Navigating Assessment Complexities in Administrative and Student Services: From Barriers to Better Practice

Naima Wells   |    Volume 21 Issue 2  |   

This study examined the persistent challenges of outcomes assessment in higher education’s administrative and student services. Using a convergent mixed-methods design, the study integrated quantitative survey data from 110 practitioners with qualitative data from 16 semi-structured interviews. Findings reveal a significant disconnect: while practitioners strongly agree on the value of assessment for improvement (M > 4.0) and a student-centric institutional focus, they report moderate-to-low agreement and high variability on its implementation. The data point to systemic, not cultural, barriers. The lowest-rated survey item was departmental resistance to change (M = 2.44), indicating practitioners do not see colleagues as the primary barrier. Instead, the most significant challenges are institutional, including no straightforward process for requesting resources (M = 2.64) and no process for tracking the impact of data-informed decisions (M = 2.69). Qualitative themes corroborate these findings, identifying key challenges in navigating systemic barriers (lack of time, fragmented data systems), inconsistent leadership, and a critical gap in “closing the loop”. The results demonstrate a clear tension between assessment’s espoused value and the operational reality, suggesting a need for a more integrated, impact-focused culture supported by engaged leadership and robust institutional infrastructure.

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