7. Conclusion. The first year of college as the foundation for the entire college experience -- 2. Factors influencing assessment in higher education -- Competition for scarce resources -- Rising costs versus relative value -- A call for evidence of quality -- External demands -- Student satisfaction -- Shifting demographics -- The case for assessment of the first college year -- Data gathered in first-year assessment -- 3. General guidelines for effective assessment -- The foundation for assessment of the first college year -- Implication of the AAHE's nine principles for first-year assessment -- Developing a profile of the first-year experience : five guiding indicators -- Common problems, pitfalls, and barriers in assessment -- Three levels of implementation of assessment -- Methods and strategies for assessment -- A cycle of intentionality -- Stakeholder "buy-in" for institutional research and assessment -- Focus as much on "what students do" as "who they are" -- 4. Desired first-year assessment outcomes -- Increasing retention and graduation rates -- Building an effective curriculum and co-curriculum -- Enhanced student engagement and involvement -- A typology of assessment questions for the first college year -- The I-E-O model of assessment -- Benchmarking and assessment -- Selected target areas for assessment in the first college year -- Orientation -- Residence life -- Academic support services, bridge programs, skills centers -- First-year seminars -- Service learning in the first year -- 5. Methods and resources for first-year assessment -- Quantitative assessment -- Pre-enrollment/baseline data -- Placement and academic knowledge tests -- Admissions tests and research services -- End-of-first-year surveys -- Surveys of student behavior, attitudes, skills, satisfaction, and experiences -- Surveys of specific services/units/programs -- Surveys of specific populations -- What to consider when selecting quantitative instruments -- Evaluation of instruments : questions to ask -- Qualitative assessment methods and tools -- Evaluation of qualitative methods : questions to ask -- Resources for first-year assessment : research centers and other organizations -- 6. Using assessment results to promote change -- Persuasive packaging, presentation, and dissemination of assessment results -- Post hoc analysis : debriefing the assessment process on campus -- Common reactions to the assessment process -- 7. Conclusion.
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