengths and deficiencies of their programs and services. The

assessment process would help with planning and improving the program. Furthermore,

assessment is a continual and ongoing process that helps guide practice and improves student

learning. In our functional area, we have utilized the Council for the Advancement of Standards

in Higher Education (CAS) Self-Assessment Guide (SAG) (2019) to help lead us in assessing

our functional area.

Since the late 1960s and early 1970s, centers have emerged to support the needs of

lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer+ (LGBTQ+) students through services, programs,

and resources (Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education, 2019). LGBTQ+

is the standard language on campuses to describe individuals who exist within various spaces

within sexual, romantic, and gender spectrums. At the institution of California State University,

Fresno (Fresno State), the university supports the LGBTQ+ students through the Cross-Cultural

and Gender Center (CCGC) that embodies the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender,

Queer/Questioning + Programs and Services. The assessment team decided to assess the

LGBTQ+ Programs and Services at Fresno State since we are students at the university. In

addition, the Program Coordinator is a former Higher Education Administration and Leadership

(HEAL) alumnus, so we felt as if he could provide us with information and insight for this
CAS SELF-ASSESSMENT: LGBTQ+ PROGRAMS AND SERVICES 3

assignment. With our functional area in mind, the following sections will cover the program’s

mission, vision statement, purpose, and sources of inquiry used to inform this paper.

Mission

Program-mission statements are essential in assessment because they drive why the

program is doing what it is doing. It also distinguishes the program and service from other

university programs and services. The program-level mission statement should be consistent with

the university's principles and mission. In addition, the program's mission should support the

institution's overall goals and commitments to the community the program serves. Our mission

statement can be found on the Fresno State CCGC website under the subsection “About Us.” The

public accessibility of the mission statement provides all members of the community with an

opportunity to determine who is being served through the program, what their commitments are,

and how they can support individuals' overall academic enrichment.

Our primary focus was to assess the functional area of the LGBTQ+ Programs and

Services at Fresno State using the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher

Education (CAS) Self-Assessment Guide for LGBTQ+ programs and services. The mission is as

follows:

LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning+) programs and

services is committed to increasing visibility and awareness of the broad spectrum of

identities represented by LGBTQ+. Through activism, education, and community

building, we encourage others to recognize the oppression that LGBTQ+ individuals face

as a result of heterosexism and homophobia (Fresno State, 2021d.).

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The mission statement is specific to the cause of wanting to ensure people of the LGBTQ+

community learn two things. First, to encourage them to raise their voices, and second to bring

awareness to the group’s oppression and marginalization. The mission statement also aims to

provide education to other campus community members who wish to learn more.

The internal stakeholders who are students, faculty, staff, and administrators on campus

may interpret the mission statement as a clear statement for calling out injustices towards

LGBTQ+ identifying students. Injustices such as discrimination, targeted violence, and hate

speech are used towards the LGBTQ+ community. In addition, the last sentence of the statement

brings forward the terms heterosexism and homophobia. Acknowledging these terms can bring

attention to the campus community that the institution is a space where inequity can still occur

for LGBTQ+ students. Having this in the mission statement can also allow internal stakeholders

who need support a welcoming opportunity to seek resources through the center.

For external stakeholders who are outside community members, alumni, and donors may

interpret the mission statement as support for those interested in the opportunity to engage, learn

and advocate for the LGBTQ+ community on campus. The last sentence lets external

stakeholders and audiences know that the center supports its students through education,

advocacy, and community. Once stakeholders further explore the website, they can see how the

center provides programs and services consistent with the program-level mission statement.

The program-level mission statement aligns with the CAS Standards for a few reasons.

One is because it promotes the academic and personal growth of all LGBTQ+ students. The

mission statement emphasizes increasing visibility and awareness of the LGBTQ+ student

population. Through this commitment, academic and personal growth is cultivated by individuals
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seeking LGBTQ+ information and resources. This section also aligns with the program offering

to educate campus and community members about sexual orientation, gender identity, and

expression.

Furthermore, the program's mission statement builds and maintains campus LGBTQ+

communities as part of its listed commitments is to build community. Lastly, the mission

statement encompasses pieces of the CCGC mission statement (Fresno State, 2021a.). This

statement directly reflects the department's collaborative efforts to engage with the program and

services under CCGC. Although the mission statement provides some alignment, more could be

done to inform internal and external groups of the program and services that Fresno State offers.

The mission statement fails to inform us of the origins of the program’s initiatives. It also does

not provide the historical context and whether it is updated consistently to reflect contemporary

student needs.

Vision

A vision statement is important because it helps guide the direction of what the program

seeks to achieve. It can help drive the program’s short- and long-term plans while also

establishing consistency among decisions made for the program. When encountered with tough

decisions, the vision statement can guide the direction to what the organization tends to achieve.

With that being said, it is important to consider vision statements in assessment to obtain a

deeper understanding of what the program uses to help guide the organization. Additionally,

vision statements seem to be inspirational to the program and serve as a reminder of what the

program wants to achieve in the future.

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According to the LGBTQ+ Program website, the vision statement is as follows, “We seek

to raise awareness of social misconceptions of sexuality/gender and create a safe space that

allows self-exploration for all LGBTQ+ individuals (Fresno State, 2021d).” This vision

statement seems to be informed by the mission statement. It closely calls attention to bringing

awareness to the Fresno State community to create a space where all LGBTQ+ individuals on

campus feel like they can be themselves and feel safe. The mission statement, as mentioned

earlier, has an emphasis on bringing awareness, and the vision statement reiterates that point. The

program-level vision aligns with the CAS Standards as it continues to promote student learning

and development for the greater community and, more specifically, for LGBTQ+ individuals.

For both internal and external stakeholders, the vision statement is straightforward in

what it seeks to accomplish. As an internal stakeholder who is a student, they may interpret the

vision statement as the center of guidance through exploring their own identity. It is welcoming

to students and inclusive of all individuals at the Fresno State campus seeking support in

exploring their identity around LGBTQ+. On the other hand, for external stakeholders, the vision

statement is a bit general. As donors, we would assume they want to know how the program’s

vision statement is measurable and supported. As helping students explore their identity can be a

long process, the investment of time and effort may be difficult to capture all within one

academic year. Nonetheless, the vision statement does well in capturing the program's form of

the direction they aim to accomplish.

Purpose

The functional area LGBTQ+ Program and Services aims to promote education and

provide a space for self-exploration while dismantling the systematic and structural forms of
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oppression built throughout history and maintained over time. Throughout the history of the

LGBTQ+ communities in higher education, students have experienced overt and covert

discrimination (Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education, 2019). These

forms of discrimination have kept students from fully exploring their LGBTQ+ identity. In

addition, in higher education spaces, LGBTQ+ students have continued to experience covert

discrimination in the form of microaggressions which, very much like overt discrimination, can

create hostile environments. LGBTQ+ Programs and Services are needed because they continue

to create spaces where students have an open, safe, and inclusive community to support their

growth and development.

The mission and vision at Fresno State adequately align with the functional area's

purpose as it brings attention to recognizing oppression and social misconceptions in sexuality

and gender. The mission, vision, purpose statement gives the reader an understanding that the

program considers other intersectional identities that can help support the student. As the CAS

Standards stated, identities embedded with race have unique terms to recognize experiences

differing from the White LGBTQ+ communities. Fresno State does not explicitly display the

language but inclusively attempts by using all statements, leaving it up for interpretation. The

LGBTQ+ Programs and Services is intentional with programming and community services to

support LGBTQ+ students, staff, faculty, alumni, and community members. Still, it furthers to

educate non-LGBTQ+ members who seek to learn or become allies.

Those intended to benefit most from the LGBTQ+ Programs and Services at Fresno State

are the LGBTQ+ community on campus, as programs and resources are created to support them.

Assessing the workshops and services provided, it does have a welcoming feeling to all age
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groups. For the most part, the services offered explicitly state that it is open to students, staff,

faculty, and community members. Inclusive of all ages can provide a rich dynamic of learning

and sharing knowledge among various ages.

Based on the workshops listed on the LGBTQ+ Program and Services page, the “Past

Events” section has listed all workshops since the center opened (Fresno State, 2021e). Some

workshops and events were brought back yearly, and others were done once. Various

assumptions arose from the assessment team regarding what could have determined some events

not being brought back. Nonetheless, no information was found on why specific topics have not

been resurfaced. Interestingly enough, this list captures what type of content they deliver. The

Program Coordinator and staff developed workshops that varied among weekly discussion

groups, social activities, student panels, and certificate opportunities.

Sources for inquiry in a list

We began by collecting information from Fresno State’s LGBTQ+ Program and Services

website for our sources of inquiry. As a result, we obtained most of our information, including

the mission, vision, purpose statement, staff information, and past and current workshops, from

the program website. Additionally, we were able to find most of the information through the

website as it was mostly up to date with upcoming events. As we continued, we also referred to

Fresno State’s Cross-Cultural and Gender Center social media platforms to look at LGBTQ+

event marketing. We specifically focused our attention on Instagram but noticed they also have

Facebook and Twitter.

Furthermore, we collected deeper information through our interview with Estevan Parra,

the Program Coordinator (see Appendix for interview questions). It was a bit more challenging
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as he does not directly work on the assessment for the program as the Cross-Cultural and Gender

Center does it for all the programs. Lastly, we used the Cross-Cultural Gender Center website to

understand the overall center's mission and the program outcomes. Below are listed the sources

of inquiry we relied on:

● Fresno State Cross-Cultural and Gender Center Website (Fresno State, 2021a)

● Fresno State LGBTQ+ Programs and Services Website (Fresno State, 2021b)

● Fresno State LGBTQ+ Programs and Services Past Events Website (Fresno State, 2021e)

● Interview with Program Coordinator Estevan Parra (personal communication, October 7,

2021)

● @fresnostateccgc (Cross-Cultural Gender Center, 2021)

Summary

The introduction, mission, vision, purpose, and sources for inquiry sections showed how

Fresno State's LGBTQ+ Programs and Services are transparent with the direction they want to

see the program go. Throughout the mission, vision, and purpose, they emphasize how they want

to bring awareness and attention to the oppressions that have silenced LGBTQ+ communities.

Throughout reviewing these sections, we noticed the inclusivity of ensuring all individuals were

encouraged to learn, be advocates, and build community with LGBTQ+ individuals.

The LGBTQ+ Programs and Services does a phenomenal job at ensuring that all of the

information is public, updated, and accessible to interested parties through the program’s

website. Nonetheless, a few suggestions were made for the program to take more measurable

components into the vision statement. The following section in this report will cover the

program’s learning goals and learning outcomes.

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Learning Goals and Learning Outcomes

It is important for them to record the learning goals and learning outcomes from students

who participate in the LGBTQ+ Programs and Services at Fresno State. Assessments in higher

education are essential to receive feedback and evaluate what is working and what is not. The

following two sections will go over the intended learning outcomes and suggestions on the

outcomes that should be assessed. On the program website, there are no defined learning

outcomes that the program hopes to achieve. The program website seems a bit sparse in relation

to the actual goals and purpose of the program.

The website has different tabs for on-campus and community resources that LGBTQ+

students can use, an event calendar, and staff introductions. There is a definite need for the

program outcomes to be well-defined and shown on the website. This way, internal and external

shareholders can see that the program’s outcomes are being reached. The LGBTQ+ Programs

and Services under the CCGC does mention in their “About Us” section on the website that their

aim is to promote “education as well as space for self-exploration about all sexes, genders, and

sexualities and their intersections with other identities through intentional programming and

community-specific services” (Fresno State, 2021c).

Program Learning Outcomes

As mentioned by the Program Coordinator, there are a variety of methods that he and the

staff see about how the students are meeting the learning outcomes. The program measures

learned outcomes by talking to the students that participate in events sponsored through the

center. Estevan, the Program Coordinator of the LGBTQ+ and Gender Programs and Services,

mentions that he measures learning outcomes by speaking directly to the students. He does
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informal surveys with students by asking them what they think about the events and services

being offered.

Estevan likes to gather feedback from students by listening to them and getting input on

what needs to be improved. The feedback is then used to modify the programming that the center

offers. This feedback is also used to create program proposals to internal campus stakeholders on

the new events or programming that Estevan hopes to provide during the given semester. Estevan

mentions that the learning outcomes must align with an assessment questionnaire to measure the

outcomes.

Additional Outcomes to Include

There are a few additional outcomes that the assessment team would like to see included

in reviewing the program. First, we would like to see more transparency on student satisfaction

with the program. We would like to have these outcomes measured to know how the students are

utilizing the provided resources and whether students are content with what is being offered.

Secondly, we would like to make sure that a measured outcome includes students’ sense of

well-being and safety while participating in center programming and events. It is important to

measure this outcome because LGBTQ+ students face discrimination and prejudice at higher

rates than other marginalized groups. The LGBTQ+ Programs and Services is a safe space, and it

would be recommended to see if the students feel comfortable and secure.

Summary

The learning goals and outcomes sections showed a need for more transparency in the

program's expected learned outcomes. The program's learning outcomes and goals should also be

clearly defined, so the students know what is expected of them during their participation. The
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Program Coordinator talks to the participating students and gathers feedback on how the events

went, but there needs to be more. Finally, there are suggestions for the Program Coordinator to

assess students’ feelings of safety and well-being. The following section in this report illustrates

the types of evidence that the program collects as means for assessment.

Assessment Methods and Processes

This program collects evidence from all events they host besides discussion sessions.

They collect evidence and data through surveys via Qualtrics. Before leaving, attendees are

given the link or are asked to scan a QR code which will direct them to the link, to submit their

responses to the survey prior to exiting the event. These are some ways the LGBTQ+ Programs

and Services at Fresno State’s CCGC collects evidence and data from attendees.

Evidence Collected by the Program

Evidence and data are collected from all workshops and events they host, aside from

discussion groups. The only data collected from discussion groups are attendees’ emails and

names (via swiping their ID card) to collect the number of attendees who participated in that

discussion session. It is important to note that the questions on each survey may be slightly

modified per event.

This program collects their evidence and data through surveys and listening to students

and their inputs for recommendations to improve. The data collected are both quantitative and

qualitative. Quantitative in the sense that the surveys for workshops include 5 questions: 3

multiple choice (5-point Likert scale consisting of “Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree,

Strongly Agree”) and 2 open-ended questions. It is also qualitative in the sense that they gather
CAS SELF-ASSESSMENT: LGBTQ+ PROGRAMS AND SERVICES 13

information from communicating with students. By listening to students, they can hear what

students may want from this functional area of service.

However, this is considered convenience sampling, and at times cannot be representative

of other students’ voices for improvement. While they collect data, it is very difficult for them to

thoroughly evaluate it and identify areas of improvement. It seems that they have not been able

to properly close the loop in their assessment process, an extremely important step. While Part 4

of the CAS SAG for LGBTQ+ Programs and Services (2019) mentions developing and

implementing an assessment plan.

However, from the information gathered from the Program Coordinator, there is no

particular assessment plan developed. Gathering evidence is what’s mostly done in this

functional area at Fresno State. The limited staff and human power needed to fully devote time to

assessment make it difficult to review and interpret the findings unless they receive an

immediate, human interaction response (such as speaking to students face-to-face). Prior to the

COVID-19 pandemic, the assessment was done with paper and pen. Towards the end of each

event or workshop, attendees would be given time to fill out a survey questionnaire to indicate

what they have learned. Now, if the workshop is conducted in-person, attendees will scan a QR

code using their mobile device, directly linking them to the questionnaire to fill out and submit.

A bit.ly link would be dropped in the chat if the workshop is conducted via Zoom for attendees

to fill out.

One additional step the Coordinator does is email folks who have RSVP’d to the event

the link to complete the assessment. This allows participants to complete the questionnaire at

their own convenience. Furthermore, Google Forms was their primary method of collecting data.
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However, due to FERPA, privacy, and security issues of maintaining student information, they

have moved to utilize Qualtrics.

According to Henning and Roberts (2016), direct measures, or direct assessment, is when

the students’ actual demonstration of knowledge or skill is being measured, typically by the

facilitator/presenter. Alternatively, indirect measures, or indirect assessment, is when the

participant (student) self-reports their own measure of learning, knowledge, or skills based on a

questionnaire given to them (Henning & Roberts, 2016). Direct assessment is known to be a

stronger measure than indirect assessment (Henning & Roberts, 2016). It appears that there are

more indirect measures than direct measures of assessment for the LGBTQ+ Programs and

Services at Fresno State’s CCGC because students are responding to a questionnaire indicating

what, or how much, they have learned from the workshop or presentation.

Additional Assessment Methods for the Program to Consider

When it comes to the LGBTQ+ programs provided by Fresno State's CCGC, the primary

form of assessment is surveys. There is plenty of room for growth given what is currently being

implemented in the assessment. Though that has been successful and useful, it is important to

consider applying other assessment methods. Keep in mind that even though surveys can be a

valuable data collection method, they can be overused (Henning & Roberts, 2016). As student

affairs professionals, one will need to implement a wider variety of assessment methods to have

a more in-depth understanding of the data we are collecting and keep in mind that certain

methods do vary in resources needed, purposes, and complexity.

One recommended direct assessment measure is using an experimental design of doing a

pretest/posttest. Using this measure can validate the impact of programs and initiatives to
CAS SELF-ASSESSMENT: LGBTQ+ PROGRAMS AND SERVICES 15

discover cause and effect relationships between variables (Henning & Roberts, 2016). With the

pretest being given first, this will allow those conducting the assessment to understand where

people stand before participating in any program. Next, a posttest will be given to collect

evidence and analyze if there was any difference in their responses, behaviors, or attitudes

(Henning & Roberts, 2016).

With this direct measure, the program will see if the learning outcomes are met by seeing

the difference in responses when comparing the pretest to the posttest. The program has

continued using technology; they would be able to collect this information online using software

even to have things hand-written and then scanned online. Knowing that the current assessment

method being used is more indirect, it is crucial to be flexible and try and incorporate a direct

assessment measure.

An indirect measure that Fresno State’s CCGC can consider implementing for LGBTQ+

programs is that of having a semi-structured interview. With the semi-structured interview, a

question will be provided but then will branch out to other questions to provide further and

deeper information (Henning & Roberts, 2016). With this process, one will indeed get a more

profound knowledge of the students and their thoughts about their knowledge and skills.

Questions can also be tied in with mentioning the mission and vision and seeing if the programs

are meeting them or improving them. A question will be asked to the students, but it will then

branch out to other questions to provide more in-depth information. The questions would be

measuring levels such as sense of belonging, matter, and validation. Once the results are obtained

will they be able to tie the questions and results to the program level mission and vision as it is
CAS SELF-ASSESSMENT: LGBTQ+ PROGRAMS AND SERVICES 16

related to the outcomes of the program. Having these questions will bring to light much-needed

information to truly gain insight into the students and their needs and feelings.

Using data consisting of words, stories, or narratives of students will allow for a more

in-depth look to see if outcomes are achieved (Henning & Roberts, 2016). Being able to take the

responses and truly listen will result in being able to measure the students' knowledge and skills

by hearing and recording them to see if the students are content or not. Recording the interviews

and taking hand-written notes would be the best way to collect evidence for this assessment

method.

One measure that can be added to their current assessment they implement of the survey

is that of the “muddiest point.” Fresno State's CCGC currently has surveys with three

multiple-choice using the 5-point Likert scale and two open-ended questions. The addition of the

"muddiest point" will allow students to briefly identify on a card what they believe was most

confusing about a learning experience (Henning & Roberts, 2016). This assessment method will

allow for the results to be analyzed to understand exactly what information was confusing to the

students to be able to clarify that. Another measure that can also be used is that of a one-sentence

summary. Though it is short and condensed to one sentence, it develops and assesses critical

thinking and synthesis (Henning & Roberts, 2016). The results from using this method will

showcase how concisely and creatively students can summarize the information they received

from the programs.

Summary

The assessment methods and processes have shown that there is a limited amount of

methods currently being used. The LGBTQ+ Programs and Services at Fresno State's CCGC
CAS SELF-ASSESSMENT: LGBTQ+ PROGRAMS AND SERVICES 17

collects evidence and data via a Qualtrics survey after each event but does not close the loop

from the quantitative data. When receiving feedback in person, they do engage in closing the

loop, but a large amount of data is still being left out to consider in improving other events and

workshops they host. Incorporating other assessment methods will allow more data to be

collected in different ways. It will result in analyzing it more to ensure that with the programs,

students are growing their knowledge and skills. It is crucial for student affairs professionals to

have a wide variety of assessment methods to choose from as well as the properties and

resources to be able to implement them. We then shift towards analyzing and seeing if students

are meeting the program's outcomes and to what extent, followed by sharing results and

identifying the audiences and how the results are shared with them.

Shared Results among Program Audiences

As previously mentioned in our Learning Outcomes section, the assessment team could

not find any particular learning outcomes for the LGBTQ+ Program and Services at Fresno

State. Therefore, since there are no program learning outcomes, we recommend that the Program

Coordinator clearly identify some that would closely align with the program and university’s

mission statement. Nonetheless, the Program Coordinator creates individual learning outcomes

for each workshop or event they host.

Creating the workshop and event learning outcomes allowed us to see if they aligned with

the functional area’s mission statement. We were able to obtain from the Program Coordinator

the learning outcomes from the Transgender Day of Remembrance event. In analyzing the event

learning outcomes, we found that they did reflect the LGBTQ+ Program and Services mission

statement. Unfortunately, since data is typically collected and not analyzed, we were unable to
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obtain information about how student’s learning aligns with the Fresno States and the LGBTQ+

Program mission statement. Moving forward, we hope the Program Coordinator has program

outcomes that align closely with the mission statement and the audiences’ needs.

Students, staff, and faculty are the audiences of this program. So while there are not any

specific program learning outcomes, it is difficult to do a pretest/posttest design to see how the

program is doing as it continues to run. What we do know is that the Program Coordinator

conducts an annual report of some sort and then sends it to the Director of the CCGC. The

Program Coordinator does not know what goes on from there, so we do not know whom this

report goes to, although we can assume it goes to senior administration.

The LGBTQ+ Programs and Services could share data and results with students by

closing the loop on the data they gathered to show that their feedback is valuable and being put

into action. Any and all results should be shared with all key stakeholders, including the Program

Coordinator who works to bring these events to the students. Transparency is important to all

stakeholders and audiences involved to know what they can improve on to bring more awareness

and education to the campus community for LGBTQ+ Programs.

Sharing results with key stakeholders and your audience is very important to maintain

trust and transparency. Gathering and collecting data is very important. Analyzing and

interpreting the data takes time. Aligning your data back to the program and institution’s mission

and vision statement should drive you to fully conduct an assessment process by closing the

loop.

Summary, Analysis, Closing the Loop

As we look back at what was found, we acknowledge that the LGBTQ+ Programs and
CAS SELF-ASSESSMENT: LGBTQ+ PROGRAMS AND SERVICES 19

Services at Fresno State have a strong foundation of assessment and have the room and

capability for growth. By having a mission, purpose, and vision statement they can distinguish

the program from others on campus. These three statements are an essential part of the

assessment process as it presents valuable information that can lead to much-needed

improvements and growth for programs such as this one.

The data is collected using Qualtrics surveys, and the program uses quantitative and

qualitative methods and more indirect than direct measures. However, evidence is collected by

the program but no particular assessment plan is developed. There are areas that need to be

addressed because without closing the loop, the program just stops at collecting data, and nothing

is done with it. This leads to how this program can begin to start closing the loop and providing

recommendations that would benefit this functional area.

One of the key recommendations for this functional area is that of creating learning

outcomes for the program. There are none currently but there are some learning outcomes that

were created specifically for certain services and programs that are offered. When creating the

program learning outcomes they should be focused on being student-centered while also

reflecting the institution's values. With the LGBTQ+ programs and services here at Fresno State

already having a mission, vision, and purpose statement, they are able to connect those to

creating clear and concise learning outcomes.

At the moment, there is only one full-time staff member who works for the LGBTQ+

Programs and Services. One recommendation that we would like to offer is an increase in human

resources. There is a desperate need for additional staff to help the coordinator run the program

and conduct an assessment. Two full-time staff members would greatly improve the operations
CAS SELF-ASSESSMENT: LGBTQ+ PROGRAMS AND SERVICES 20

of the program. The additional support will be of benefit to the coordinator and students to

increase satisfaction in the program.

Another recommendation is to keep better track of how to assess and utilize the

assessment results to find ways to improve the programs provided. It is crucial that the results

must be analyzed and interpreted. If not, then there is no way of truly capturing if students,

faculty, or staff are truly engaging and meeting those learning outcomes. Sure, applying different

assessment methods would allow for a more in-depth understanding of the participants, but if the

results are not assessed then there is no way to be able to focus on areas they need to improve. It

would also be difficult to make the case of hiring more staff to stakeholders on how the programs

and services are actually making an impact.

The final and most important recommendation the authors decided to offer, is helping the

LGBTQ+ Programs and Services in using the assessment to improve the program services by

closing the loop. As Banta and Blaich (2010) state, speakers at assessment conferences, and

campus leaders all decry the fact that too few faculty are closing the loop—that is, studying

assessment findings to see what improvements might be suggested and taking the appropriate

steps to make them. It is easy to ask for data on how a program is doing or how an event went.

But it is harder to know what to actually do with the data once it is received.

Whether by lack of knowledge on how to apply the data or lack of time, often the

gathered data goes nowhere without use. This data would be beneficial in helping apply

assessments for what is necessary to improve on. Closing the loop can be simplified into three

easy steps. By taking assessments, program coordinators and directors, faculty, interested parties
CAS SELF-ASSESSMENT: LGBTQ+ PROGRAMS AND SERVICES 21

can evaluate what is being learned through the programs, and/or services provided. Measures of

assessment can help provide an understanding of intended learning outcomes for students.

In responding to the assessments taken, the LGBTQ+ Programs and Services can see

what areas of improvement are needed in order for the program to be more efficient and provide

better service to the students. The final step in closing the loop is improving with assessment.

The gathered data is not to be disregarded by the program and should be looked into to see what

needs are being requested, and how to better serve. This is the only way for programs to close the

loop. The LGBTQ+ Programs and Services will be better equipped to serve their students by

considering these recommendations.

CAS SELF-ASSESSMENT: LGBTQ+ PROGRAMS AND SERVICES 22

References

Banta, & Blaich, C. (2010). Closing the Assessment Loop. Change (New Rochelle, N.Y.), 43(1),

22–27. https://doi.org/10.1080/00091383.2011.538642

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CAS SELF-ASSESSMENT: LGBTQ+ PROGRAMS AND SERVICES 23

Appendix

Interview Questions

1. What are the key programs, services, and resources offered by LGBTQ+PS, and how do

you know if the services offered contribute to the student experience?

2. What are the most significant student learning, development, and success outcomes of

LGBTQ+PS?

3. What is the comprehensive assessment strategy for LGBTQ+PS?

4. How are tangible, measurable learning, development, success, and program outcomes

determined to ensure achievement of mission and goals?

5. How does LGBTQ+PS use assessment results to inform improvement? What changes,

adjustments, or improvements have been made as a result of assessment activities?

6. How does LGBTQ+PS support ongoing development of assessment competencies for

personnel?

7. How have LGBTQ+PS leaders empowered personnel and engaged stakeholders?

8. With which relevant individuals, campus offices, and external agencies must LGBTQ+PS

maintain effective relationships? Why are these relationships important, and how are they

mutually beneficial?

9. What are the crucial legal, policy and governance issues faced by LGBTQ+PS, and how

are they addressed?

10. How does the program collect the data? Google forms? Qualtrics? Something else?

11. Which events do you collect data for? All? Just some?

12. How is LGBTQ+PS intentional about space allocation and usage?