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�Contributing to Student Success: Conducting a Major Assessment Project Across Campus �

October 27, 2025

Dr. Ania Peczalska

University of Kentucky

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Ania Peczalska Introduction

  • Director of Institutional Effectiveness at University of Kentucky

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  • Prior Director of Student Affairs Assessment, Research, and Planning at University of North Carolina Wilmington
  • Over 10 years of assessment experience, including almost 4 years leading assessment efforts

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Audience Introduction

Position

Institution

Years of assessment work

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Learning Outcomes

Define

Participants will define student success and student affairs assessment

Understand

Participants will understand the relationship between student success and student affairs assessment 

Learn

Participants will learn the “collaborative assessment” framework

Apply

Participants will apply the “collaborative assessment” model through a survey case study

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Student Success Definition

Student success transcends student retention and graduation by including elements such as well-being, sense of belonging, career development, and academic, social, and career self-efficacy. The goal is to help students prepare for post-graduation success regardless of their path after graduation (Anderson & Betz, 2001; Betz & Hackett, 2006; Rendón & Muñoz, 2011).

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Student Affairs Assessment

  • Student affairs assessment measures the effectiveness of postsecondary student learning outcomes and programs and services outside the classroom (Finney & Horst, 2019; Henning & Roberts, 2016).

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  • Aligns with student success by measuring these student learning outcomes related to personal growth and career development

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Collaborative Assessment Model

Prepare

Assess

Evaluate

Share and Improve

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Fall 2024 Undergraduate Student Survey

  • Understand the University of North Carolina Wilmington main campus undergraduate student experience
  • Learn from students how to enhance their campus experience

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Prepare Questions�

  • What tasks need to be done at this stage?
  • Which campus partners could help with this survey?

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Prepare

April 2024 - September 2024

  • Created survey questions and dissemination ideas with my research team, divisional senior leadership, and select Student Government Association representatives
  • Went through IRB
  • Tested protocol questions with student workers
  • Collaborated with student affairs colleagues, military affairs, student organizations, first year seminar instructors, and others across campus

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Assess Questions

How can you get a variety of students to take a campus wide survey?

How can you increase survey response rates?

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Assess�

October – November 2024

  • Survey link through campus partners
  • Tabling and survey dissemination with student ambassadors
  • 5,000 random sample of students

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Evaluate Questions

  • How do you analyze a survey with Likert and open-ended questions and an individual response rate of over 1,700?

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Evaluate�

November 2024 – January 2025

  • Worked with my research team to answer research questions and find themes
  • Included survey student ambassadors for a debriefing session

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Share and Improve Questions

How do you share survey results with others across campus?

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Share and Improve�

January 2025 - April 2025

  • Created an executive summary and comprehensive report that could be shared across campus
  • Presented to various stakeholders across campus
  • Received feedback about student experience and how to improve future studies

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Report Materials �

Executive Summary

Comprehensive Report

https://tinyurl.com/mrykzaud

https://tinyurl.com/2nt7yn6v

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Presentation Slides

https://tinyurl.com/3fujk3hr

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Questions?

Dr. Ania Peczalska

Director of Institutional Effectiveness

University of Kentucky

ania.peczalska@uky.edu

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References

Anderson, S. L., & Betz, N. E. (2001). Sources of social self-efficacy expectations: Their measurement and relation to career development. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 58(1), 98-117.

Betz, N. E., & Hackett, G. (2006). Career self-efficacy theory: Back to the future. Journal of Career Assessment, 14(1), 3-11.

Finney, S. J., & Horst, S. J. (2019). The status of assessment, evaluation, and research in student affairs. In V. K. Wise & Z. Davenport. Student affairs assessment, evaluation, and research: A guidebook for graduate students and new professionals (pp. 3-19). Charles C Thomas Publisher.

Henning, G. W., & Roberts, D. (2016). Student affairs assessment: Theory to practice. Stylus Publishing.

Rendón, L. L., & Muñoz, S. (2011). Revisiting validation theory: Theoretical foundations, applications, and Extensions. Enrollment Management Journal, 5(2), 12-31.

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